“A very difficult decision”
Soccer dwarf before World Cup sensation: bitter news from coach
Updated 11/16/2025 – 10:42 amReading time: 1 min.
Curaçao only needs one more point to complete the greatest success in its history. But of all people, the maker will be missing.
Curaçao is on the verge of the greatest success in its football history. But in the decisive game for participation in the World Cup, the team has to do without its experienced coach.
Dick Advocaat will not be able to attend Wednesday’s game in Jamaica. As the association announced, the 78-year-old is staying in the Netherlands for family reasons.
“It’s a very difficult decision to have to leave the boys here. I made the decision with a heavy heart, but family is more important than football,” Advocaat told the Dutch magazine Voetbal International.
The coach also wants to stay close from afar: “From the Netherlands I will keep in very intensive contact with the coaching staff and I have full confidence in the team,” explained the former bond coach, who also coached Borussia Mönchengladbach, among others.
The association showed understanding: “The whole association supports him completely,” it said in a message on social media. In the game against Jamaica, the team will be looked after by their assistants.
A draw is enough for Curaçao to qualify for a World Cup for the first time. The island state has around 150,000 inhabitants.