“A challenge, as always”
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Dick Advocaat has been back from retirement for a week. Six months after his last engagement at ADO The Hague, the 76-year-old has taken up his 27th position as head coach – with the Curaçao national team. Advocaat has initially signed for a year, but the ambitious plans with him are more long-term.
“I am happy that I can contribute to the development of football in Curaçao. It took a long time to get to this point because the current board wanted to sort out all internal matters first: pay players, pay off the organization’s debts, look for new sponsors and regain trust. It seems that this has been achieved and I see this whole as a beautiful adventure,” said Advocaat at his presentation, for which it is the eighth national selection after the Netherlands, the UAE, South Korea, Belgium, Russia, Serbia and Iraq, that he trains.
Total value: €9.8 million
Curaçao’s final squad sorted by market value
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“It’s a nice task to complete. Yes, I have said that more than once. “I don’t really know why,” said Advocaat in an interview with “NOS” laughing about the reasons for his comeback. “That’s how it came about. It’s not everyday and the players mainly play in the Netherlands, so I don’t have to travel much. I didn’t want a club anymore. Every day from eight to six, I couldn’t take it anymore.”
Curaçao is currently ranked 90th in the FIFA world rankings. Only last year the country was relegated to League B of the CONCACAF Nations League. Nevertheless, the association has a big goal: qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. The chances of this are higher than usual because the top nations Mexico, USA and Canada have already secured participation as hosts and are not taking part in the North and Central American qualification States and the Caribbean.
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“The World Cup, that’s what it’s all about. Qualification begins in June. In March we have ten days to train and then it’s about building for the future. But with results, otherwise they’ll throw you out very quickly,” continued Advocaat. Curaçao starts in the second qualifying round. As one of two teams, Curaçao has to prevail in a group of five in order to advance to the decisive third round. To make this a success, a new technical director, Khalid Sinouh, was installed alongside Advocaat.
Advocaat wants to convince new players like Kluivert & Co. from Curaçao
In the coming weeks, the duo want to use the time to talk to several players in and from the Netherlands – and ideally convince them of a career in the Curaçao jersey. “There are a large number of players who hope to qualify for the Dutch national team one day. Some are now 23, 24, 25 years old. You don’t think about Orange so much anymore. You have to try them out,” explained Advocaat. “Like Riechedly Bazoer and Justin Kluivert, they are good players for Curaçao.”
Kluivert & Timber twice: Most valuable players with second nationality Curaçao
Advocaat also surprised with the name of the Bournemouth attacker, the son of former world-class professional Patrick Kluivert, on the “Veronica Offside” program. “He is 24 and has only played once or twice for the Dutch national team. Then they can play for another nation,” said Advocaat pragmatically, who knew that the mother of his former protégé, whom he helped make his debut for the Netherlands in 1994, was born on Curaçao.
In addition to Justin Kluivert and his younger brother Ruben (22; Dordrecht) and ex-Wolfsburg Bazoer (27; Alkmaar), PSV duo Armando Obispo (24) and Shurandy Sambo (22), Sontje Hansen (21; Nijmegen), Joshua Brenet (29; Twente) or Tahith Chong (24; Luton Town) are on Advocaat’s list. Only the latter was actually born on Curaçao.
Many interesting players are still very young, noted Advocaat. “That’s a bit of the problem. There are many very good young players, but they don’t have the courage to make a decision yet,” said the coaching legend. The most valuable players with Curaçao as a second nationality such as Jurrien Timber (22; Arsenal), Lutsharel Geertruida (23), Quilindschy Hartman (22, both Feyenoord) and Jorrel Hato (17; Ajax) have chosen the Netherlands. “It’s a challenge again, as always,” was Advocaat’s conclusion about his new task.
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