After his team faced early elimination in the World Cup, Dutch boss Koeman was contemplating resignation
Following the Dutch team’s elimination from the World Cup by Morocco in the first knockout round in Mexico on Monday, Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman is expected to announce his resignation in the near future.
Koeman declined to provide any clear remarks regarding his future following the penalty shootout in Monterrey. However, his lackluster second tenure in charge suggests that it is improbable he will remain, especially given the wave of criticism from the Dutch media.
Koeman was asked directly after the Morocco match, where the Dutch faced significant criticism for their defensive strategy, whether he had submitted his resignation.
No. The answer comes immediately after the game, and the sense of disappointment is vividly clear in your thoughts,” he remarked. To begin with, I will organize my thoughts. I’ll begin that first thing in the morning (Tuesday). “Perhaps I will reach a conclusion by noon.”
Home media criticized Koeman for forsaking the ‘Dutch school’ of attacking football by employing five defenders in the match against Morocco. One reporter proposed that they had experienced fear.
This frustrated Koeman, who stood by his strategy but failed to sway the critics.
The daily Algemeen Dagblad has opened a new tab, predicting that he would resign following a Dutch performance that “ranged from sluggish, aimless passing and retreating against Japan to an energetic response against Sweden, and then back to an ‘80% mentality’ against Tunisia.
In the match against Morocco, there was the required intensity, but a deficiency in genuine football: five defenders were present, yet there was no midfield presence. Only one scoring opportunity.
Four years ago in Qatar, the Netherlands, under the guidance of Louis van Gaal, reached the quarter-finals.
Koeman assumed the role of coach the subsequent year, yielding varied outcomes. The Dutch advanced to the semifinals of the 2024 European Championship yet did not manage to secure a victory against any nation ranked in FIFA’s top 25.
The 63-year-old had previously served as the coach of the Netherlands from February 2018 until he left unexpectedly in August 2020 to assume the role at Barcelona.
