[Archive 2018-02-07] Dutch Football Association appoints Ronald Koeman manager of men's national team

Historical archive — originally published 2018-02-07. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

Yesterday, the Royal Dutch Football Association (Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond; KNVB) announced Ronald Koeman as the new manager of the men's national team. The 54-year-old signed a four-and-half year contract, which is under "immediate effect up to and including the 2022 World Cup" ((nl))Dutch language: ‍onmiddellijke ingang tot en met het WK 2022 , KNVB's official statement read.

Koeman has previously managed nine football clubs, and his most recent spell was in England, where he managed Southampton FC and Everton FC. In 2016–17, he guided Everton to a seventh place finish in the first season in-charge, but was sacked in October.

Netherlands had finished as the runners up at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and third at the 2014 World Cup under management of Louis van Gaal. But The Oranje failed to qualify for the UEFA Euro 2016 under Danny Blind's management, and last year, they failed to qualify for this year's World Cup in Russia. That was their second consecutive failure to qualify for a major tournament.

Koeman, who succeeds Dick Advocaat as the manager of the national team, is to face England in a friendly match to be played on March 23 in the Dutch capital Amsterdam.

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