Ronald Coeman resigns from Holland after elimination

The timing of this decision is especially significant, since the 2026 World Cup in North America is very close, and the Netherlands now has to find a new coach at a less favorable time.

Koeman's contract with the Dutch Royal Football Federation (KNVB) was valid until July 31st 2026, covering the entire World Cup cycle.

However, 63-year-old has chosen to resign, forcing the federation to launch one of the most important processes for selecting a coach in the recent Dutch football story.

This was Coeman's second term at the helm of “Oranje”.

He took the lead for the first time in 2018, leading a reconstruction process before leaving in 2020 to take the lead in Barcelona.

In January 2023, he returned to the Netherlands bench.

Under his direction, the Netherlands reached the Euro-2024 semifinal, the team's best score in a grand tour since the 2014 World Cup, when the team led by Louis van Gaal ended in third in Brazil.

Koeman's project was built on the combination of experienced players, such as Virgil van Dijk, with new talents emerging from the Dutch football development system.

Speculations about Coeman's possible departure had circulated since early 2026.

Now they have been confirmed and the KNVB faces a transition that would probably have preferred to avoid before the World Cup.

Dutch football has a rich coach tradition. Names like Frank de Boer, who led the national between Koeman's two mandates, as well as other important figures of the Dutch tactical school, are expected to be cited as potential candidates for the post./ Periscope.