Ronald Koeman will take over as manager of the Netherlands for the second time after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. This will be a drastic change since Louis Van Gaal is currently battling a life-changing disease. He was diagnosed with cancer and now he is stepping away.
Koeman, 59, will take over for Louis van Gaal, 70, who announced on Sunday that he is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.
“I am pleased to announce that following the World Cup, I will resume my duties as national coach,” Koeman said.
“I’m looking forward to taking on this new challenge and working together to achieve new triumphs.”
Between 2018 and 2020, Koeman was in charge of the Dutch national team, having previously managed Southampton and Everton in England.
In his first term, Koeman, a defender with 78 caps for the Netherlands, took over from Dick Advocaat, who had quit after the squad failed to qualify for the World Cup in Russia that year.
Ronald Koeman led the Netherlands to the 2019 Uefa Nations League final, where they lost 1-0 to Portugal, and also to Euro 2020 when they finished second behind Germany in their qualifying group.
However, Koeman did not manage the tournament itself because it was postponed for a year to 2021 due to the coronavirus epidemic, and he had left the position to become Barcelona manager in August 2020.
He won the Copa del Rey in April 2021 while at Barcelona, but failed to win La Liga and was fired in October 2021.
What happened to Louis van Gaal?
Louis van Gaal, the current head coach of the Netherlands and former manager of Manchester United, has stated that he is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.
On Sunday evening, the 70-year-old made the admission while promoting a new documentary about his life on the Dutch television show Humberto.
Van Gaal had this to say about his players:
“They don’t know. They see a blush on my cheeks and think, ‘what a healthy (person) that is’. That is of course not the case.”
He added: “I’ve been through a lot with illnesses, including with my own wife. So that’s just part of life.
“(I) as a human being have probably become richer because of all those experiences. I thought that should also be in the film.”
Van Gaal was named manager of the Netherlands for the third time in August 2021, after leading them to a third-place finish at the 2014 World Cup.
He took over from Frank de Boer after the Dutch were eliminated in the last-16 at Euro 2020, and he will now manage his team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar later this year.
They were drawn in Group A of the tournament, which begins in November, alongside hosts Qatar, Africa Cup of Nations champions Senegal, and Ecuador.
Van Gaal was the manager of Manchester United from 2014 until 2016, before returning to the Netherlands.
Despite leading them to FA Cup victory in the final game of his tenure, he was fired by the club and replaced by Jose Mourinho.
Van Gaal has previously won league titles with Ajax, Barcelona, AZ Alkmaar, and Bayern Munich. He also led Ajax to Champions League victory in 1995.
