ATLANTA, June 30 — Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman announced his resignation late yesterday after the Dutch were eliminated from the World Cup by Morocco in the first knockout round in Mexico on Monday.
"Last night, I made the decision to end my tenure as head coach of the Dutch national team," Koeman wrote on Instagram.
"We all dreamed of a World Cup in which we would make history. That didn't happen. No one is more disappointed about that than I am. As head coach, you bear that responsibility."
Koeman had initially declined to comment on his future in the aftermath of the penalty shootout defeat in Monterrey, but an underwhelming second spell in charge had made his departure increasingly likely amid mounting criticism from the Dutch media.
He also hinted at retirement from coaching.
"Moreover, the past few years have made me realise once again that there are more important things than football. Football has been my life, but health is priceless. When someone you love dearly is fighting a tough battle, your perspective changes.
"Despite her own illness, my wife Bartina supported and encouraged me every day to finish my work as head coach. That shows incredible strength. I am more grateful to her for that than I could ever put into words," he wrote.
Dutch football association technical director Nigel de Jong described the World Cup campaign as disappointing. He would have played a key role in deciding Koeman's future had the coach not resigned.
"The objective was the semi-finals, and the ambition was to become world champions," De Jong said. "Unfortunately, we didn't achieve that. Yes, we are a long way off. That is the conclusion. We have to be honest about that."
Koeman came under heavy criticism after a series of inconsistent performances that Dutch media said "ranged from sluggish, aimless passing and retreating against Japan to an energetic response against Sweden and then back to an '80 per cent mentality' against Tunisia".
Koeman took charge after the World Cup in Qatar four years ago, succeeding Louis van Gaal, under whom the Netherlands reached the quarter-finals. The Dutch also reached the semi-finals of the 2024 European Championship but failed to beat a single team ranked in FIFA's top 25.
The 63-year-old previously managed the Netherlands from February 2018 before leaving in August 2020 to take charge of Barcelona.
