NOS Football•
The KNVB plans to only enter into discussions with national coach Ronald Koeman about his future as national coach after the upcoming World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The football association confirmed this to the NOS after statements about this by Marianne van Leeuwen, director of professional football at the KNVB, in the Algemeen Dagblad.
Koeman’s contract runs until the 2026 World Cup. “In the coming six months, everything for us will be focused on the World Cup,” Van Leeuwen said in the AD. “Both Ronald and we as management agree that we will only discuss the future after the tournament. Not a day earlier.”
Stopping is an option for Koeman
During the last international match in November, Koeman’s future was discussed. The national coach then said that quitting is a possibility: “It is of course not just me, but I think about that every now and then, yes. It is not something that concerns me now, but like everyone else, I think about my future.”
Watch the excerpts here:
According to the KNVB, there will be no discussions with potential successors until after the World Cup, not even in an exploratory manner. Van Leeuwen: “That would only distract from the main thing: we want to win the World Cup. It is no secret that that is our great ambition, of course also that of Ronald. That takes precedence over everything else.”
Bosz, Slot or Ten Hag?
It does not make the task any easier if Koeman stops or if the KNVB decides to say goodbye to the current national coach. It may well be that the dreamed candidates are already taken, such as Peter Bosz, Arne Slot or Erik ten Hag.
Bosz has an expiring contract with PSV, discussions with the management about an extension have been going on for some time. Arne Slot is under contract with Liverpool until 2027, Ten Hag was fired from Bayer Leverkusen at the beginning of September and is currently free.
