Ronald Koeman officially closed his second tenure with the Netherlands national team following the defeat against Morocco in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.
The 63-year-old strategist confirmed his resignation decision through his personal page, while accepting full responsibility for the team’s results. “We all dreamed of a historic World Cup. But, that did not happen. No one is more disappointed than myself. As the head coach, I must bear responsibility,” Koeman shared.
The Netherlands national team stopped their journey after a 1-1 draw with Morocco after 120 minutes of play, before suffering a 2-3 defeat in the penalty shootout. This result made Koeman the focal point of criticism from the media and fans, especially regarding his decision to change the tactical system in the knockout round.
Different from the familiar style of play, he used a three-center-back formation and prioritized defensive solidity. After the match, the Netherlands skipper stated that he made this decision based on the reality that the team had conceded too many goals in the group stage.
“We chose this style of play because the team conceded too many goals in the 3 group stage matches. You can close your eyes and continue, but the coach has to make a change. The whole of the Netherlands said that we should play with 5 defenders, I did exactly that and then got criticized.
I don’t care. People can say whatever they want, I don’t mind. Did I make the choice because I was afraid of losing? A coach doesn’t do that. Neither do I,” Koeman said.
The 63-year-old strategist believed that the final result directly affected the public’s perception of the Netherlands national team. The elimination continues to extend the Netherlands’ streak of defeats at recent World Cups. From 2014 to the present, “the Orange Whirlwind” has never lost in official playing time or extra time in the knockout rounds, but all had to stop their journey after penalty shootouts.
