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Ronald Koeman has resigned from his role as Netherlands men’s national team head coach after suffering the country’s worst-ever finish at a World Cup, getting knocked out in the round of 32.
The Netherlands has missed World Cups, most recently in 2018, but in every World Cup it has participated in, it has reached at least the last 16. That all changed when the Netherlands lost to Morocco in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw at Monterrey Stadium.
Koeman has been heavily criticized for his approach to the match vs. Morocco. He played a back five, abandoning the Dutch philosophy of attacking football and total football. The Netherlands played with a traditional back four in the group stage, where it finished with seven points and really impressed, but the sudden formation change against Morocco left everybody confused, including Thierry Henry.
“I was really surprised because the Netherlands doesn’t usually play this way, but it’s clear that Koeman had a different vision,” the World Cup-winner said.
Zlatan Ibrahimović went as far as to blame Koeman for the defeat.
“It’s always sad to see somebody lose. But I think this loss is on Koeman because I didn’t recognize this Dutch team,” Ibrahimović said.
“And he lost with an identity that is not the Dutch identity,” Ibrahimović continued. “And that makes me angry. Lose with your identity, and try always with that. That’s who you are. That’s who you represent.”
The Netherlands is now looking for a new manager who will lead the project for Euro 2028 and try to shake off this disappointing tournament.
