Koeman is set to sign with Netherlands as new coach

CAIRO – 2 February 2018: It was expected that after the elimination of the Netherlands in the previous phase of the European qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the Netherlands national team would look for a new coach to redirect the course of the battered national team.

After months of mixed statements, it seems that Ronald Koeman has emerged as the most likely candidate to sign as the new coach of the Netherlands.

After publicly rejecting the option of leading the Netherlands while Koeman was still coaching Everton, the ex-Barcelona player will finally have the job of raising the spirits of a country that suffered lousy European failures.

The Netherlands unexpectedly suffered bad results since its failure to qualify for the Euro 2016, held in France and crowned by Portugal, and the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

After the resignation of Dick Advocaat as coach, the new coach will have to aspire to the levels of success that the Netherlands achieved in both World Cup competitions in South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014, in which they achieved second and third place respectively.

Ronald Koeman was dismissed from Everton after only two wins in nine Premier League matches this season.

The resignation of Dick Advocaat opened bets regarding his successor; and both occupy a prominent place.

Koeman's name has remained on the map for weeks. In mid-October, when he was still leading Everton, he was questioned about his possible appointment after the elimination of the Netherland team in the race for the World Cup. "It is not possible to think about it now," cut off the coach, whose personal situation completely changed.

His dismissal from Everton, after the match against Arsenal, made the former Barcelona player an unemployed coach; free to negotiate with whomever he wishes.

Ronald Koeman stated that his dismissal as coach of Everton came because he did not sign France’s Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud as substitute for Romelu Lukaku, who transferred to Mourinho’s Manchester United.

In his first statements following the departure from Everton, the former Barcelona player said that, "I almost had Giroud in the squad and it was difficult to swallow not being able to hire him."

Koeman arrived from Southampton in 2016 amid huge expectations and was granted the resources to revamp the squad in the last transfer window with a net spend of £54 million pounds ($71.1 million).

Everton won two games out of 13 in all competitions and produced another lacklustre performance against Arsenal, a defeat that led to boos and many fans leaving before the end.

During his stay in the English club, the coach said that the Netherlands "had lost category.” Koeman has led clubs like Valencia, AZ Alkmaar, Feyenoord, Southampton or Everton himself in the last ten years.