It's been just over a month since Ronald Koeman resigned as head coach of the Dutch national team following their disappointing Round of 32 exit from the FIFA World Cup, and yet the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) has yet to appoint a successor.
With Peter Bosz and Erik ten Hag having both ruled themselves out, while Mark van Bommel recently took charge of the Belgian national team, the KNVB appears to be quickly running out of options, with Under-21 boss Michael Reiziger a possible option.
However, seemingly out of the blue given that he hasn’t coached since the 2022 World Cup, 74-year-old Louis van Gaal appears to have thrown his name into the hat, should the KNVB need him for a fourth time.
In a recent interview with Voetbal International, the former Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Manchester United boss said, via ESPN, “The only thing at play is that they can't get anyone at the moment, and then my name comes up again. I find that unbelievable in a way.
“I always want to help the KNVB, just as I wanted to do at Ajax. And with a squad like that, there are of course possibilities.”
Van Gaal has led Oranje across three stints between 2000 and 2022 for a total of 63 games, including a run to third place at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the quarterfinals in Qatar eight years later.
Addressing calls for him to be given the job yet again, Van Gaal commented, “Four years ago at the Qatar World Cup, we lost on penalties in the quarter-finals and 'they' didn't think our football was good enough. And those people now see me as the ideal man?
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“Anyway, I have absolutely no idea what the KNVB wants and I have already been national coach three times, so if I ever do something as a coach again, you probably shouldn't look for it in the Netherlands. Although you never know with me. I feel fitter than four years ago.”
While Van Gaal appears to be a ‘break glass in case of emergency’ option, former Barcelona midfielder Reiziger is said to have been in discussions with KNVB bosses Nigel de Jong and Clarence Seedorf over the weekend. According to Voetbal International, Reiziger, who led his side to a third-place finish at the 2025 UEFA Euros, is a top candidate to replace Koeman.
Given his experience with the next generation of Dutch talent, and the senior team’s dire need for younger players with World Cup stars Virgil van Dijk, Memphis Depay, Denzel Dumfries, Nathan Aké, Wout Weghorst, and Marten de Roon all aged 30 or over, the 53-year-old could be the smart hire.
Whoever the KNVB opts to hire, they’d better do so soon, with the Nations League set to kick off with games against Germany and Serbia at the end of September, followed by Greece and Serbia again in early October.
Source: Alloutsoccer.com
