Against the backdrop of the upcoming debut match of the Curaçao national team at the World Cup, Dick Advocaat has decided to step down as head coach. The main reason for this decision was health issues concerning his daughter. "Family always comes first," noted the 78-year-old specialist, adding that Curaçao's participation in the World Championship is one of his most significant achievements in his career. The new coach of the team is Fred Rutten, who previously managed clubs such as PSV, Feyenoord, Twente, and the German Schalke 04.
The Curaçao national team, representing a country with a population of approximately 156,000 people, will become the smallest nation ever to participate in men's World Cups, breaking the record set by Iceland in 2018. In their first match of the tournament, the Caribbean team will face Germany. For Dick Advocaat, this stage has become another notable chapter in his coaching career, during which he also worked with the national teams of the Netherlands and South Korea, as well as coaching clubs such as Scottish Rangers and English Sunderland, helping the latter maintain its place in the Premier League in 2015.
