Dick Advocaat has stepped down as manager of World Cup debutants Curacao to care for his ill daughter, with former PSV boss Fred Rutten appointed as his replacement just months before the tournament.
Dick Advocaat has resigned as manager of Curacao only months before the nation’s historic World Cup debut.
The 78-year-old led the Caribbean island of 185,000 people through an unbeaten qualifying campaign, making them the smallest nation ever to reach the tournament.
Advocaat cited his daughter’s health as the reason for his departure, stating: “I have always said that family comes before football.”
Former PSV manager Fred Rutten has been named as Advocaat’s successor. Rutten inherits a squad that surpassed Iceland’s record as the smallest qualifying nation.
Despite the sudden change, Advocaat expressed immense pride in the team’s achievement, remarking: “I consider qualifying the smallest nation in the world for the World Cup one of the highlights of my career.”
Curacao opens their campaign against Germany on June 14.