▲ Dick Advocaat, head coach of the Curaçao national football team.
Dick Advocaat (78, Netherlands), who also has ties to South Korean football, will continue his journey with the Curaçao national football team.
The Curaçao Football Association announced on September 9 (local time) that it has extended its contract with head coach Advocaat until July 31, 2027.
The association stated, "Under coach Advocaat's leadership, Curaçao has achieved significant progress on the international stage," adding, "Through this contract extension, we have chosen continuity and stability as we continue to build the foundation for the future of Curaçao football."
Advocaat shared his thoughts on the contract extension through the Curaçao association, saying, "We have accomplished something special together. I look forward to continuing to build upon the achievements we have made so far with the players and staff."
Having taken the helm of the Curaçao national team in January 2024, Advocaat is the manager who wrote a new chapter in Curaçao football history by leading them to qualify for the 2026 North and Central America World Cup finals. This year's tournament marked the first time that Curaçao, a small island nation with a population of about 150,000, reached the World Cup finals.
In February of this year, Advocaat voluntarily stepped down from his post to focus on caring for his daughter, whose health was declining, but returned to the manager's seat three months later in May to lead Curaçao onto the World Cup stage.
Curaçao suffered a heavy 1-7 defeat to Germany in their opening group match of the tournament, but secured their first-ever World Cup finals point by holding Ecuador to a 0-0 draw.
They subsequently lost 0-2 to Côte d'Ivoire, finishing the tournament at the bottom of Group E with one draw and two losses.
Advocaat, who previously guided the Netherlands to the quarterfinals of the 1994 USA World Cup and also led the South Korean national team at the 2006 Germany World Cup, set a record as the oldest manager in World Cup history during the North and Central America tournament.
(Photo: AP, Captured from Curaçao Football Association SNS, Yonhap News)
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