Dick Advocaat will return as head coach of the Curaçao national team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to Voetbal International. The 78-year-old Dutchman stepped down in February due to his daughter’s health issues, but now plans to lead the team again.
Advocaat took charge of Curaçao in January 2024 and successfully guided them to World Cup qualification. However, he missed the decisive qualifier against Jamaica in November 2025, stating that “family is more important than football” as his daughter fell seriously ill. He resigned in February and was replaced by Fred Rutten, former coach of PSV, Twente, Anderlecht, and Schalke.
On May 11, the Curaçao Football Federation announced that Rutten had voluntarily left his post. According to Voetbal International, Advocaat’s daughter’s health has improved, allowing him to return to the team.
Initially, the federation wanted to keep Rutten to avoid further changes, but this faced significant opposition. Several key sponsors pressured the federation to bring back Advocaat, and consultations with players revealed a strong preference for the coach who had led them to their historic World Cup qualification.
From 2006 to 2009, Advocaat coached Zenit Saint Petersburg, winning the Russian Premier League, Russian Super Cup, UEFA Cup, and UEFA Super Cup. He also managed the Russian national team from 2010 to 2012, leading them to Euro 2012 before they failed to advance past the group stage.
Advocaat’s extensive managerial career includes stints with Haarlem, PSV, Rangers, Borussia Mönchengladbach, AZ, Sunderland, Fenerbahçe, Sparta Rotterdam, Utrecht, Den Haag, and the national teams of the Netherlands, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Belgium, Serbia, and Iraq.