Dick Advocaat matches Guus Hiddink | This statistic both former PSV coaches share

After weeks of discussions about the national team manager position for Curaçao, it became clear last month that Dick Advocaat will nevertheless travel with The Blue Wave to the World Cup in North America. As a result, the 78-year-old Advocaat will be the oldest national team manager at a World Cup finals.

In addition, the born Hagener is going for his third World Cup as national team coach and thereby matches Advocaat Guus Hiddink as the former PSV coach who stood on the sidelines during three World Cups as a coach. Hiddink was the national team coach of the Netherlands during the 1998 World Cup, and reached the semi-final then, which was lost on penalties to Brazil, and also lost the match for third place to Croatia (1-2).

In 2002, Hiddink stood on the touchline as head coach of South Korea and the born Varssevelder became immensely popular in the Asian country because he managed to lead the team to the semi-final. There, they lost 0-1 to Germany and the South Koreans also lost the third place to Turkey (2-3).

In 2006, Hiddink was Australia’s national team coach during the World Cup in Germany. The Socceroos, for the first time since 1974, managed to qualify under the former PSV coach, and in 2006 Hiddink guided the Australians into the second round, where they were defeated 1-0 by the eventual world champion Italy after a controversial penalty in stoppage time.

Dick Advocaat was the national team coach of the Netherlands at the 1994 World Cup in the United States. Oranje reached the quarterfinals where the eventual world champions Brazil, with former PSV player Romario in the squad, ultimately proved too strong with a 2-3 scoreline.

In 2006, Advocaat was the second Dutch national team coach of South Korea after Hiddink, in 2002, had managed to reach the semi-final with that country. The 2006 World Cup did not go as well for South Korea with Advocaat on the touchline, as the Koreans were eliminated in the group stage in favor of Switzerland and France.

On Sunday evening, Curaçao prepares for its debut at the World Cup. At 7 p.m. Dutch time, Advocaat’s team kicks off against Germany, and for the 78-year-old coach it will thus be his third World Cup on the sidelines.