Journalist has news | KNVB has these two candidates in view to succeed Ronald Koeman

Why an Italian journalist has news about the actual succession of Ronald Koeman is a small mystery, but still the Italian transfer journalist is certain of his case.

In any case, PSV does not seem to have to fear for one of Peter Bosz’s future moves to Zeist, insofar as club management there had already taken that into account. It is Arne Slot and Erik ten Hag who are among the candidates to succeed Ronald Koeman as head coach of the Netherlands national team. That is what Italian transfer journalist Nicolò Schira claims on Thursday morning on X.

The World Cup ended early for Oranje earlier this week, after a bizarrely poor match in which they lost to Morocco in the round of 16 on penalties. The day after their elimination, Koeman drew his conclusions and stepped down at the KNVB, meaning the football association now has to look for a replacement. For Koeman, the situation is that he has failed significantly, but the association has to move on, so several options are being considered.

According to the Italian Schira, only Slot and Ten Hag are in the running as candidates. That would mean that, among others, Peter Bosz and Michael Reiziger, but also Ruud van Nistelrooij and Mark van Bommel, do not have to expect a call from Zeist.

Ten Hag is currently active as technical director at FC Twente, while Arne Slot is still without a club after his dismissal at Liverpool, so these names sound logical somewhere but also not somewhere. Erik ten Hag has never shown himself to be suitable for the top, especially not communicatively. 

Journalist Schira previously also spoke out about the national team manager position at Oranje, but was wrong back then. After the Netherlands national team was eliminated, the Italian said that Koeman would 'not step down of his own accord' and that the KNVB would decide whether his expiring contract would be extended. That turned out not to be the case: Koeman himself cut the knot and turned down a contract extension, which was also related to family circumstances.