"Advoogart Not Coming": Curaçao Football Association Dismisses Return Rumors... "World Cup's Oldest Coach" Hopes Dashed

*This content was translated by AI.

Ahead of the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup, the Curaçao national football team has drawn a line under rumors of Dick Advocaat's (79) return as coach.

The Dutch-language Sint Maarten media outlet "The Daily Herald" reported on the 12th (Korea time) that the Curaçao Football Association rejected demands from players and sponsors for Advocaat's return as coach.

Advocaat led Curaçao to its first-ever World Cup finals appearance last November. Curaçao, a small nation of 150,000 people, became the country with the smallest population among all nations to have ever qualified for the World Cup. Advocaat is also familiar to Korean football fans. He was the manager who led South Korea in the 2026 World Cup. Even after leading Curaçao to the World Cup, Advocaat stepped down as manager in February due to his daughter's illness. Fred Rutten then took over the team.

However, the newly formed Rutten era faltered. In two friendly matches held in March, the team suffered heavy defeats, losing 0-2 to China and 1-5 to Australia. Just as Advocaat's daughter recovered her health, key players strongly urged the association to bring back the former manager.

Amid these developments, the Curaçao Football Association dismissed manager Rutten just one month before the World Cup opening. Rumors of Advocaat's return reignited, but the association's stance remained firm. According to media reports, Gilbert Martina, CuraçaoSo Chuk-gu-hyeop (Chairman), stated firmly, "The appointment of a coach is decided according to the association's bylaws, not by the wishes of players or sponsors." If the 78th-year-old Advocaat had continued to lead the team, he could have set the record as the oldest manager in World Cup history.

Meanwhile, the small nation of Curaçao, with a population of 150,000 and an area of just 443 square kilometers, will face Germany, Ecuador, and Côte d'Ivoire in Group E of the North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup group stage. Ahead of the tournament, the team is scheduled to play friendly matches against Scotland on the 30th and against Aruba in early June.

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*This content was translated by AI.