Dick Advocaat, the Dutch specialist, has left his position as head coach of the Curaçao national team, which occurred just before the team's historic debut at the World Championship. The main reason for his decision was health issues concerning his daughter. "Family always comes first, it's more important than football," noted the 78-year-old specialist, emphasizing that Curaçao's participation in the World Cup is one of his significant achievements throughout his career. He has been replaced by Fred Rutten, who previously coached PSV, Feyenoord, Twente, and the German club Schalke 04.
The Curaçao national team, which has a population of about 156,000, will become the smallest country ever to participate in men's World Cups, breaking the record set by Iceland in 2018. In their first match of the tournament, the Caribbean team will face Germany. For Dick Advocaat, this stage has become another bright chapter in his career: he previously worked with the national teams of the Netherlands and South Korea, as well as coaching the Scottish Rangers and the English Sunderland, whom he helped stay in the Premier League in 2015.
