Curaçao rehires Dick Advocaat as coach for the World Cup three months after he resigned

TL;DR

Curaçao has rehired Dick Advocaat as coach for the World Cup, three months after his resignation due to family health issues. At 78, he will be the oldest coach in World Cup history when Curaçao faces Germany on June 14.

Key points

Dick Advocaat returns as Curaçao's coach for the World Cup
He resigned three months ago due to family health issues
Advocaat will be the oldest coach in World Cup history at 78
Curaçao's first match is against Germany on June 14
The team relies on players born in the Netherlands

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WILLEMSTAD, Curaçao (AP) — Dutch veteran Dick Advocaat is coming back to take Curaçao to the World Cup and set a record as the oldest-ever coach in the tournament’s 96-year history. The 78-year-old Advocaat’s return three months after he resigned citing a family health issue was confirmed Tuesday by the Curaçao soccer federation, one day after Fred Rutten left the job. “Discussions between (the federation) and Dick Advocaat regarding the further details of this appointment are currently ongoing,” it said, with “the aim of ensuring stability, clarity, and continuity around the national team.” When Curaçao makes its World Cup debut against Germany on June 14 in Houston, Advocaat will be seven years older than Otto Rehhagel was at 71 coaching Greece at the 2010 World Cup. It will also be Advocaat’s third World Cup with a third different team: His native Netherlands in 1994 and South Korea in 2006. Curaçao also plays Ecuador in Kansas City and Ivory Coast in Philadelphia at the first 48-team World Cup being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and . The expanded format gave three extra guaranteed entries to the CONCACAF region. Advocaat led the tiny Caribbean island team through qualifying then was replaced in February by his compatriot Rutten. Rutten oversaw two losses in warmup games in March, against Australia and China, and was reportedly unpopular with players who wanted Advocaat back. Curaçao is an autonomous territory of about 156,000 people in the Caribbean within the Netherlands kingdom. The team relies almost entirely on players born and raised in the Netherlands. \\_ AP World Cup:

Q&A

Why did Dick Advocaat resign as Curaçao's coach?

Dick Advocaat resigned due to a family health issue.

What record will Dick Advocaat set at the World Cup?

He will become the oldest coach in World Cup history at 78 years old.

When does Curaçao play their first World Cup match?

Curaçao's first World Cup match is against Germany on June 14.