WILLEMSTAD – Travel company Corendon will end its role as a major financial sponsor of the Curaçao national football team after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following the decision by the Curaçao Football Federation (FFK) not to reinstate former coach Dick Advocaat.
The announcement was confirmed by Corendon chief executive Atilay Uslu in local media and has since been widely reported in Dutch media.
Atilay Uslu
Despite the decision, Uslu stated that Corendon will honor all financial agreements with the football federation through the World Cup in 2026.
“I am a man of my word,” Uslu reportedly said.
The controversy follows weeks of unrest surrounding the national team’s coaching situation. Advocaat, who guided Curaçao to its historic first-ever World Cup qualification, stepped down in February because of the serious illness of his daughter.
Former Dutch coach Fred Rutten was subsequently appointed as his replacement. However, recent reports indicated that several players and sponsors wanted Advocaat to return after improvements in his daughter’s health.
According to Dutch media, Corendon and other influential figures around the team even explored the possibility of bringing Advocaat back or creating a dual coaching arrangement with Rutten, but the federation rejected those options.
FFK president Gilbert Martina publicly confirmed last week that Rutten will remain national coach during the World Cup.
“Decision-making at FFK is based on more than just the wishes of players and sponsors and is anchored in the statutes of the federation,” Martina told Dutch media.
The federation’s stance has intensified tensions around the national team ahead of the country’s historic World Cup debut.
Under Rutten, Curaçao suffered defeats in recent friendly matches against China and Australia, increasing concerns among supporters and parts of the squad.
Corendon has been considered one of the most important financial backers behind Curaçao’s World Cup project and played a major role during the qualification campaign. Uslu had repeatedly expressed strong confidence in Advocaat and his technical staff.
The sponsorship withdrawal is now raising questions about the long-term financial future of the national football program after the World Cup.
Curaçao, the smallest nation ever to qualify for a FIFA World Cup by population, will compete in Group E against Germany, Ecuador, and Ivory Coast.