WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao national team coach Dick Advocaat says he does not understand the criticism surrounding his return as head coach of the Blue Wave and has strongly rejected suggestions that he previously left the job because of homesickness.
The 78-year-old coach addressed the issue during a press conference in the Netherlands on Thursday, where he discussed recent developments involving the Curaçao national team.
Advocaat returned to the role after the departure of former head coach Fred Rutten. The coaching change followed pressure from players and principal sponsor Corendon, according to reports surrounding the national team.
During the press conference, Advocaat revealed that he had already indicated privately that he would be willing to return once the health situation of his daughter became more stable.
The veteran Dutch coach also stressed that Rutten’s departure was his own decision and said the players should not be blamed for the coaching transition.
According to Advocaat, the national team has now put the matter behind it and is fully focused on the future and upcoming matches.
The coach also used the opportunity to respond to comments made by Dutch television personality and football analyst Johan Derksen.
During the television program Vandaag Inside, Derksen suggested that Advocaat’s previous departure from the Curaçao national team had been motivated by homesickness rather than concerns about his daughter’s health.
Advocaat strongly rejected those remarks, calling the allegations “scandalous” and saying Derksen had crossed a line.
The coach emphasized that family circumstances were the real reason behind his earlier decision to step away from the national team and expressed frustration that those circumstances had been publicly questioned.
The comments come as Curaçao prepares for its upcoming international fixtures, with Advocaat once again leading the squad as it continues its preparations for important matches in the months ahead.