Ten Hag and Slot Emerge as Favorites for Koeman's Successor

Former Manchester United and Liverpool managers Erik ten Hag and Arne Slot are the leading contenders to become the new head coach of the Netherlands national team. The "Oranje" exited the World Cup in the Round of 16, losing to Morocco on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular and extra time. Immediately following the match, Ronald Koeman announced his resignation as national team coach on social media.

Ten Hag's most recent coaching role was with Bayer Leverkusen, where he managed the club from July to September 2025. During his tenure, the team played three matches under his leadership. Earlier this year, the specialist became the technical director at Twente. Slot, meanwhile, led Liverpool to the English championship title in the 2024/2025 season but was dismissed at the end of the last campaign due to poor results, with Spanish specialist Andoni Iraola taking his place.