Van Bommel Appointed New Belgium Head Coach

The Belgian Football Association has appointed former Dutch international Mark van Bommel as head coach on a two-year contract, running until the 2028 European Championship, the federation announced.

The 49-year-old former player succeeds Rudi Garcia, whose contract, expiring at the end of July, was not renewed despite Belgium reaching the World Cup quarter-finals earlier this month. In Belgium, Van Bommel is best known for his tenure at Antwerp, where he led the club to a historic league and cup double in the 2022-2023 season. He is highly regarded for his tactical acumen – an area where Garcia faced criticism – as well as his man-management skills. 

"It is a great honor to become the head coach of Belgium," Van Bommel said in a statement released by the association. "I would like to thank the Royal Belgian Football Association for the trust they have placed in me. Belgium has exceptional players and immense potential. Together with my coaching staff, we want to build a team that is disciplined, ambitious, and brave enough to compete with the best. Success is never guaranteed, but hard work, honesty, and dedication are. We will give everything to help this team improve every day and make the Belgian people proud. I look forward to meeting the players, staff, and fans and starting this new chapter together," Van Bommel added.

He has also coached PSV Eindhoven and Wolfsburg. In his playing career, Van Bommel earned 79 caps for the Dutch national team, played in the 2010 World Cup final, and featured for clubs like Barcelona, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, and PSV Eindhoven.

The Belgian Football Association moved quickly to appoint Garcia's successor, with Van Bommel considered one of the leading candidates from the outset, despite not having worked since leaving Antwerp two years ago. Van Bommel had previously stated he was waiting for a sufficiently compelling project to bring him back into coaching. He will be thrown straight into the deep end, taking charge of four rapid Nations League matches during the new, expanded September-October international window.

His debut at the helm will be against Italy in Rome on September 25, followed by Belgium hosting France in Brussels on September 28. They will also play Turkey at home in Liège on October 2, before visiting France in Paris three days later.

Former Dutch international Boudewijn Zenden, former Belgian international Maarten Martens, and Van Bommel's former assistant Rainieri Robbemond will serve as his assistants, the Belgian Football Association announced.