Netherlands appoint Ronald Koeman as manager

The Dutch national team finally has a new manager as former Everton and Southampton boss Ronald Koeman was chosen to lead the team. Koeman had been out of work since October, when he got sacked by Everton. His first match in charge will be on March 23 when the Netherlands face England in a friendly match. Koeman signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the Dutch FA, which means he should be in charge of the team until the end of the final tournament at the 2022 World Cup. 54-year-old Koeman replaces Dick Advocaat, who resigned after failing to lead the team to the 2018 World Cup. "I'm really positive about the future of the team. We have enough talent but we have to change some things, which I will talk about at a later stage," Koeman said after getting the job. The former defender is one of the nation's most prominent footballers, he was capped 78 times as a player and won the European Championship in 1988 with a team that also featured Marco Van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and Ruud Gullit. His spell at Everton ended abruptly as the club decided to sack him in October after the team won just two of nine Premier League matches and was sitting in 18th place. Board and fans were equally upset considering that the club spent no less than 140 million pounds on transfers last summer. Koeman also managed Southampton for a couple of seasons and led them to solid finishes in sixth and seventh position. "I think the Netherlands should and must be qualifying for major finals and I see a bright future in that regard. That's why I've taken the job," Koeman added. The Netherlands were beaten in the final at the 2010 World Cup and finished third in 2014 in Brazil but failed to qualify for Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup. The Dutch national team is 50/1 to win the upcoming UEFA Nations League competition.