Koeman’s agent reveals what the national coach found immensely irritating during the World Cup

Agent Rob Jansen believes Ronald Koeman was far too easily singled out as the man chiefly responsible for the Netherlands' disappointing World Cup campaign. The Netherlands were ultimately knocked out by Morocco on penalties in the round of 32.

Against Morocco, Koeman switched tactics. The Netherlands had previously played in a 4-3-3 formation at the tournament, but lined up in a 5-3-2 against the Atlas Lions.

Heavy criticism followed the elimination, and Koeman ultimately decided to step down as head coach. Speaking to Algemeen Dagblad, his agent Jansen leapt to the defence of the 63-year-old coach.

"It’s really far too easy for me to point only at Ronald," says Jansen. "This was a collective disappointment, from the players, from the entire coaching staff and from the technical directorate as well."

Jansen also said Koeman "really did believe" he could become world champions with the Netherlands in the United States. "I certainly think so. It was just that he sometimes got a bit tired of you lot."

"Of the media, of the cynicism and the negativity. Perhaps in that respect he was suffering a bit from burnout. But be honest now: you can hardly hold that against him, can you?", Jansen said.

Following the World Cup exit, Koeman explained his change of system. "We chose to play like that because we had given away far too much in the previous three matches. You can then close your eyes to that and carry on in the same way, but I think it is then up to the coach to change things. It was not an emergency measure. I am a fan of this system."

At the end of August, De Telegraaf journalist Mike Verweij said on the morning newspaper's Kick-off podcast that playing with five defenders had not been Koeman's idea at all. "First of all: Ronald Koeman decides the line-up, but Virgil van Dijk and Ruud van Nistelrooij argued for five defenders against Morocco," Verweij said.

Xavi Hernández then succeeded Koeman as head coach in a surprise move. The Spaniard makes his debut as Netherlands manager on 24 September in the Nations League match against Germany, followed by a game against Serbia on 27 September.