Netherlands coach Koeman resigns after penalty shootout loss marked team’s quickest World Cup exit

Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman resigned Tuesday after his team was knocked out of the World Cup with a Round of 32 loss to Morocco in a penalty shootout, the earliest exit ever from the tournament for the Dutch team.

The 63-year-old Koeman, who had been leading the Dutch national team for the second time after reaching the semifinals of the 2024 European championship, announced his decision in a social media post.

The Netherlands had reached at least the round of 16 in 11 previous World Cups, including a quarterfinal appearance four years ago in Qatar. This year’s tournament expanded to 48 teams, sending 32 to an enlarged first round of the knockout stage.

In his announcement, Koeman said he shared a dream of a World Cup that would “make history” and no one was more disappointed than he is that it didn’t happen. The Netherlands has reached the World Cup final three times but never won it.

The loss to Morocco was the third consecutive time the Netherlands has been eliminated from the World Cup in a shootout. The Dutch had scored a tournament-high 10 goals in the group stage, but scored just one goal from the field against Morocco in a match that was 1-1 before it went to the penalty shootout.

The early departure from the World Cup resulted in some pointed criticism online toward Dutch players, and the Royals Netherlands Football Association said in a statement that some players had been “treated in a racist and discriminatory manner.”

“We thank the players, staff and all those involved for their commitment during this World Cup,” the Royals Netherlands Football Association said. “We also express our appreciation for the supporters, in the stadium, at home and everywhere where Oranje was followed and supported. Football connects people, regardless of origin or background.

“We see online reactions in which players are treated in a racist and discriminatory manner after the elimination. We draw a clear line there. Racism and discrimination have no place anywhere: not in football, not online and not in our society.”

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The Dutch team returned from the match in Mexico to its base camp in Kansas City, Missouri, on Tuesday. It plans to depart for the Netherlands on Wednesday, though some players will leave directly to join their club teams elsewhere.

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AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta in Kansas City, Missouri, contributed.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here