Curaçao manager Fred Rutten has been officially dismissed, and Dick Advocaat is expected to return for a second stint.

The Curaçao Football Federation (FFK) officially announced on Monday that it is parting ways with 63-year-old national team coach Fred Rutten, effective immediately.

Rutten has managed teams including Twente, Schalke 04, PSV Eindhoven, Vitesse, Feyenoord, Al-Junción, Maccabi Haifa, and Real Anderlecht, accumulating a record of 245 wins, 123 draws, and 109 losses. His most representative achievements are leading Twente and PSV Eindhoven to two Dutch Cup titles and one Intertoto Cup title.

In February 2026, Rutten will succeed his fellow Dutchman Dick Advocaat as manager of Curaçao. He has only led the team in two friendly matches so far, losing 1-5 to Australia and 0-2 to China respectively.

Due to his dismal coaching performance, Curaçao's national team players and major sponsors were deeply dissatisfied with Rutten's coaching abilities. Faced with internal pressure, Rutten ultimately chose to resign. In a statement, he said: "I must not allow any atmosphere to damage the healthy professional relationships within the team or among the staff. Therefore, resigning was the right decision. Time is of the essence, and Curaçao must move forward. I regret how things have developed, but I wish everyone all the best."

With Rutten's departure, 78-year-old Advocaat is expected to return to the managerial position. He previously managed Curaçao from January 2024 to February 2026, leading the team to their first-ever qualification for the World Cup finals.

For Advocaat, his primary task is to lead Curaçao to the upcoming World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. As a World Cup newcomer, Curaçao will face Germany, Ecuador, and Ivory Coast in Group E this summer.

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