Mark Parsons has left his post as manager of the Netherlands Women by mutual consent after his side were eliminated in the quarter-finals at Euro 2022.
A statement from the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) on Wednesday confirmed that Parsons, who succeeded Sarina Wiegman in May 2021 after she had led them to victory at the previous Euros, would be leaving his post.
“In the run-up to and at the European Championship, both the games shown and the results were disappointing and we cannot afford that. The bar is high,” said the KNVB board member Jan Dirk van der Zee.
“The Netherlands was defending champion and also a finalist at the last World Cup, we want to participate for the prizes. With a view to the current World Cup qualifying series, it has been decided that someone else will be at the helm in the very short term. That is not a nice decision, but that is also part of top football.”
Parsons, 36, is a former Chelsea Women reserve coach who managed DC United, Washington Spirit and Portland Thorns in the United States after emigrating from the UK in 2010. The Netherlands will qualify for next year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand if they can beat Iceland in September.
