It’s been eight long years since the Netherlands last played a World Cup match, a 3-0 victory over Brazil that earned them the honour of third place in 2014. They return now with the same manager, Louis van Gaal, whose tactics made the Dutch one of the most entertaining teams in Brazil, but the trail left behind by his subsequent successors and then predecessors largely explains why the time in between their last World Cup appearances has been so long, as well as chaotic.
Missing out on Euro 2016 under Guus Hiddkink was followed by their failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup under Dick Advocaat, as well as much soul-searching. The Netherlands seemed to regain their spark under Ronald Koeman and swiftly reached Euro 2020, but his departure to Barcelona left them in a lurch. The Dutch failed to impress on their return to a major tournament and there was little surprise when Frank de Boer departed just two days after their tepid round of 16 defeat to the Czech Republic.
