Frank de Boer named Netherlands team coach

Frank de Boer, who won 112 caps and played at two World Cups for the Netherlands, has been appointed his country’s national team coach, the Dutch football association (KNVB) said on Wednesday.

The 50-year-old replaced Ronald Koeman, who left last month to take over as Barcelona coach, and has signed a two-year contract up to the 2022 World Cup.

Former defender De Boer, who also played for Barcelona and Ajax Amsterdam, won a record four successive Dutch league titles as coach of Ajax between 2011 and 2014.

But three subsequent jobs outside the Netherlands proved disappointing. He was fired by Inter Milan after 85 days in charge in 2016 and the next year lasted 10 weeks at Crystal Palace.

His last position was at Atlanta United in Major League Soccer where he led the club to cup success before leaving in July after 18 months in charge.

De Boer will be thrust quickly into his new job with a friendly against Mexico and two Nations League games early next month. The Netherlands host the Mexicans in Amsterdam on Oct. 7 before travelling to Bosnia on Oct. 11 and Italy on Oct. 14.

De Boer will lead the Netherlands into next year's rescheduled European Championship, their first major tournament since the 2014 World Cup.

Beaten World Cup finalists in 1974, 1978 and 2010, the Dutch recently endured one of their darkest periods as they failed to qualify for Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup before Koeman revived their fortunes.