Blind sacked as Dutch coach after World Cup flop

Danny Blind was sacked as Netherlands coach on Sunday after a 2-0 defeat to Bulgaria left the team’s chances of reaching the World Cup finals hanging by the slenderest of threads.Blind, 55, had been in charge since July 2015, succeeding Guus Hiddink, but Saturday’s loss in Sofia left the Dutch in fourth place in qualifying Group A, six points behind leaders France.Only the group winners are guaranteed a place in the 2018 finals in Russia.Blind said he was saddened by the decision.“We were on the right track in Bulgaria, but it’s a pity that it ends like this,” he said.Blind’s assistant Fred Grim will take charge of the team for today’s friendly against Italy in Amsterdam, the Dutch football federation (KNVB) said.“We (the federation) have a lot of respect for Danny, but due to negative results and the difficulty we have to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, we must part company with him,” said the KNVB in a statement.The Netherlands, three-times World Cup runners-up, also failed to qualify for Euro 2016.“To qualify for Russia will be very complicated,” admitted star midfielder Wesley Sneijder.The writing was already on the wall for Blind after he was summoned to meet the federation in the aftermath of the Bulgarian setback.Dutch newspapers pronounced the defeat a “debacle”. Failure to qualify for Russia next year, on the back of failure to reach the 2016 Euro finals, would be a major shock for one of the most successful footballing nations who were World Cup finalists as recently as 2010 when they lost to Spain.They finished third in 2014 in Brazil. Netherlands skipper Arjen Robben said the defeat in Sofia was a “nightmare”.“It’s sad. I’m speechless. The first half was shocking,” said the 33-year-old Bayern Munich winger.Bulgaria stunned the Dutch with two goals in the first 20 minutes, both coming from Spas Delev, who opened his international account.The first came from an error by 17-year-old Matthijs De Ligt, Holland’s youngest debutant since 1931, who misjudged a pass and allowed the striker to slot the ball past Jeroen Zoet.Blind said he “did not baulk” at the difficult choice to select de Ligt, said the federation.After the match Blind questioned whether he was still the man for the job.“I have to reflect on whether I am capable of getting us out of this jam,” he said.Van Gaal to help in search for new Netherlands coachLouis van Gaal featured prominently as Dutch media speculated over possible coaches for the national team but the country’s football association (KNVB) wants him to help search for Danny Blind’s replacement, De Telegraaf reported yesterday.Blind’s 20-month tenure ended after a 2-0 loss in Bulgaria on Saturday left the Dutch in fourth place in their World Cup qualifying group and facing an uphill struggle to reach next year’s tournament in Russia.“We hope to have a new coach in place quickly but it won’t be ready in one week,” KNVB technical director Jean Paul Decossaux said on Sunday.“A foreign trainer is also an option. Our list of candidates can be made up of whoever is going to take Dutch football forwards. That will undoubtedly include Ronald Koeman although we know he is also under contract with his club,” Decossaux added.Koeman, manager of Premier League club Everton, has told Dutch media he is not available.The 65-year-old Van Gaal has previously said that he has now retired from coaching.He has had two spells as Netherlands coach, taking the team to third place at the 2014 World Cup.Since he left to join Manchester United, however, the Dutch side have been in freefall, failing to qualify for last year’s European Championship and in serious danger of not making the World Cup.