Blind sacked as Dutch coach after World Cup flop

AMSTERDAM: 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 fi nals 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 fi nals 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 Tuesday’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.

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 fi nals, would be a major shock for one of the most successful footballing nations who were World Cup fi nalists as recently as 2010 when they lost to Spain. They fi nished third in 2014 in Brazil.

Netherlands skipper Arjen Robben said the defeat in Sofia was a “nightmare”.

Bulgaria stunned the Dutch with two goals in the fi rst 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. — AFP