Koeman speaks of easy Netherlands job second time around

Ronald Koeman is confident that managing the Netherlands will be less challenging this time around, as he begins his second stint as head coach of the national team. Koeman took over from Frank de Boer after a three-year absence and is now faced with a tough challenge against France in their opening Euro 2024 qualifier at the Stade de France in Paris.

During his previous tenure as the manager of the

, Ronald Koeman successfully guided the team to qualify for the Euro 2020 tournament after a six-year gap from international competitions. However, he left the team before the tournament began to take over as manager at Barcelona. Koeman is back now as the coach of the Netherlands with a sense of unfinished business.

"It's easier now than it was back then. There are a couple of players I have seen at my clubs, but 14 or 15 of the guys that are here I have worked with already, including Frenkie de Jong and Steven Bergwijn,"

he told a press conference.

"But there's also a couple of new guys. I'm curious what they think, what we think of them as players, those are fun conversations to have.

"I also had a lot of contact when I left the national team with my captain, Virgil van Dijk. Everything feels very familiar.

"We want to make this squad successful, we have to do that together. We are strong, but we need to work hard to perform well.

"You always follow players at their clubs, and new players also come here with certain nerves. The level is high, it's nice to see that the group does a lot of things together.

"Even the new guys are joining the 'old' guys at the table. That's a nice process. That's good to see."

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