Veteran Dutch coach Dick Advocaat was on Saturday handed the task of guiding Iraq to the 2022 World Cup finals.
The Iraq football federation said the 73-year-old, who succeeds Streshko Katanic, was chosen on the basis of “his track record, both with clubs and national teams,” Dutch news agency ANP reported, citing the federation’s board of directors. Advocaat has managed the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, Belgium, Russia and Serbia. At club level, he has coached PSV Eindhoven, Borussia Moenchengladbach and Zenit Saint-Petersburg with who he won the 2008 UEFA Cup.
The contract was concluded after negotiations in Madrid and the new coach “will start work in the coming days”, according to an Iraq federation statement. No details were given on the financial details of the contract or its duration. “The new coach knows our goals and plans which begin with the decisive qualifiers for the World Cup in Qatar,” said interim chief executive Iyad Beniane. Advocaat’s most recent job in football was as coach of Feyenoord last season.