New Belgium boss Mark van Bommel hires former Premier League star as assistant
Mark van Bommel has been appointed as the new manager of Belgium on a two-year contract.
The former Netherlands midfielder replaces Rudi Garcia in boxing, and his contract runs until the end of Euro 2028.
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Garcia left as manager following the loss to Spain in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
The Belgian FA also confirmed that his contract will not be extended beyond the competition.
Van Bommel has been confirmed as his successor and will lead the national team in the World Cup and Euro 2028 qualifiers.
His first match against Italy is scheduled for September 25 before the league matches against France and Turkey.
The 49-year-old had been there after leaving Belgium’s Royal Antwerp in 2024.
In his two years in charge Van Bommel won the league and cup twice as well as the Belgian Super Cup.
It followed previous stints with PSV and Wolfsburg, while he previously served as assistant manager in Saudi Arabia and Australia.
As a player, Van Bommel won 79 caps for the Netherlands and was part of the team that reached the finals of the 2010 World Cup.
The coaching staff revealed
After confirming his appointment, Van Bommel’s Belgian staff was also revealed.
Among them is former Premier League player Boudewijn Zenden.
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The former Netherlands international is a familiar face to fans of Chelsea, Liverpool and Sunderland.
Zenden also played for PSV, Barcelona and Sunderland during his career.
Since retiring in 2011, the 49-year-old has held a number of coaching roles, most recently with Dutch second-tier club MVV Maastricht.
Meanwhile, he has worked as a coach under Van Bommel at PSV as well as a teammate at youth and senior international level.
The new manager’s coaching staff includes former Belgian midfielder Maarten Martens and Dutch coach Reinier Robbemond.
Van Bommel’s statement
After his appointment, Van Bommel explained: “It is a great honor to be the head coach of Belgium. I would like to thank the Royal Belgian Football Association for their trust in me.
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“Belgium has outstanding and talented players. Together with my coaching staff, we want to build a team that is disciplined, ambitious and brave enough to compete with the best players.
“Success is not guaranteed, but hard work, honesty and dedication are.
“We will do everything to help this team improve every day and make the people of Belgium proud.
“I look forward to meeting the players, staff and supporters, and starting this new chapter together.”
Van Bommel’s first job as manager will be reaching the Nations League final for the first time since 2021.
His team will be aiming to reach the fourth European Championship in a row in the next two years.
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