Erwin Koeman new coach

Anuroop Athiparambath -

MUSCAT, Feb 20 -

Dutchman Erwin Koeman will succeed his compatriot Pim Verbeek as the head coach of Oman national football team.

The Oman Football Association (OFA) meeting chaired by OFA Chairman Salim al Wahaibi approved the appointment of the former Netherlands player.

Koeman, 57, will be given a two-year contract from March 10, 2019 to March 9, 2021, according to the OFA.

The Oman coaching post became vacant after Verbeek quit the team after making history in the Asian Cup 2019 in the UAE.

Erwin is the elder brother of current Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman. The Dutch coach had last served as the interim coach of Turkish club Fenerbahce.

Koeman arrived in the Sultanate late on Monday to hold final talks with the OFA.

Erwin was a midfielder for the Netherlands that won the Euro in 1988 and featured in the 1990 World Cup. In total, Koeman was capped 31 times, scoring twice between 1983 and 1994.

At the level of coaching clubs and teams, he was assistant manager under Eric Gerets in 2001 and for the 2004–2005 season became manager in RKC Waalwijk. He managed RKC for one season before moving to Feyenoord. The Dutchman begun his journey as head coach of Hungary national football team in May 2008. He moved to FC Utrecht as manager in 2011–2012 season. Then he moved to Southampton in June 2014 as the assistant head coach he worked alongside with his brother Ronald. In 2018, Erwin Koeman was the assistant of Phillip Cocu at Fenerbahçe prior moving to the head coach of Fenerbahce in same year.