July 1 – Ronald Koeman has resigned as Netherlands head coach following the country’s World Cup elimination, ending his second spell in charge of the national team just hours after three Dutch players were subjected to racist abuse online.

The 63-year-old stepped down after the Netherlands were knocked out by Morocco in a dramatic round-of-32 tie in Monterrey. After a 1-1 draw, Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber and Crysencio Summerville all missed penalties in the shootout, and the trio were later targeted with discriminatory and hateful messages on social media.

The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) confirmed it would pursue legal action where possible and seek criminal charges against individuals responsible for the abuse.

“We find this appalling,” the KNVB said.

“Football brings together millions of different people, whereas discrimination does the exact opposite. It therefore runs counter to everything football stands for.”

Koeman announced his resignation in an emotional Instagram post, suggesting he may have managed his final game full stop.

“Looking back on my career, I feel especially proud. I have worked with clubs and people that shaped me and gave me memories that I will cherish for a lifetime.

“We all dreamed of a World Cup in which we would write history. That didn’t work out. No-one is more disappointed about that than me.

“The past years have made me realise again that there are more important things than football. Football has been my life, but health is priceless. When someone you love is fighting a tough battle, your perspective changes.”

Koeman’s wife has been recently diagnosed with breast cancer.

The racist incident has inevitably drawn comparisons with the abuse suffered by Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho after England’s Euro 2020 final penalty loss to Italy. In that case, criminal convictions followed.

Dutch football’s focus is now split between finding a new national team coach and dealing with the fallout from another reminder of how quickly online abuse can overshadow disappointment in a major tournament.

Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]