Nigel de Jong is the new technical director of football at the KNVB. The 38-year-old former international succeeds Nico-Jan Hoogma at the football association. De Jong will complete a UEFA management course this spring.
Hoogma announced in November 2021 that he would leave in June as director of top football. He then started working as technical director at Heracles Almelo. The KNVB started looking for a successor and now, more than a year after the announcement that Hoogma would stop, comes with De Jong as successor.
De Jong played 81 international matches for the Dutch national team between 2004 and 2015. The former midfielder was active in four final tournaments and played the 2010 World Cup final against Spain. De Jong stated on the KNVB website, “It is a really excellent opportunity to get started in this role, in which I aim to help further strengthen Dutch elite football, among men and women.”
“The Netherlands has always aspired to be at the ultimate top of the world. The history and talent on hand support that goal,” says the former player. “Dutch football requires specialised knowledge and experience to work in. I acquired that during my playing career. At different clubs in the Netherlands and abroad, and I can now put it to use. Even though I’ve been away from the Netherlands for seventeen years, I’ve always been a fan of Dutch football.”
Reponsibilities
De Jong has the responsibility of ensuring that the KNVB national teams can perform to their full potential as technical director of football. De Jong, according to director of pro football Marianne van Leeuwen, has a “absolute winner’s mindset.Nigel has spent the past few years qualifying for a management post in football.” Van Leeuwen noted, “He has peered behind the doors at UEFA and other clubs. Nigel will be able to quickly adapt to his new position as a member of the Executive Board, in our opinion. Of course, he will have our entire support in this.”
