Zlatan Blames Koeman For Netherlands World Cup Exit
Zlatan Ibrahimovic blames Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman for the team's penalty loss to Morocco in the World Cup round of 32, criticizing him for abandoning the Dutch attacking style for a defensive approach.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the legendary former striker now working as a Fox Sports commentator, has singled out Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman as solely responsible for the team's 2026 World Cup elimination after losing to Morocco on penalties in the round of 32.
Zlatan said, "This defeat is entirely Koeman's fault. I couldn't recognize this Netherlands team at all. The playing style is no longer the identity of the Netherlands, and that deeply disappointed me."
"I was always taught that it's attack, attack, and attack—that's the Dutch identity. Today Koeman looks like an Italian coach focused only on not losing. But normally, Netherlands plays to win. Even if they lose, they should play with their own distinctive style."
"This isn't the Netherlands I know. Looking at how they played, you could see the players themselves felt uncomfortable. Ball possession is gone. The attacking game is gone. The overall performance looked poor. And all of that is entirely Koeman's responsibility."
