FILE - Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman arrives for a press conference ahead of the World Cup round of 32 soccer match against Morocco in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Mexico, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo, File)
September 16, 2026 - 3:42 AM
AMSTERDAM (AP) — Former Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman announced Wednesday that his wife Bartina has died after a battle with breast cancer. She was 65.
“With deep sorrow, but also with great pride and love, we say goodbye to my wonderful wife, our dearest mom and grandma,” Koeman wrote on social media, alongside a black-and-white photo of him and his wife of 41 years.
Koeman coached the Netherlands at this year's World Cup and said in June ahead of the team's opening game that he hoped Bartina would be able to skip a weekly treatment for recurring breast cancer and travel to the United States if his team reached the final.
The former Barcelona defender stepped down from the Netherlands job after the team was eliminated in the round of 32 by Morocco, citing his wife's illness as part of the reason.
"The past years have made me realize 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 wrote on his Instagram account on June 30. “My wife Bartina has supported and encouraged me every day to finish my work as a national coach despite her own illness process. That is a testimony to incredible strength.”
Koeman had two spells coaching the Netherlands team and in between coached Barcelona for the 2020-21 season. He previously coached clubs in the Netherlands, England, Portugal and Spain.
As one of the best defenders of his generation, Koeman was a key member of the Netherlands’ European Championship-winning team in 1988, and won European Cup titles with PSV Eindhoven and Barcelona.
He scored the winning goal at Wembley Stadium in 1992 when Barcelona became European champion for the first time.
“FC Barcelona and its supporters send their deepest condolences and affection to Ronald Koeman and his family for the passing of his wife, Bartina Koeman,” the Spanish club wrote on social media. “May she rest in peace.”
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