Treble-winning Rangers boss lands new advisory role - one month after stepping down from 28th management gig
The 78-year-old Dutchman resigned from his most recent role as head coach of the Curacao national team last month
Ex-Rangers treble-winning manager Dick Advocaat has stepped out of retirement once again after agreeing to join former club Feyenoord in an advisory role to Robin van Persie.
The 78-year-old Dutchman, who was set to become the oldest EVER head coach to manage at a World Cup this summer after guiding the Curacao national team through a historic qualification campaign for the first time, decided to quit the role last month to look after his daughter amid her ongoing health issues.
Advocaat was in line to make an emotional return to Hampden Park in May when Scotland face the tiny Caribbean island nation in their final home warm-up match before this summer’s major tournament.
However, Advocaat has now decided to make a relatively speedy return to football by heading back to the Rotterdam club - where he previously served as manager for two years in 2019.
He will work alongside former Manchester United and Arsenal striker Van Persie, who took over as head coach of the Eredivisie giants back in February 2025.
On his appointment, Advocaat stated: “I would like to help Feyenoord and Robin van Persie in particular, to finish this season well. I have known Robin for almost twenty years and our bond has always been good.
“When I was manager here, as a former top striker, he wanted to share his knowledge with the attackers we had at Feyenoord. And now I can support him in turn. I am happy to do so.”
Advocaat initially claimed he was retiring from a lengthy career in football 16 years ago, but he has made a comeback on SIX previous occasions.
He had a successful period in charge of Rangers between 1998 and 2002, where he famously splashed out a record-breaking £12m on Norwegian frontman Tore Andre Flo. He won two league titles with the Ibrox club as well as two Scottish Cups and a League Cup.
His first job in management was in 1980 with DSVP and the veteran's CV includes spells in charge of EIGHT different countries. Advocaat has managed the Netherlands three times in addition to AZ Alkmaar and PSV Eindhoven twice.
He's also gained extensive international experience in the dugout with Serbia, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Belgium, Russia, Iraq and Curacao, who will be the smallest country by population to ever compete at a World Cup in the summer.
It was recently revealed by Advocaat’s former assistant Cor Pot that the reason he stepped down from the job was due to his daughter undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
Who has replaced Dick Advocaat as Curacao head coach?
Following Advocaat’s departure, it was confirmed that fellow countryman Fred Rutten would succeed him in the role. He will take charge for the first time on March 27 in a friendly against China before facing Australia four days later.
Rutten will then take his squad to Glasgow to ace Steve Clarke’s side on May 30 in a pre-World Cup friendly. They are due to take on Germany, Ecuador and Ivory Coast in Group E.
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