Home
+
Published : 24 Jul 2026, 08:49 PM
Belgium have named former Netherlands international Mark van Bommel as their new coach on a two-year contract until the 2028 European Championship, the Belgian football association said on Friday.
The 49-year-old succeeds Rudi Garcia, whose contract, which runs out at the end of July, was not renewed despite Belgium reaching the World Cup quarter-final earlier this month.
In Belgium, Van Bommel is best known for his spell at Antwerp, where he guided the club to a historic league and cup double in 2022-23, and is highly regarded for his tactical expertise -- an area in which Garcia had been criticised -- as well as for his man-management skills.
“It is a great honour to become head coach of Belgium,” said Van Bommel in a statement released by the association.
“I would like to thank the Royal Belgian Football Association for their confidence in me. Belgium has outstanding players and enormous potential. Together with my coaching staff, we want to build a team that is disciplined, ambitious and brave enough to compete with the very best.
"Success is never guaranteed, but hard work, honesty and commitment are. We will give everything to help this team improve every day and make the Belgian people proud. I am looking forward to meeting the players, the staff and the supporters, and beginning this new chapter together,” Van Bommel added.
He has also coached at PSV Eindhoven and VfL Wolfsburg. In his playing career, Van Bommel won 79 caps for the Dutch, playing in the 2010 World Cup final, and was on the books at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, AC Milan and PSV Eindhoven.
Van Bommel Had Been Waiting for Major 'Project'
The Belgian Football Association wasted little time in appointing a successor to Garcia, with Van Bommel considered one of the leading candidates for the job from the outset, even though he has not worked since leaving Antwerp two years ago.
Van Bommel previously said he was waiting for a project compelling enough to bring him back into management.
He will be thrown into the deep end as he takes charge of four quick-fire Nations League matches in the new, expanded September-October international window.
His debut in charge is against Italy in Rome on Sept 25 after which Belgium host France in Brussels on Sept 28.
They will also play Turkey at home in Liege on Oct 2 and then go away to France in Paris three days later.
Fellow former Netherlands international Boudewijn Zenden, ex-Belgium international Maarten Martens and Van Bommel’s former assistant Reinier Robbemond will be his assistant coaches, said the Belgian FA.
