Report: Advocaat to be Dutch coach

The former PSV Eindhoven boss led the Netherlands to the quarterfinals of the 1994 World Cup.

The Dutch football association (KNVB) declined to comment on who would succeed Louis van Gaal but said an announcement would be made on Friday.

"We have so many names being rumoured and we will not comment on any of them," a KNVB spokesman said.

"Tomorrow we have a press conference to announce our new technical staff, this includes the team coach."

Earlier this month Advocaat said he had turned down the chance to take over the Dutch team to stay at the Scottish premier league club. He was manager of Rangers for 3-1/2 years but stepped aside to become director of football in December.

Rangers declined to comment on the ANP report.

Van Gaal resigned as Dutch coach on November 30 after the team failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup.

The ANP report said another former international Wim van Hanegem, a former manager of Feyenoord but currently without a post, would almost certainly be Advocaat's right-hand man.

Earlier it was announced that former Dutch captain Ruud Krol has been put in temporary charge of the national side for next month's friendly against England.

Ajax Amsterdam technical director Leo Beenhakker said the club had given the KNVB permission to take on Krol, assistant manager at Ajax, ahead of the game in Amsterdam on February 13.

Capped 83 times, Krol was a superb defender in the sides that reached two World Cup finals in the 1970s, captaining the team that lost 3-1 to hosts Argentina in the 1978 final.

Beenhakker said the players wanted Krol, who worked as assistant to van Gaal, to be the new coach.

Beenhakker said Krol could also stay in charge for a friendly against Spain, like England World Cup finalists, on March 27 in Rotterdam.

Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.