Former Netherlands national football team manager Hans Jorritsma died on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at the age of 77 after a period of illness, the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) announced.
Jorritsma served as team manager for Oranje from December 1996 until his retirement at the end of 2017, spanning more than two decades.
National coach Guus Hiddink initially brought Jorritsma into the KNVB to professionalize the backroom staff during a period of internal squad friction, despite successful early 1998 World Cup qualification victories.
Before transitioning to football administration, Jorritsma built his reputation in field hockey as an elite international player and successful national coach, leading both the Netherlands and Pakistan to world championships.
In 1978, he drew public attention by refusing to accept a silver medal from Argentine dictator Jorge Videla, documenting his experiences under a repressive regime in a diary for Vrij Nederland.
Reflecting on his personality in a 2006 interview, Jorritsma said, "I have always carried a kind of rebelliousness with me.
That can sometimes be difficult."
Prior to his KNVB tenure, Jorritsma assisted the sports federation NOC*NSF by managing logistics, housing, and environments for coaches and athletes at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
When asked about his contribution to the subsequent Olympic medal haul, he remained modest: "Mwah.
Maybe, although it is difficult to say to what extent you have a share in that. I dealt with the logistical process."
Throughout his 21-year football career, Jorritsma managed team logistics through four World Cups and four European Championships, working with head coaches including Frank Rijkaard, Louis van Gaal, Dick Advocaat, Marco van Basten, John van 't Schip, Bert van Marwijk, and Danny Blind.
His tenure included the Netherlands' fourth-place finish at the 1998 World Cup, runner-up at the 2010 World Cup final against Spain, and third place at the 2014 World Cup.
Jorritsma preferred to operate out of the public eye while maintaining optimal working conditions for successive international squads.
"I have always enjoyed the teams I have been involved with, regardless of win or loss. Only winning always made coming home slightly easier," he said.
The KNVB expressed gratitude for his decades of insights and dedication.
His departure from the national team came after the squad failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
