FC Twente technical director Erik ten Hag voiced strong frustration on July 23, 2026, regarding the declining performance of Dutch soccer clubs and the national team on the European stage ahead of his club's Europa League qualifier.
The criticism follows the loss of the Netherlands' sixth-place ranking on the European coefficient list, which eliminated an automatic European spot and left only the league champion with direct entry into the Champions League.
Dutch national team Oranje also suffered an early exit at the World Cup after a round-of-16 penalty shootout loss against Morocco, while former semi-finalists Ajax now face three qualifying rounds to reach the Conference League.
Ten Hag highlighted the systemic issues facing domestic clubs as FC Twente prepares to host Hungarian team Ferencvaros in the Europa League second qualifying round following a fourth-place Eredivisie finish.
"Dutch soccer has a few problems," said Erik ten Hag, technical director of FC Twente.
The director emphasized that the club needs to raise its domestic standings to secure future European competition under the tightened allocation limits.
"We just want to be Europe-proof. That is not only the goal for this season.
But it has become a bit harder, because as the Netherlands we have messed it up quite a bit in recent years," said Erik ten Hag.
He noted that national team developments remain equally concerning following their recent tournament departure.
"And that is really worrying," said Erik ten Hag.
Ten Hag reiterated his concern when questioned about the broader implications for the sport across the country.
"Also the Dutch national team is worrying," said Erik ten Hag.
Addressing interviewer Milan van Dongen's observation that he sounded visibly upset during the discussion, the former manager confirmed his emotional reaction to the structural decline.
"Yes, indeed. That also makes me angry and sad, how we have dealt with it.
We simply cannot compete in that race with foreign countries. We really have to start turning a few knobs," said Erik ten Hag.
FC Twente must secure a top-three finish or win the cup in the upcoming season to guarantee direct European qualification under the revised coefficient rules.
