Ex-Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman confirmed as new Holland manager after World Cup to take over from Louis van Gaal

RONALD KOEMAN will take over as Netherlands manager for a second time after the World Cup in Qatar.

The 59-year-old will replace Louis van Gaal, who has revealed he is battling prostate cancer, in the hot-seat once the showpiece is over this winter.

Ronald Koeman will become Holland manager for a second time in January after the World CupGetty

Current boss Louis van Gaal has revealed he is battling prostate cancerGetty

And he will officially take charge of the Dutch side from January 1, claims De Telegraaf.

Koeman spent two years leading his country between 2018 and 2020 but left the post to join Barcelona, the LaLiga giants he represented during his playing days.

That was after a spell in the Premier League, initially impressing at Southampton and then Everton before he was axed by the Toffees in 2017.

His stint back at the Nou Camp also ended in miserable fashion.

The Catalans missed out on both LaLiga and the Champions League last term and could only finish as runners-up in the Copa del Rey.

He then had to try to manage the departure of the legendary Lionel Messi as financial troubles engulfed the club.

But after a miserable start to the current campaign, he was sacked in October and replaced by Xavi.

Van Gaal will still take his nation to the World Cup in November despite his health battle.

The 70-year-old former Manchester United manager revealed live on TV that he faces a fight with the deadly disease.

Van Gaal made the shock announcement during the “Humberto” show on Sunday evening.

He explained that he has already started treatment but decided not to tell his players during the recent international break so that they could concentrate on their friendly matches with Denmark and Germany.

He said: “They don’t know. They see a blush on my cheeks and think: what a healthy fellow he is. That is of course not the case.

“I think you don’t tell people you work with like that because it might influence their choices, their decisiveness, so I thought they shouldn’t know.

“You don’t die from prostate cancer, at least not in ninety per cent of the cases.

“It is usually other underlying diseases that kill you. But I had a pretty aggressive form, got irradiated 25 times.

“Then you have a lot of management to do in order to go through life.

“I did have preferential treatment in the hospital. I was allowed in through the back door when I went to an appointment and was immediately pushed into another room. I have been treated wonderfully.

“You will of course tell your friends and relatives about it. The fact that nothing has come out yet also says something about my environment. That’s great.”

Van Gaal has now decided to share the news ahead of a documentary about his career being released next week.

But despite his illness, the veteran coach has vowed that he will lead his country to the World Cup in Qatar at the end of this year.

Van Gaal was in charge of United between 2014 and 2016.

He was sacked by the Red Devils and replaced with Jose Mourinho even though he had just guided them to FA Cup success.

After a five-year absence from the dug-out, LVG returned to management in 2021 to take over the Dutch national side for a third time.

He has previously led them to a third place finish at the 2014 World Cup.