Bartina Koeman, the wife of former Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman, has died at the age of 65.
Koeman announced the sad news on Instagram, saying his wife passed away on Monday.
Bartina was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. She recovered, but the disease returned in 2018.
In 2023, during Koeman’s second spell as Netherlands coach, Bartina was diagnosed with chronic breast cancer.
Last year, doctors also discovered that the cancer had spread to other parts of her body. Koeman later said that her treatments were working well.
When Koeman stepped down as Netherlands coach after the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, he publicly thanked Bartina for supporting him despite her own health struggles.
“My wife Bartina has supported and encouraged me every day, despite her own illness, to finish my work as national coach. That shows incredible strength. I am more grateful to her for that than I will ever be able to put into words.”
