Mark van Bommel appointed Belgium head coach until Euro 2028

The Royal Belgian Football Association (KBVB) has appointed Dutch coach Mark van Bommel as the new head coach of Belgium's men's national football team.

Van Bommel, 49, has signed a contract running through the 2028 UEFA European Championship, which will be hosted by the United Kingdom and Ireland, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

He will officially take charge on Aug. 15, succeeding Frenchman Rudi Garcia, whose contract was not renewed following Belgium's World Cup campaign.

The former Netherlands international will be joined by three assistant coaches: fellow Dutchmen Boudewijn Zenden and Reinier Robbemond, along with Belgian coach Maarten Martens.

During his playing career, Van Bommel featured for PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and AC Milan. He made 79 appearances for the Netherlands and was part of the squad that reached the 2010 FIFA World Cup final.

As a manager, Van Bommel previously coached PSV Eindhoven and Wolfsburg before enjoying his greatest success at Belgian club Antwerp between 2022 and 2024.

He guided the club to a league and cup double in 2023 and has been without a coaching role since leaving the club.

Van Bommel replaces Garcia, who took charge of Belgium in early 2025.

Although Garcia met the federation's sporting objectives, the Belgian FA opted against extending his contract after the team's quarter-final exit at the World Cup, citing concerns over his methods and unpredictability.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov