Ex-Barça: Phillip Cocu to Dutch national team

The Dutch football association KNVB has officially announced today that former Barcelona player Philipp Cocu (37) will act for the next two years as assistant to future Dutch national team coach Bert Van Marwijk, who will succeed current manager Marco Van Basten after the Euro 2008 and will have to qualify the team for the World Cup 2010 in South Africa. Cocu is currently playing his last months as an active player with United Arab Emirates club Al-Jazira. Cocu will combine his new job with coaching a PSV Eindhoven youth team.

Philipp Cocu came to Barcelona from Dutch club PSV Eindhoven after the World Cup in France in 1998. In his first season he won the Spanish league title. Cocu played six seasons for Barcelona, mainly as centre midfielder or central defender. The Dutchman was all that time a regular and even made it to the captaincy. In the summer of 2004, Cocu did not accept a contract renewal offer by Barcelona and decided to return to PSV. Philipp Cocu holds the record of appearances for FC Barcelona as foreign player.

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