Louis van Gaal has resigned as coach of the Dutch national team after they failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup.
"Louis van Gaal is resigning with immediate effect," Henk Kesler of the Dutch football association (KNVB) told a news conference today.
The former Ajax Amsterdam and Barcelona coach, who replaced Frank Rijkaard last year on a six-year contract, had been under pressure since the Dutch team failed to qualify for the 2002 finals.
Under Van Gaal's contract his tenure is reviewed every two years. Although his contract is not due for review until next year, talks had been moved forward to clarify his position ahead of the start of the 2004 European Championship qualifiers.
Johan Cruyff said earlier this month he would not consider returning to coaching if Van Gaal stepped down and criticised coaching standards in The Netherlands.