Ex-Barcelona Coach Ronald Koeman Mourns As His Wife Dies of Cancer at 65
- Bartina Koeman, wife of Dutch national team coach Ronald Koeman, died on Tuesday, September 15, at the age of 65
- Ronald Koeman announced his wife's death on Instagram, sharing an emotional tribute to her life
- Bartina had been living with cancer since 2010, with the illness returning twice in the years that followed
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
Bartina Koeman, wife of Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman, passed away on Tuesday, September 15, at the age of 65 after years of battling cancer.
Ronald Koeman broke the news on Instagram, publishing a heartfelt tribute to his late wife.
Source: Getty Images
“With intense sadness, but also with great pride and love, we say goodbye to my beautiful wife, our dearest mom and grandma ♥️,” he wrote.
Bartina's journey with cancer
As noted by Yen, Bartina was first diagnosed with bosom cancer in 2010. She recovered, but the illness returned in 2018. Then in 2023, around the time Ronald began his second spell as head coach of the Dutch national team, she received a diagnosis of chronic bosom cancer.
Metastases were detected the following year, though Ronald had indicated in December 2025, during an appearance on a talk show, that treatments were showing encouraging signs.
The couple married in 1985, when Ronald was still a player at Ajax. Bartina remained at his side throughout a distinguished coaching career that took him across European football, including a stint as manager of FC Barcelona.
They have three children together. Their youngest, Ronald Koeman Jr., is a goalkeeper currently playing for Eredivisie club Telstar, and recently made headlines after scoring two goals in a single match.
West Ham legend dies at 64
Legit.ng previously reported that West Ham legend Ludek Miklosko sadly passed away at the age of 64 after succumbing to cancer.
The former Czech Republic international battled cancer for five years, having been diagnosed in 2021 and stopped taking any treatment in 2024.
Source: Legit.ng
