08 June 2024 , 16:00
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Ronald Koeman's wife has given her blessing for him to take Holland to the Euros after revealing she is fighting another battle with cancer.
Bartina Koeman, who beat the disease a decade ago, has been diagnosed with breast cancer with the tournament now less than a week away. But she insists she is once again up for the fight - and that she refused to even contemplate asking her husband to stay at home.
Mrs Koeman said: “My breast cancer is now back. I want to be open about that because I hope I might be able to help other women with a similar type of cancer.
“I first had it in 2010. Then I had surgery, chemo and radiotherapy. After that, the cancer was gone.
“But in 2018, my neck was bothering me. I thought it was whiplash. It turned out I had metastasis in the spine. After more chemo, the cancer stayed away, but on a scan they saw activity again. Every three to four weeks I have to be in the Netherlands for treatment at the Amsterdam Cancer Hospital.
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“But I am a strong woman and I can handle this. I don't run around whining and complaining all day because I am very independent. I so hope that Ronald will be rewarded for his hard work and that he will go very far at the European Championship.
“I hope we become champions. Ronald loves his job. He is a professional nut.”
Ronald Koeman and wife Bartina (Instagram/ bartinakoeman)Former Everton and Southampton manager Koeman had a health scare of his own four years ago when he suffered a cardiac arrest during lockdown. The Dutchman suffered the issue during his first stint as Netherlands boss after falling ill ill with chest pains at his home.
Koeman was taken to hospital by an ambulance where he underwent cardiac catheterisation and required a four-day stay. A matter a months later the manager left his international role to take charge of Barcelona.
The 61-year-old spent little over a year in charge at Camp Nou but won the Copa Del Rey with the Catalan club. It was less than six months after he was sacked, when it was announced he would return to the Netherlands set-up.
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