Koeman Jr breaks down in tears on pitch during emotional tribute after his mum's death

Ronald Koeman Jr broke down in tears following an emotional tribute to his mother after she died earlier this week.

Koeman Jr's father, Ronald Koeman, announced in an Instagram post on Tuesday that his wife, Bartina Koeman-Boddeveld, passed away at the age of 65 after a long battle with cancer.

Koeman said: "With intense sadness, but also with great pride and love, we say goodbye to my beautiful wife, our dearest mom and grandma. Bartina Koeman-Boddeveld. January 30 - September 15 2026. Familie Koeman."

The couple had been married for 41 years and have three children together. Koeman Jr is one of his three children, with Tim Koeman his eldest and Debbie Koeman the only daughter.

Koeman Jr, who is a professional goalkeeper for Dutch side Telstar, played his first game since his mum died on Sunday afternoon, as his team went up against AZ Alkmaar.

In tribute to Koeman-Boddeveld, AZ stopped the game in the 12th minute for a minutes applause and during that they put a photo up of the 65-year-old on the big screen.

Unsurprisingly, that drew an emotional reaction from Koeman Jr, who had to wipe the tears away as the whole stadium stood up and clapped in tribute of his mum.

Footage from ESPN also showed Telstar head coach Henk Brugge in tears following what has been a difficult week for the Koeman family, including his goalkeeper.

AZ ended up going on to win the match 1-0 with Mexx Meerdink striking the decisive blow in the first-half, leaving Koeman Jr's side down in 13th with just one league win all season.

Koeman Jr has spent the last five years at Telstar, after moving to the club from Oss in 2021. The 31-year-old has since made 165 appearances for the IJmuiden side, who won promotion to Eredivisie in 2024/25.

His father, Koeman Sr, meanwhile, had his wife alongside him throughout his legendary football career. The defender was one of the best players of his generation and scored the winning goal in the 1992 European Cup final, which saw Barcelona beat Sampdoria.

After hanging up his boots, the Dutchman went into management and recently had been in charge of his national side, but stepped down this summer after their World Cup exit, making it clear that his wife's circumstances had given him a new perspective.

He said: "The past years have made me realise again that there are more important things than football. Football has been my life, but health is priceless.

"When someone you love is fighting a tough battle, your perspective changes. My wife Bartina has supported and encouraged me every day to finish my work as a national coach, despite her own illness process. That is a testimony to incredible strength. I appreciate her more than I’ll ever be able to put into words."

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