AMSTERDAM – National coach Dick Advocaat evenly divided his salary with his entire technical staff during Curaçao’s World Cup qualification campaign. Assistant coach Cor Pot revealed the arrangement during an episode of the podcast De Maaskantine.
“Dick is a big name in football and received a substantial amount,” Pot said. “He simply divided it into four equal parts. So Casper, Kees, Dick, and I all received the same salary.”
The four-way split included Advocaat himself, assistant coach Cor Pot, team doctor Casper van Eijck, and press officer Kees Jansma—an uncommon gesture in professional football and one Pot described as characteristic of Advocaat’s leadership and loyalty.
Pot also expressed immense admiration for Curaçao’s national team, the Blue Wave. “When they step onto the field, they play truly for their country. I’ve never experienced anything like it,” he said. “There is so much joy, so much passion to win those matches. We don’t know that kind of dedication in the Netherlands.”
During the decisive away match against Jamaica, Advocaat was unable to attend due to his wife’s health issues. That left Pot temporarily in charge. “The pressure was definitely on me for that match,” he said. “We needed a 0–0 draw or a win. Losing was not an option.”
He admitted feeling the weight of responsibility. “Imagine if we had lost—that would all fall back on me. I am his right-hand man,” Pot said. “Normally I am calm and relaxed, but I felt the pressure. I realized that if things didn’t go well, it would come down on me.”
Despite the pressure, Curaçao delivered when it mattered—continuing their historic run and further solidifying the Blue Wave’s reputation as one of the most passionate and unified squads in the region.