Ronald Koeman was only 17 when he met Bartina Boddeveld 😢
They married in 1985 and built a life together: three children, Debbie, Tim and Ronald Jr, and more than four decades alongside the man who scored the goal that gave Spain the European Cup at Wembley. Bartina was there through every stage: as a player, as Barça’s coach, and as manager of the Netherlands national team. In 2010, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The disease returned in 2018 and became chronic in 2023. Even so, in June Koeman had said he hoped she would be able to accompany him if his national team reached the 2026 World Cup final. Bartina died on September 15, at the age of 65. One day later, Koeman posted a black-and-white photo of the two of them and wrote: “With profound sadness, but also with great pride and love, we say goodbye to my wonderful wife, our dearest mother and grandmother” 🖤
FC Barcelona and the Dutch federation sent their condolences. Ronald Jr, the youngest of his children, is now a professional goalkeeper at SC Telstar — a reflection of a family that Bartina supported from the stands for 41 years.
