Ronald Koeman’s wife Bartina dies aged 65

Bartina Koeman, the wife of former Netherlands national team manager Ronald Koeman, has died at the age of 65.Koeman announced the news on Instagram, paying tribute to his wife, whom he described as his beautiful wife, our most loved mother and grandmother.With intense sadness, but also huge pride and love, we say goodbye to my beautiful wife, our most loved mother and grandmother, Koeman wrote.Bartina had been battling chronic breast cancer. The couple had been married since 1985 and had three children. Their son, Ronald Koeman Jr., is a goalkeeper for Eredivisie club Telstar.Koeman had previously spoken openly about his wifes illness and the impact it had on their family. In July, he shared a photo with Bartina on Instagram, accompanied by the message: The rest is unimportant in life.The former Netherlands coach also paid tribute to his wife when he stepped down from his position in June following the national teams World Cup exit. He said Bartina had supported and encouraged him throughout his time in charge.These last few years have made me realize that there are more important things than football. Football has been my life, but you cannot put a price on health, Koeman said.The Dutch football association KNVB and FC Barcelona, where Koeman played and later managed, both expressed their condolences to him and his family following Bartinas death.