Sep 18, 2009, 9:29 GMT
Brussels - Dutchman Dick Advocaat will begin his new job as coach of Belgium's national team sooner than planned next month, the Belgian football federation said on its website Friday.
Advocaat will start work on October 1 and prepare the side for its remaining World Cup qualifiers.
He has signed a two-year contract and was due to take over at the start of next year before the 2012 European Championships qualifying campaign.
Advocaat will now be formally presented next Tuesday and take charge of the Red Devils for their October 10 World Cup qualifier against Turkey in Brussels, before a trip to Estonia four days later.
Belgium have failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals, and coach Frank Vercauteren resigned last week after a 2-1 defeat to Armenia.
Advocaat, who be 62 later this month, has coached the Dutch, United Arab Emirates and South Korean national teams.
His clubs sides have included PSV Eindhoven, Glasgow Rangers, Borussia Moenchengladbach and Zenit St Petersburg, with whom he won the UEFA Cup last year.
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