Dick Advocaat has been named coach of The Netherlands for a third time aiming to kick them into shape fast and save their World Cup hopes, with Ruud Gullit as assistant.

Advocaat, 69, and Dutch legend Gullit have signed contracts until the end of the year, the football federation said on Tuesday, admitting it was "a short-term" rescue mission.

Disciplinarian Advocaat returns for a third stint in charge, taking over from Danny Blind, who was sacked in March after the Dutch were beaten 2-0 by Bulgaria.

The shock defeat left the once-proud Dutch clinging to only the slimmest of hopes of reaching the World Cup finals in Russia next year.

Advocaat, currently at Turkish club Fenerbahce, will also be joined on the coaching staff by Fred Grim, who temporarily took over following Blind's sacking.

Hans van Breukelen, the Dutch federation's (KNVB) technical director, told reporters at an at-times heated press conference that the KNVB had wrestled with "two scenarios".

"Either we decided to go with a long-term solution or we did everything we could to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

“We decided to go for the second option and therefore we needed an experienced trainer, someone with authority."

Advocaat and Gullit will get extended contracts if the Dutch pull off a miracle and qualify for the World Cup.