Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk is believed to be amongst a group of Dutch players who are furious with Louis van Gaal's imminent return as Holland's head coach.
Van Gaal has been tempted out of retirement just a few weeks before his 70th birthday to pick up the pieces of Frank de Boer's disastrous Euro campaign.
His appointment is expected to be confirmed once a number of tax issues have been sorted following a five-year sabbatical on the Algarve.
But his return has torn the squad he will inherit apart.
Dutch federation (KNVB) chiefs have ignored pleas from several top stars not to bring the former Manchester United manager back into the fold.
It is understood that Van Dijk, vice-captain Gini Wijnaldum and a number of other rebel players wanted former Chelsea assistant coach Henk ten Cate to take over.
But Ten Cate withdrew from the running after hearing whispers that senior members of the KNVB had made Van Gaal their No 1 choice.
It will be Van Gaal's third spell in charge of his country.
His initial reign ended badly when Holland failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup after a defeat to the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.
But his last game in charge was when Holland beat hosts Brazil 3-0 to clinch third place at the 2014 World Cup – despite deeming brilliant defender Van Dijk as surplus to requirements.
The 30-year-old Kop defender will return to Jurgen Klopp's side after recovering from the cruciate injury that ruled him out of most of Liverpool's Premier League title defence.
Holland face Norway, Montenegro and Turkey in World Cup qualifiers over the space of six days in September.
And Van Gaal faces the huge task of talking his players around after criticising after a shock last-16 defeat to the Czech Republic in the Euros.
Van Gaal told the Dutch women's team preparing for the Olympic Games that the men's squad was packed with “a bunch of so-called stars” before urging them to put the pride back into the national team.
The former Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and AZ Alkmaar boss insisted he was finished with football after being sacked by United less than 24 hours after winning the FA Cup in 2016.
Van Gaal felt he had been betrayed and said: “I will never coach a club or a national team again.
“This is it. I am no longer a manager in football. Why? My wife deserves a nice life with Louis van Gaal too!”
But Van Gaal wanted the Holland job after Ronald Koeman quit to become Barcelona coach last summer.
“I won’t say no if the Dutch federation ask me to take charge of the national team,” he said.
Over the last year, it has become clear that Van Gaal feels he has unfinished business, but he has not lost his arrogant streak.
When the KNVB invited him for an interview at the federation's HQ in the town of Zeist, he refused to attend.
Instead, he demanded that the federation president and his advisers flew to meet him at his retirement bolthole in Portugal.
Van Gaal told them he wants to start with a clean slate – and has demanded the power to appoint every member of staff from the coaches to the press officers.
One senior Dutch insider said: “What is Van Gaal’s track record? He got the sack at his last three big jobs at Man United, Bayern Munich and Barcelona.”