The Netherlands have appointed Barcelona great Xavi Hernández as the national team’s new coach following the resignation of Ronald Koeman after a disappointing FIFA World Cup.
Xavi, 46, returns to management after two years out of the game following his dismissal as Barça coach in 2024.
He has agreed a four-year year contract with the Netherlands and is set to oversee the team through the European Championships in 2028 and the World Cup in 2030.
“I consider it a tremendous honour to become head coach of the Dutch national team,” Xavi said upon his appointment. “As someone who received his training at Barça’s academy, with strong influences from Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels, among others, I feel a special connection to Dutch football.
“You could say that I am a partly a son of Dutch football. Other great coaches, especially Louis van Gaal, under whom I made my debut at Barça, and Frank Rijkaard, also played an important role in shaping me as a player and coach.”
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Curiously, Xavi also replaced Koeman at Barça when he took over at Camp Nou in 2021, leading the Catalan side to a first league title in four years the following season.
He joins the Dutch national team following a below-par World Cup campaign which saw them eliminated in the round of 32 by Morocco in North America this summer.
“The Netherlands has a rich football culture and a clear vision that also appeals to me enormously: attacking football, based on possession, with creativity, passion, and conviction,” Xavi added.
“Of course, the most important goal is and always will be to win, but I prefer to do so in a way that reflects those characteristics and that people can enjoy.
“The potential for this is there, as well as a solid foundation to build upon. I look forward to starting this challenge together with the players, the staff, and everyone within the Dutch Federation.”
After success with Barcelona and Spain as a player, including winning the World Cup in 2010 and back-to-back European Championships in 2008 and 2012, Xavi turned to management with Qatari side Al Sadd in 2019.
Following great success in Qatar, where he won seven trophies, Xavi returned home to replace Koeman five years ago at a difficult moment in Barça’s recent history.
However, he helped turn things around at Camp Nou, leading them to the LaLiga title in 2022-23 and the Spanish Supercopa in 2023.
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He could not maintain that success, though, and after a trophy-less season in 2023-24, he was replaced by Hansi Flick.
Since then, sources have told ESPN he has received offers from several club and international teams, but, after prioritising a year-long sabbatical at first, none of the offers had been to his fancy.
In recent months he had spoken of a desire to move into international football, with the Netherlands now providing him with that platform as he takes the next step in his career.
