Ex-Barcelona player and manager Xavi has been appointed head coach of the Netherlands on a four-year contract, becoming the first foreigner to lead the national team since 1978.
Xavi (46) succeeds Ronald Koeman, who resigned after the Netherlands were eliminated by Morocco in the last 32 of this summer’s World Cup. Xavi’s appointment ends a long tradition of Dutch coaches leading the national team. The last foreign manager to hold the position was Austrian coach Ernst Happel, who stepped down in 1978.
Xavi said taking charge of the Netherlands was a “tremendous honour”, while highlighting the influence Dutch football has had on his career.
“As someone who received his training at Barca’s academy, with strong influences from Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels, among others, I feel a special connection to Dutch football,” he said.
Dutch Ties
The former Spanish international also credited several Dutch-influenced coaches with shaping his career. This includes Louis van Gaal, who gave him his Barcelona debut, and Frank Rijkaard.
“You could say that I am partly a son of Dutch football,” Xavi added.
His first match in charge will come in September, when the Netherlands face Jurgen Klopp’s Germany in the Nations League. Xavi was not the only candidate considered for the position.
Former Liverpool head coach Arne Slot confirmed he held talks about the job. However, he eventually withdrew from consideration because he wants his next managerial position to be in club football. Xavi brings considerable international experience to the Netherlands job. He won three major international trophies with Spain. He was also part of the team that defeated the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup final.
After retiring from playing in 2019, Xavi began his managerial career with Al-Sadd in Qatar. He returned to Barcelona as manager in November 2021 and won La Liga during his first full season in charge. Xavi left Barcelona in 2024 and has remained out of management since then.
His appointment therefore marks a new chapter in his coaching career, as well as a significant break from the Netherlands’ long-standing preference for homegrown managers.
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