Xavi Hernández was officially presented as the new head coach of the Netherlands national team on Tuesday, describing the role as an opportunity to study at the “university of football.” The former Barcelona midfielder and coach, 46, signed a four-year contract with the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB), succeeding Ronald Koeman.
“My feeling today is that I’m going to the university of football,” Xavi said at his introductory press conference. “I learned a lot from this university of football during my career as a player and as a coach. I have many connections with this country.”
Connections to Dutch football run deep
Xavi’s ties to Dutch football date back to his youth at La Masia, Barcelona’s famed academy, whose fundamentals are rooted in the total football philosophy pioneered by Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff. His first-team debut at Barcelona came under Louis van Gaal, and he later played under Frank Rijkaard before becoming a central figure in Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning side, a team heavily influenced by Cruyff’s ideas.
In 2014, Xavi and Cruyff opened a Cruyff court—a multifunctional sports space for children—in Xavi’s hometown of Terrassa. On Tuesday, Xavi shared memories of his time with Cruyff, who died in 2016. “With Johan in the last period of his life I had some meetings,” he said. “And he was always positive. Even when he was sick, he was positive. This is what I learned: always smiling. This is what I want to show here to the players. My first goal is to help them, and then enjoy the process. And we will be in a process to win.”
Attacking philosophy and tactical plans
Xavi made clear his intention to implement an attacking style of play. “I want to dominate the game, to take the initiative with the ball and at the same time our goal is to show everybody a team with passion, with desire and ambition,” he said. “And this is very important for me as a coach.”
When asked whether he would use a five-defender system as his predecessors Van Gaal and Koeman sometimes did, Xavi responded: “That this is not my idea. We want to play in another system [like] 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 3-4-3. In those systems we can dominate the game more.”
Xavi confirmed he has already spoken to Frenkie de Jong, whom he coached at Barcelona, and to captain Virgil van Dijk. He added that he would have further discussions with Van Dijk to hear his ambitions for the team.
Selection policy and appointment process
The new coach also addressed the possibility of selecting players from the Saudi Pro League, a topic that gained relevance after midfielder Tijjani Reijnders moved from Manchester City to Al-Qadsiah last week. Two years ago, Koeman had stated that Steven Bergwijn would no longer be selected after his move to Al-Ittihad, citing the league’s level. Xavi, however, took a different stance: “It’s a good league as well. Maybe we choose some players from Saudi, from Eredivisie, Premier League, La Liga. I don’t care about the leagues, I care about the performances and the players.”
Nigel de Jong, the KNVB’s director of elite football, revealed the process behind Xavi’s appointment. De Jong said he first approached Guardiola, who indicated he did not want to take a job in the near future, and then held two meetings with Arne Slot, who eventually chose to remain a club coach. De Jong then invited Xavi to Amsterdam for a meeting also attended by Clarence Seedorf, a member of the KNVB’s supervisory board. The following day, De Jong and Seedorf spoke at length with Michael Reiziger, the Netherlands’ under-21s coach, who played alongside Xavi at Barcelona for several years.
The KNVB considered promoting Reiziger in a manner similar to Luis de la Fuente’s rise with Spain, given his knowledge of the country’s upcoming talents. When the meeting with Reiziger became known in the Dutch media, many assumed he would become the national team coach. But on 12 August, the KNVB announced Xavi, a decision that came as a surprise to many.
First test against Germany
Xavi responded wryly to questions about being the third choice. “Well, it’s not a bad position, after Guardiola and after Slot, no? At least you are at the podium. I don’t care if I’m the third [choice] or I’m the 10th. It’s a big honour to be here. He [De Jong] explained to me, very honestly: ‘We need your philosophy, we need to change with ambition, with passion.’ And we will work in this way.”
Xavi’s first match in charge will be a Nations League game against Germany in Amsterdam on 24 September, where he will face Jürgen Klopp, who is also beginning a new role. “I feel excited, I feel motivated,” Xavi said, “because we are playing against Germany, one of the best teams in Europe, one of the best coaches in recent years.”
Speaking in front of his staff, which includes Ruud van Nistelrooy, Xavi expressed his desire for the team to adopt the Dutch style he admired as a child. “I remember when I was a kid, watching the Netherlands and watching good football,” he said, “and this is my way, this is my target.”
