Last Updated:
Xavi Hernandez appointed head coach of the Netherlands men’s football team on a four-year contract, aiming for FIFA World Cup glory.
Xavi Hernandez is now Netherlands head coach (Picture credit: AP)
Star Spanish football manager Xavi Hernandez is set to lead the Dutch FIFA World Cup dream, after he was appointed the head coach of the Netherlands men’s football team on a four-year contract on Wednesday.
Xavi takes over from Ronald Koeman, who stepped down after the Netherlands’ last-32 exit to Morocco at this summer’s FIFA World Cup. A World Cup winner with Spain in 2010, Xavi also lifted the European Championship in 2008 and 2012.
He started his managerial career with Qatari club Al Sadd before guiding Barcelona to the La Liga title in 2023.
“I consider it a tremendous honour to become head coach of the Dutch national team. As someone who received his training at the FC Barcelona academy, with strong influences from Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels, among others, I feel a special connection to Dutch football,” Xavi said in a statement.
The former footballer’s appointment marks his return to management for the first time since leaving Barcelona in 2024. Xavi took charge of the Catalan giants in November 2021, replacing Koeman once again, after making 767 appearances for the club as a footballer.
“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 said.
Former Liverpool head coach Arne Slot withdrew from discussions over replacing Koeman after making it clear that he wanted to remain in club football. His potential appointment never progressed beyond an initial approach.
“At this stage in my career, I prefer to see myself on the training pitch with my players every day, something that is simply not possible in the same way with a national team,” Slot said while speaking to Voetbal International.
Xavi is the Netherlands’ first foreign boss since Austrian Ernst Happel, whose team reached the 1978 FIFA World Cup final before losing to Argentina.
August 13, 2026, 07:59 IST
Read More
