'I am a bit of a son of Dutch football': Xavi appointed Netherlands head coach

Former Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has been appointed Netherlands head coach (Martin Rickett/PA)

Former Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez has been appointed the new head coach of the Netherlands.

The 46-year-old Spaniard has agreed a contract to lead the team through to the 2030 World Cup.

He replaces Ronald Koeman, who stepped down following the Netherlands’ last-32 defeat by Morocco at this summer’s World Cup.

Former Barcelona midfielder Xavi won the World Cup as a player with Spain in 2010 and also lifted the European Championship in 2008 and 2012.

He guided Barca to the LaLiga title in 2023 after beginning his managerial career with Qatari club Al Sadd.

“I consider it a tremendous honour to become head coach of the Dutch national team,” he said in a statement released by the Dutch Football Association (KNVB).

“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.

“You could say that I am a bit of a son of Dutch football.”

Xavi’s appointment marks his first return to management since leaving Barcelona in 2024.

He took over the Catalan giants in November 2021, also succeeding Koeman, after making 767 appearances for the club.

“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,” he continued.

“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.”

Explaining Xavi’s appointment, KNVB director of football Nigel de Jong said: “As a coach, he has been shaped by years of working with top coaches who espouse a football vision that aligns very well with the way we want to play with the Dutch national team: taking initiative, dominant and attractive football, combined with the flexibility that modern elite football demands.

“Xavi believes in those basic principles, has embraced that vision, and made it his own. All of that, combined with his personality and the way he knows how to connect with players and get the best out of a group, makes him the right choice for the coming years.”