Xavi Hernandez Appointed as Head Coach of the Dutch National Team to Replace Ronald Koeman
JAKARTA - Spanish and Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez has officially been appointed to manage the Dutch national team, replacing Ronald Koeman who resigned after disappointing results at the 2026 World Cup.
"Xavi Hernandez has been appointed as the new head coach of the Dutch national men's team. Xavi has agreed to a contract until the 2030 FIFA World Cup," the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) said in a statement on its official website on Thursday.
Xavi is returning to coaching after two years out of work. He last managed Barcelona before being sacked in 2024.
"I consider it a great honor to be the head coach of the Dutch national team," Xavi said after being officially appointed.
He said he had a special bond with the Netherlands because of the influence of Johan Cruijff, Rinus Michels, and other figures while still studying at the Barcelona academy.
"It can be said that I am part of the Dutch football product. Other great coaches, especially Louis van Gaal, who gave me my debut at Barcelona, as well as Frank Rijkaard, also played an important role in shaping me as a player and coach."
Interestingly, Xavi also replaced Koeman at Barcelona. He took over the Blaugrana coach's seat in 2021 and managed to lead the club to win the Spanish LaLiga in the 2022/23 season, ending the four-year league title drought.
Now, Xavi has a new challenge with the Netherlands after Oranje had a disappointing 2026 World Cup. The Netherlands were eliminated in the last 32 after losing to Morocco in the tournament held in North America.
Xavi admitted that he was interested in the character of Dutch football which he thought had similarities with the philosophy he wanted to implement.
"The Netherlands has a rich football culture and a clear vision that is also very attractive to me: attacking football, ball-based, with creativity, passion and belief," Xavi said.
"Of course, the most important goal has always been and will always be winning. However, I prefer to achieve it in a way that reflects these characteristics and can be enjoyed by the public.
Xavi has a long experience at the highest level as a player and coach. While still playing for Barcelona and the Spanish national team, he won various prestigious titles, including the 2010 World Cup and two European Cup titles in 2008 and 2012.
After retiring as a player, Xavi started his coaching career with Qatar club Al Sadd in 2019. He successfully presented seven trophies before returning to Barcelona in 2021.
At Camp Nou, Xavi was able to revive Barcelona from a difficult period by winning the 2022/23 LaLiga and the 2023 Spanish Super Cup. However, he failed to maintain that performance and left the club after the 2023/24 season without a trophy.
After parting ways with Barcelona, Xavi had offers from a number of clubs and national teams. However, he chose to take a break before finally deciding to return to the coaching world.
In recent months, Xavi has also expressed his desire to coach the national team. The Dutch national team is now an opportunity for the former Barcelona midfielder to start a new chapter in his coaching career.