“My feeling today is that I’m going to the university of football.” Those were Xavi Hernández’s opening words at his official presentation as the new head coach of the Netherlands on Tuesday. “I learned a tremendous amount from this university of football throughout my career, both as a player and as a coach. I have many connections with this country.”
Those deep connections trace back to his youth, when Xavi was drafted into La Masia, Barcelona’s legendary academy whose tactical fundamentals are firmly rooted in the principles of Dutch total football pioneered by Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff. Xavi made his first-team debut under Louis van Gaal, played for many seasons under Frank Rijkaard, and later became a central pillar of Pep Guardiola’s dream team—a side heavily influenced by Cruyff’s philosophy.
Xavi opened a Cruyff court—a multi-purpose sports facility for children—alongside Cruyff in his hometown of Terrassa in 2014. On Tuesday, he shared heartfelt memories of his time with the Dutch master, who passed away in 2016. “In the last period of his life, Johan and I had some meetings,” Xavi recalled. “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.”
Xavi expressed his desire 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 with ambition. This is very important for me as a coach.”
Given the Netherlands’ long-standing tradition of attacking football, Xavi was a natural fit for the role. The Catalan was asked whether he intended to deploy five defenders, a system occasionally used by Van Gaal and Ronald Koeman in recent years. “That is not my idea,” he stated. “We want to play in another system—like 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, or 3-4-3. In those systems, we can dominate the game more.”
Xavi revealed that he had already spoken with Frenkie de Jong, whom he previously coached at Barcelona, as well as captain Virgil van Dijk. He noted that he would speak with Van Dijk again in the near future to understand his ambitions with the squad.
The 46-year-old was also unequivocal about his willingness to select players from the Saudi Pro League, a relevant point given that Tijjani Reijnders recently transferred from Manchester City to Al-Qadsiah. Two years ago, Koeman had taken a firm stance when Steven Bergwijn moved to Al-Ittihad, declaring that the forward would no longer be selected because the league did not meet the standards he expected from his players.
“It’s a good league as well,” Xavi said. “Maybe we choose some players from Saudi, from the Eredivisie, the Premier League, or La Liga. I don’t care about the leagues; I care about the performances and the players.”
Nigel de Jong, the director of elite football at the Dutch football association (KNVB), shed light on the recruitment process that led to Xavi’s appointment. He explained that he first approached Guardiola, who indicated he was not interested in a job in the near future, before holding two meetings with Arne Slot, who ultimately decided to remain in club management.
De Jong then invited Xavi to Amsterdam for a meeting that was also attended by Clarence Seedorf, a member of the KNVB’s supervisory board. The following day, De Jong and Seedorf held a lengthy discussion with Michael Reiziger, the head coach of the Netherlands Under-21s, who had played alongside Xavi at Barcelona for several years.
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The federation had considered promoting Reiziger in a manner similar to Luis de la Fuente’s rise with Spain, valuing his knowledge of the country’s emerging talent pool. When news of the meeting with Reiziger leaked to the Dutch media, there was widespread speculation that the former full-back would be named the next national team coach. However, on 12 August, the KNVB announced Xavi—a decision that appeared to catch many by surprise.
Xavi responded to the situation with dry humor. “Well, it’s not a bad position to be in—after Guardiola and after Slot, no? At least you are on the podium. I don’t care if I’m the third choice or the 10th choice. It is a big honor 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 fixture against Germany in Amsterdam on 24 September, where he will face Jürgen Klopp, who is also embarking on a new coaching role. “I feel excited, I feel motivated,” Xavi said, “because we are playing against Germany, one of the best teams in Europe, and one of the best coaches in recent years.”
Speaking in front of his coaching staff, which includes Ruud van Nistelrooy, Xavi expressed his desire to instill the classic Dutch footballing identity that inspired him as a young boy. “I remember when I was a kid, watching the Netherlands and watching good football,” he reflected. “And this is my way, this is my target.”
