Netherlands Appoints Xavi Hernandez as National Football Team Head Coach

Former Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez is taking the helm of the Netherlands national football team.

The Royal Dutch Football Association announced, "We have appointed Xavi as the new head coach of the men's national football team. He has agreed to a contract succeeding Ronald Koeman through the 2030 FIFA World Cup."

Koeman, who led the Dutch national team again starting in January 2023 following his previous stint from 2018 to 2020, stepped down after losing to Morocco in a penalty shootout in the Round of 32 at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, which concluded last month.

Xavi becomes the first foreign manager to lead the Dutch national team in 48 years, following Ernst Happel of Austria, who managed the team at the 1978 Argentina World Cup.

Xavi was a world-class midfielder who played 17 seasons for the powerhouse club Barcelona until 2015 and was a key figure in Spain's 2010 South Africa World Cup victory.

He began his managerial career in 2019 at Al Sadd in Qatar, the club where he finished his playing career, and took charge of Barcelona in November 2021.

After stepping down as Barcelona manager in May 2024, he had been without a club, and this marks his first time taking charge of a national team.

Through the Dutch association, Xavi stated, "It is a great honor to become the head coach of the Netherlands national team," adding, "Having grown up at Barcelona's youth academy under the influence of figures like Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels, I feel a special connection to Dutch football. Perhaps you could say I am a son of Dutch football."

He went on to emphasize his ties to Dutch football, saying, "In particular, great coaches like Louis van Gaal and Frank Rijkaard, who coached me when I made my debut at Barcelona, played an important role in shaping me as both a player and a manager."

(Photo: Royal Dutch Football Association SNS, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.