Germany’s new national team head coach Jürgen Klopp is not the only one making his first appearance on the sidelines tonight.
Ex-Barcelona star Xavi is in now charge of the Netherlands, whom the DFB-elf face in Amsterdam at 20:45 CET.
However, the Spaniard is already being criticized for his decision to call up players like Borussia Dortmund’s Joey Veerman for duty.
Former professional Johan Derksen would have preferred to see Luciano Valente in the squad, who has impressed as skipper of Feyenoord.
“Xavi, who was sitting in Feyenoord’s stadium, probably realized that he made a big mistake by not nominating the Feyenoord captain.
“I consider him an excellent player. I think he has much more influence on a team than Joey Veerman,” Derksen explained to AS.
However, former Hamburger SV talisman and ex-Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart has come to defend Xavi’s selection of Veerman.
“Xavi loves football, and that’s why Veerman is being called up again. I even think he could become a regular starter.
“He’s a player who fits perfectly into the team, and that’s exactly what the Dutch national team desperately needs,” van der Vaart concluded.
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