Xavi feels ‘a special connection to Dutch football’ following appointment as head coach

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Xavi said he feels a “special connection to Dutch football” following his appointment as the Netherlands’ new head coach.

The Spaniard was named as Ronald Koeman’s successor on Wednesday after the latter oversaw their round-of-32 exit at this summer’s World Cup.

Xavi is the first foreign manager of the Netherlands’ national team since Ernst Happel in 1977-98, while the former Barcelona midfielder also has plenty of history with the Oranje on the pitch as a player.

Xavi made his Spain debut against the Netherlands in 2000, while he also helped La Roja defeat the Oranje in the 2010 World Cup final.

The 46-year-old came through the Barca academy, where he developed a connection to Dutch legends Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels.

“As someone who received his training at the Barcelona academy, with strong influences from Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels, among others, I feel a special connection to Dutch football,” Xavi said in a statement.

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

“I consider it a tremendous honour to become the national coach ‌of the Dutch national team.”

— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) August 13, 2026

Xavi has signed a four-year deal with the Netherlands, which will see him take charge of the Oranje at Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup.

His first match at the helm comes at home against Jurgen Klopp’s Germany on September 24, while his side will also face Serbia twice and Greece once in the upcoming Nations League break.

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