Spanish football superstar Xavi Hernandez has been appointed the new head coach of the Netherlands on a four-year contract, the Dutch football federation confirmed on Wednesday.
The 46-year-old, who built his playing career at Barcelona and Spain, becomes the first non-Dutch coach to lead the national team since Austrian Ernst Happel stepped down in 1978.
Xavi replaces Ronald Koeman, who resigned after the Netherlands lost to Morocco in the last 32 at this summer’s World Cup.
The Dutch federation had spent weeks searching for a successor, with Erik ten Hag, Peter Bosz and Michael Reiziger being considered for the role. Former Liverpool boss Arne Slot held talks about the job but withdrew, saying he wanted his next role to be in club football.
Xavi will take charge of his first match against Jurgen Klopp’s Germany on September 24 in the Nations League, at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam.
Xavi retired as a player in 2019 and began his coaching career with Al-Sadd in Qatar before taking over at Barcelona in November 2021. He won the La Liga title in his first full season in charge before leaving the club in 2024. This marks his first managerial job since then and his first role in international football.
As a player, Xavi was part of the Spain squad that beat the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup final, and he won three major international trophies during his career.
