Xavi Hernández named new Netherlands head coach, Patrick Kluivert joins staff
The legendary Spaniard has signed a contract with the KNVB and succeeds Ronald Koeman at the helm of Oranje.
The legendary Spaniard has signed a contract with the KNVB and succeeds Ronald Koeman at the helm of Oranje.
Xavi Hernández is the new head coach of the Netherlands national football team, the Dutch football association (KNVB) announced on Wednesday. The news surprised the football world, as the 46-year-old Catalan had not been mentioned as a leading candidate to succeed Ronald Koeman, who resigned at the end of June following an early exit from the World Cup.
According to insider Fabrizio Romano, Xavi accepted the Dutch association's offer and the contract was signed as early as today. The official confirmation was also posted on social media by the Dutch national team's profile, OnsOranje, with a welcome message.
An interesting detail is that Patrick Kluivert, his former Barcelona teammate, will be part of Xavi's staff. According to sources, Kluivert is expected to serve as a bridge between the new head coach and the Dutch players and public, and his appointment comes at Xavi's own request.
Xavi had been out of work since 2024, when he left the Barcelona bench. He managed the Catalan club from November 2021 to June 2024, and in 143 matches at the helm, he won the double in 2023, La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup. Before Barcelona, he coached Qatari side Al Sadd, where he also ended his playing career.
Xavi will be the first foreign head coach of the Netherlands since Austrian Ernst Happel, who led Oranje to the World Cup final. Interestingly, Xavi succeeded Koeman at Barcelona in 2021, and now he replaces him for the second time in his career.
The Dutch association had been searching for a new head coach since the early World Cup exit, where the Dutch were eliminated by Morocco on penalties in the round of 16. Among the candidates was also former Portugal coach Roberto Martínez, but Xavi emerged at the last moment.
Xavi will make his debut as Netherlands head coach in September 2026, when Oranje host Germany in a UEFA Nations League match. It will be the first test for the legendary midfielder in his new role, where he will try to return the Netherlands to the top of international football.
"It pains me that my tenure with Oranje ends this way. We all dreamed of a World Cup where we would make history. We didn't succeed. No one is more disappointed than I am. As head coach, I bear the responsibility. I have always felt it, and I always will," Koeman wrote after his resignation.
The connection between Barcelona and the Netherlands in footballing terms has been clear since the days of Johan Cruyff, and Xavi now goes in the opposite direction, from the Catalan club to the Dutch national team.
