The Netherlands have appointed Xavi Hernández as head coach on a four-year contract, succeeding Ronald Koeman, who resigned after the team's last-32 exit to Morocco at this summer's World Cup. Xavi, 46, is the first non-Dutch coach to take charge of the national team since the Austrian Ernst Happel stepped down in 1978, and is set to oversee the side through the 2028 European Championship and the 2030 World Cup.
Former Liverpool head coach Arne Slot held talks over the position but withdrew, preferring his next role to be in club football. The appointment ends two years out of management for Xavi, who left Barcelona in 2024.
"I consider it a tremendous honour to become head coach of the Dutch national team," Xavi said. "As someone who received his training at Barça's academy, with strong influences from Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels, among others, I feel a special connection to Dutch football. You could say that I am partly a son of Dutch football. Other great coaches, especially Louis van Gaal, under whom I made my debut at Barça, and Frank Rijkaard, also played an important role in shaping me as a player and coach."
Xavi won three trophies with Spain, including the 2010 World Cup, when Spain beat the Netherlands in the final, and back-to-back European Championships in 2008 and 2012. He moved into coaching with Al Sadd in Qatar in 2019, winning seven trophies there, before returning to Barcelona in November 2021, in a curious parallel again replacing Koeman. He won the La Liga title in 2022-23 and the Spanish Supercopa in 2023, but was replaced by Hansi Flick after a trophyless 2023-24 season.