Xavi presented as Netherlands coach, pledges to learn from ‘university of football’
Xavi Hernández was presented as the Netherlands head coach on Tuesday and said: "My feeling today is that I’m going to the university of football." He told reporters he learned much from that tradition and has long-standing connections with the country.
Xavi described those connections as rooted in his development at La Masia, whose fundamentals he said are influenced by Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff, and recalled making his first‑team debut under Louis van Gaal and later playing under Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola. He noted he opened a Cruyff court with Cruyff in Terrassa in 2014 and reflected on meetings with Cruyff late in the latter’s life: "With Johan in the last period of his life I had some meetings," he said. "And he was always positive. Even when he was sick, he was positive. This is what I learned: always smiling. This is what I want to show here to the players. My first goal is to help them, and then enjoy the process. And we will be in a process to win."
On tactics Xavi set out an intention to control matches and play proactively, saying he wants to "dominate the game, to take the initiative with the ball and at the same time our goal is to show everybody a team with passion, with desire and ambition. And this is very important for me as a coach." He rejected a return to five‑man defence in the mould of Louis van Gaal and Ronald Koeman: "That this is not my idea," he said. "We want to play in another system [like] 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 3-4-3. In those systems we can dominate the game more."
On player selection Xavi said he had spoken to Frenkie de Jong, whom he coached at Barcelona, and to Virgil van Dijk, and that he would speak again to Van Dijk, the captain, to hear his ambitions. He also signalled openness to picking players from the Saudi Pro League after Tijjani Reijnders moved from Manchester City to Al-Qadsiah last week, contrasting that stance with Frank Koeman's earlier approach: "It’s a good league as well," Xavi said. "Maybe we choose some players from Saudi, from Eredivisie, Premier League, La Liga. I don’t care about the leagues, I care about the performances and the players."
Nigel de Jong, the KNVB’s director of elite football, described the recruitment process that led to Xavi’s appointment, saying he first tested the waters with Guardiola, who declined, then held two meetings with Arne Slot before inviting Xavi to Amsterdam for a meeting attended by Clarence Seedorf. De Jong and Seedorf then spoke with Michael Reiziger the following day, prompting media speculation Reiziger might take the job, but the KNVB announced Xavi on 12 August. Xavi acknowledged the sequence with a dry remark: "Well, it’s not a bad position, after Guardiola and after Slot, no? At least you are at the podium. I don’t care if I’m the third [choice] or I’m the 10th. It’s a big honour to be here. He [De Jong] explained to me, very honestly: 'We need your philosophy, we need to change with ambition, with passion.' And we will work in this way."
Xavi named Ruud van Nistelrooy among his staff and said he was motivated by the upcoming fixtures: "I feel excited, I feel motivated," he said, "because we are playing against Germany, one of the best teams in Europe, one of the best coaches in recent years." He reiterated his affinity for the Dutch style of play he watched as a child: "I remember when I was a kid, watching the Netherlands and watching good football," he said, "and this is my way, this is my target."
Xavi’s first match in charge will be a Nations League fixture against Germany in Amsterdam on 24 September, when he will face Jürgen Klopp, who is also starting a new job.