Netherlands name Xavi as new head coach through to the 2030 World Cup – as Spaniard becomes their first foreign boss in 48 YEARS

Former Barcelona star Xavi has been announced as Netherlands new head coach, signing a four-year contract.

The 46-year-old’s deal takes him through to the 2030 World Cup and sees him replace Ronald Koeman who resigned after his side lost to Morocco on penalties in the last 32 of this summer’s showpiece.

Xavi’s appointment sees him become the first foreign Netherlands boss in 48 years – since Austrian Ernst Happel led them to the 1978 World Cup final, where they lost 3-1 to Argentina.

Former Barcelona midfielder Xavi won the World Cup as a player with Spain in 2010 and also lifted the European Championship in 2008 and 2012.

He guided Barca to the LaLiga title in 2023 after beginning his managerial career with Qatari club Al Sadd.

Xavi ‘honoured’ to become Netherlands head coach

‘I consider it a tremendous honour to become head coach of the Dutch national team,’ he said in a statement released by the Dutch Football Association (KNVB).

‘As someone who received his training at the FC Barcelona 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 a bit of a son of Dutch football.’

Xavi’s appointment marks his first return to management since leaving Barcelona in 2024.

He took over the Catalan giants in November 2021, also succeeding Koeman, after making 767 appearances for the club.

‘The Netherlands has a rich football culture and a clear vision that also appeals to me enormously: attacking football, based on possession, with creativity, passion, and conviction,’ he continued.

‘Of course, the most important goal is and always will be to win, but I prefer to do so in a way that reflects those characteristics and that people can enjoy.

‘The potential for this is there, as well as a solid foundation to build upon.’

Explaining Xavi’s appointment, KNVB director of football Nigel de Jong said: ‘As a coach, he has been shaped by years of working with top coaches who espouse a football vision that aligns very well with the way we want to play with the Dutch national team: taking initiative, dominant and attractive football, combined with the flexibility that modern elite football demands.

‘Xavi believes in those basic principles, has embraced that vision, and made it his own. All of that, combined with his personality and the way he knows how to connect with players and get the best out of a group, makes him the right choice for the coming years.’