Xavi Hernández appointed head coach of the Netherlands on four-year contract

The former Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernández has been appointed the new head coach of the Netherlands. The 46-year-old Spaniard has agreed a contract to lead the team through to the 2030 World Cup.

He replaces Ronald Koeman, who stepped down following the Netherlands’ last-32 defeat by Morocco at this summer’s World Cup.

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 Barça to the La Liga title in 2023 after beginning his managerial career with Qatari club Al Sadd.

“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 club 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 said. “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.”

Former Liverpool head coach Arne Slot walked away from talks about replacing Koeman after saying he wants to remain in club football. His link to the role did not get beyond an initial approach.

“At this stage in my career, I prefer to see myself on the training pitch with my players every day, something that is simply not possible in the same way with a national team,” Slot told Voetbal International. “And [it is] why I chose not to continue the talks and not to start negotiations on what a possible contract might look like.

“I have enormous respect for the national team and for the KNVB [Dutch Football Association] and can only be positive about the professional manner in which the talks proceeded that week. For now, I believe club football still has a lot to offer me.”

Reporting from The Guardian contributed to this story.