The Netherlands have appointed Barcelona great Xavi Hernández as the national team's new coach following the resignation of Ronald Koeman after a disappointing FIFA World Cup. Xavi, 46, returns to management after two years out of the game following his dismissal as Barça coach in 2024. He has agreed a four-year contract and is set to oversee the team through the European Championships in 2028 and the World Cup in 2030.

"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 a partly a son of Dutch football."

Curiously, Xavi also replaced Koeman at Barça in 2021, leading the Catalan side to a La Liga title in 2022-23. He joins the Netherlands after a below-par World Cup campaign where they were eliminated in the round of 32 by Morocco. "The Netherlands has a rich football culture and a clear vision that also appeals to me enormously: attacking football, based on possession," Xavi added.

After success with Barcelona and Spain as a player, Xavi turned to management with Al Sadd in 2019, winning seven trophies. He then returned to Barça to replace Koeman but could not maintain success and was replaced by Hansi Flick in 2024. Since then, he has received offers from several teams but prioritized a sabbatical before accepting the Netherlands role.