Spain great Xavi Hernandez was hired as Netherlands coach on Wednesday, becoming the first foreign-born leader of the national team in nearly 50 years.<\/p>\n
Xavi was a member of the Spain team that beat the Dutch in the World Cup final in 2010, marking their third defeat in the title match.<\/p>\n
The 46-year-old Xavi, who has been out of work since leaving his job as Barcelona coach<\/a> in May 2024, takes over from Ronald Koeman<\/a> after his departure following the World Cup.<\/p>\n The former midfielder said he felt a \u201cspecial connection to Dutch football\u201d after coming through a Barcelona academy influenced by Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels.<\/p>\n \u201cYou could say that I am a bit of a son of Dutch football,\u201d said Xavi, who has signed a deal through to the 2030 World Cup. \u201cOther great coaches, especially Louis van Gaal, under whom I made my debut at Barcelona, and Frank Rijkaard, also played an important role in shaping me as a player and coach.\u201d<\/p>\n The last foreign-born coach of the Netherlands was Ernst Happel from 1977-78.<\/p>\n Xavi said the Dutch soccer culture \u2014 \u201cattacking football, based on possession, with creativity, passion, and conviction\u201d \u2014 appealed to him.<\/p>\n \u201cOf 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,\u201d he said. \u201cThe potential for this is there, as well as a solid foundation to build upon.\u201d<\/p>\n Nigel de Jong, director of elite football at the Dutch federation and an opponent of Xavi in the 2010 World Cup final, said Xavi\u2019s vision of \u201cdominant and attractive football, combined with the flexibility that modern elite football demands\u201d would serve the team well.<\/p>\n \u201cXavi believes in those basic principles, has embraced that vision, and made it his own,\u201d De Jong said. \u201cAll 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.\u201d<\/p>\n After playing for 17 years at Barcelona, Xavi finished his career at Al Sadd before becoming the Qatari team\u2019s coach from 2019-21.<\/p>\n The Netherlands exited the World Cup in the Round of 32 after losing to Morocco<\/a> in a penalty shootout.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n