Xavi Hernández will take charge of the Netherlands. The KNVB confirmed the appointment on Wednesday evening, handing the 46-year-old Spaniard a four-year contract running to the 2030 World Cup.
Morocco's Penalty Win Opened the Job
The vacancy exists because of Morocco. The Atlas Lions knocked the Dutch out of the 2026 World Cup in the round of 32, winning on penalties. The tournament was staged across Canada, Mexico and the United States. Ronald Koeman stepped down afterwards.
The KNVB then worked through a list. Arne Slot was approached and chose to remain in club football, and Roberto Martínez was discussed. Michael Reiziger, in charge of the under-21 side, was told earlier in the week that the job would not be his.
The senior squad were informed of the decision before the announcement went public.
A Spaniard Shaped by Dutch Football
Xavi is the first foreign coach the Netherlands have appointed in almost 50 years, the last being the Austrian Ernst Happel in the late 1970s.
He arrives arguing the gap is smaller than it looks. Xavi called the job "a tremendous honour" and described himself as partly a son of Dutch football.
He named Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels as formative influences on his Barcelona education, and credited Louis van Gaal, who handed him his debut at the club, alongside Frank Rijkaard.
Four Years, Two Tournaments
The deal covers the 2028 European Championship in the United Kingdom and Ireland as well as the 2030 World Cup.
Xavi has been out of work since Barcelona dismissed him in 2024. He began coaching at Al-Sadd in Qatar, where he collected seven trophies, before taking over at Barcelona. There he won La Liga in 2022-23 and the Spanish Supercopa in 2023. A season without a trophy followed, and he was replaced by Hansi Flick.
He will bring his own backroom staff, though the KNVB intends to keep a Dutch presence in the technical setup.
