Xavi Hernandez has been appointed new coach of Holland.
The 46-year-old Xavi will succeed Ronald Koeman.
Patrick Kluivert is a hot alternative to become assistant to the Spanish legend, according to De Telegraaf.
The Dutch Football Association (KNVB) announced that the contract with the former great player is to run until the 2030 World Cup.
When the news was announced, the association’s website crashed.
“It is a huge honour to be the national team captain of the Netherlands. For someone who was brought up in the Barcelona academy – with strong influences from Johan Cruijff and Rinus Michels, among others – I feel a special connection to Dutch football,” Xavi said in a statement.
“You could say I’m a bit of a son of Dutch football. Other great coaches, especially Louis van Gaal, under whom I made my debut at Barcelona, and Frank Rijkaard, have also played important roles for me.”
A piquant detail in this context is that Xavi succeeded Ronald Koeman at Barcelona and Koeman is the one who last managed the national team.
Xavi’s last coaching assignment was at Barcelona. He left the club after the 2024 season.
Holland advanced to the round of 32 of this summer’s World Cup, where they were eliminated by Morocco on penalties.
