Xavi Hernandez has been named as the successor to Ronald Koeman as head coach of the Netherlands national team, becoming their first foreign boss in 48 years, the country’s football association announced on Wednesday.
What is driving the story
“Other 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.”
Evidence and Data
Ex-Liverpool manager Arne Slot reportedly held initial talks with the Dutch association, but preferred to stay in club football. He is the Netherlands’ first foreign boss since Austrian Ernst Happel, whose side reached the 1978 World Cup final before losing to Argentina.
“As a player alone, Xavi has experienced and won everything, with a World Cup, multiple national titles, and Champions League titles to his name,” the Netherlands’ football director Nigel de Jong, who famously kicked Xavi’s then-teammate Xabi Alonso in the chest during the 2010 World Cup final, said. “As a coach, he has been shaped by years of working with top coaches who espouse a football vision that aligns very well with the way we want to play with the Dutch national team — taking initiative, dominant and attractive football, combined with the flexibility that modern elite football demands.”
