Denzel Dumfries has welcomed the appointment of Xavi Hernández as the new head coach of the Netherlands national team. The Real Madrid right-back spoke with the ANP in Madrid about the Spaniard's arrival, which will be confirmed with his first squad announcement on Friday. "I am very happy with him," said Dumfries. "That is what we at Oranje are all about." The 30-year-old international expects the team to play attractive, organised football under the former midfielder's leadership.
First squad on Friday
Xavi Hernández will be officially presented on Friday and will immediately name his first squad for the upcoming international window. The Netherlands have four matches scheduled, including a home fixture against Germany on 24 September at the Johan Cruijff Arena. The team currently sits top of their World Cup qualifying group with seven points from three games. Their last five matches have yielded three wins and two draws, including a 1-1 draw with Morocco at the end of June.
Preparing for Germany
Xavi's arrival comes during a busy period for the national side. The new head coach must quickly impart his philosophy to a squad unbeaten in its last five outings. The next immediate test is the prestigious home clash with arch-rivals Germany in exactly ten days' time. The full schedule for the coming weeks can be found on our fixtures page. The first-team squad list and statistics are available via the squad and stats overviews.
Dumfries, who also visited Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen in Madrid, stressed the importance of a clear playing identity. The defender sees Xavi as the right man to implement it. The head coach will name his squad on Friday, 18 September.
