Frenkie de Jong was surprised by the appointment of Xavi Hernández as head coach of the Netherlands national team. The 29-year-old midfielder is nevertheless pleased with the choice and sees a good fit with the Spanish coach's philosophy. The team enters the international break in good form, with two wins and two draws in its last four matches.
De Jong received a call from Xavi before the official announcement. "He called me beforehand, it was nice to find out that it was happening then," the midfielder said. The appointment of a foreign national team coach came as a surprise to him. "Because we haven't had a foreign national coach for so long, I was a bit surprised.
De Jong believes Xavi's football vision aligns well with the Dutch squad. He stresses the team needs to build a recognizable style to ultimately win silverware. While he doesn't see the Netherlands as an absolute top favourite like England or France, he thinks the team has good potential.
The midfielder recently returned to action for Barcelona after a long and difficult injury period. He was less uncertain about this recovery than a previous ankle injury. His absence also affected his immediate environment, especially his wife.
The Netherlands enter the upcoming international break with confidence. The team is unbeaten in its last four matches, with two wins and two draws. The most recent victory was a 2-1 win over Serbia on October 4, with goals from Teun Koopmeiners and Joshua Zirkzee. Three days prior, they drew 2-2 with Greece, where Virgil van Dijk and Tijjani Reijnders scored. The sequence began with a 1-1 draw against Germany and a 2-1 away win in Serbia.
The next assignment is scheduled for Friday 13 November, a home match against Greece. Fans can view the full schedule for Oranje. The team is currently in a strong position in its qualifying group and building momentum under the new staff.
De Jong hopes success can be found under Xavi. The focus now is on further developing a coherent playing style. The match against Greece is the next opportunity to continue that process and extend the unbeaten run of four matches.
Further reading: VoetbalPrimeur
