Frenkie de Jong welcomes Xavi as Netherlands boss and eyes Euro 2028 glory

Frenkie de Jong returns to the Netherlands squad after a long injury layoff and is excited by Xavi Hernández's appointment, believing the coach can build a recognisable style to challenge for trophies.

Frenkie de Jong is back with the Netherlands national team after a long injury absence and has welcomed the appointment of Xavi Hernández as head coach. The 29-year-old midfielder, who made his return for FC Barcelona on Sunday, believes Oranje can thrive under the new manager.

"He called me beforehand, it was nice to find out it was happening then," De Jong said of Xavi's appointment. "Because we haven't had a foreign national team coach for so long, I was a bit surprised. But I was happy with it." The player has worked with Xavi at Barcelona since 2019 and knows his philosophy. "We worked well together in Barcelona. I know how he thinks about football and that suits the Dutch national team well."

De Jong believes Xavi's attacking and pressing principles can forge a recognisable identity. He stresses the team, currently unbeaten in its last four matches, has potential but is not yet among the absolute favourites like England or France. The ultimate goal is to win a trophy, with Euro 2028 in Great Britain and Ireland a clear target.

Long road back

De Jong's last international was the 2022 World Cup, where the Netherlands lost on penalties to Morocco in the round of 16. During that tournament he sustained a knee injury that kept him out for months. His surroundings noticed he was less cheerful during this recovery, but there were no tensions between the medical staffs of Barcelona and the KNVB. He proved his full fitness last weekend by coming on in the Clásico against Real Madrid.

He now returns to a squad on a strong run. The Netherlands beat Serbia 2-1 in October, drew 2-2 with Greece and earlier also won away in Serbia. The 1-1 draw with Germany in September completes the unbeaten streak.

De Jong, who won the Spanish title with Barcelona in 2023 and has played over 300 official matches for the club, wants to contribute his experience. He sees the coming weeks, with matches against Greece and Germany, as a perfect start under the new boss. The first training session is in two weeks.