Van Gaal comments on Xavi as Netherlands national team coach
Louis van Gaal wishes Xavi Hernández the best as coach of the Netherlands national team. However, he admits that he has yet to form an opinion about Xavi as a trainer. Van Gaal signed his book ‘LvG: The Trainer and the Total Man’ in Amstelveen on Saturday afternoon. After the event, he gave an interview to Amstelveen1, in which he was asked about Xavi. The journalist in question told him that he had been instructed not to ask about Xavi, but tried to ask anyway. “Xavi was a player of mine. I can evaluate him as a player, but not as a trainer,” says the coach of the Netherlands national team on the 2014 and 2022 World Cups. “Then you can’t really give an answer, I think. He was a great player and I think he also has a good personality. He played fantastically.” “He hasn’t had any study yet. I think if you work abroad, you need to have a broad view. But I hope Xavi can handle it,” says Van Gaal, who also opened up about the possibility of becoming the coach of the Netherlands national team. “But all the publicity around me as coach was not invented by me. That was invented by my friends in the media.” The coach has previously mentioned that he would also like to be the coach of certain other countries, such as Argentina and England. He no longer counts on these opportunities. “I think those countries are no longer waiting for me. I am 75, look like 55 and think like 35, but they don’t know that. They will always choose a younger coach. And rightly so.” However, Van Gaal remains open to the possibility. “Only as coach of a country; not as coach of a club. And then it must be a country that can win. That is very important to me.”
Last result
The Netherlands national team played a 1-1 draw against Morocco on 30 June 2026. The Oranjes are unbeaten in the last 5 matches.
Next fixture
The Netherlands national team plays against Germany at home on 24 September 2026.
