Xavi's task: bring back the Dutch School to the Netherlands national team
Xavi, the new coach of the Netherlands national team, wants to bring back the Dutch School to the team. He believes in the principles of taking the initiative, dominant and attractive football, combined with flexibility.
With Xavi, director of top football Nigel de Jong hopes to take a new path: "As a trainer, he has been formed by years of working with top coaches who have a football vision that is very well suited to the way we want to play with the Netherlands national team: taking the initiative, dominant and attractive football, combined with the flexibility that modern top football requires. Xavi believes in those basic principles and has adopted and made that vision his own."
Xavi's past
Xavi is a fan of the Dutch style and a Cruijff-adept. He has completed his education at the academy of FC Barcelona and has strong influences from Johan Cruijff and Rinus Michels. He feels like no outsider.
What's next?
Xavi will be the first foreign coach since the Austrian Ernst Happel led the Netherlands to the 1978 World Cup final and the first Spanish coach of the Netherlands. He will have the task of bringing back the Dutch School to the Netherlands national team.
New path
With Xavi, director of top football Nigel de Jong hopes to take a new path. He wants Xavi to express the basic principles of taking the initiative, dominant and attractive football, combined with flexibility. Xavi believes in those basic principles and has adopted and made that vision his own.
Netherlands national team
The Netherlands national team is currently in 1st place in the World Cup, with 7 points and 2 wins, 1 draw and 0 losses. They are 2 points ahead of Japan. Their last result was a draw against Morocco on 30 June 2026. They have a recent form of 3 wins, 2 draws and 0 losses. Their next match is against Germany on 24 September 2026.
