New Netherlands coach Xavi Hernandez vowed on Tuesday to bring back the attacking footballing philosophy that the Oranje are famous for, believing that this will bring the team out of the doldrums in terms of results. The Netherlands were disappointing at the most recent World Cup, topping their group without really convincing and then crashing out to Morocco on penalties in the last-32.
“If we play good football… taking the initiative, dominating the game, playing in an offensive way… we will be closer to winning and to getting results,” the 46-year-old former midfielder told reporters at his first news conference since being appointed.
New Netherlands coach Xavi Hernandez vowed on Tuesday to bring back the attacking footballing philosophy that the Oranje are famous for, believing that this will bring the team out of the doldrums in terms of results.
“I remember when I was a kid watching the Netherlands, you could watch good football. The Barcelona great, who won the 2010 World Cup with Spain as a player, beating the Netherlands in the final, had not held a head coaching job since leaving the Camp Nou in 2024. Xavi, whose first coaching role was with Qatari club Al-Sadd, won the 2023 La Liga title with Barca but was sacked at the end of the following season and replaced by Hansi Flick. Dutch Director of Football Nigel de Jong, who was on the losing side during the 2010 World Cup final, revealed that they had approached former Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and ex-Liverpool manager Arne Slot before settling on Xavi. Xavi’s first match at the helm will be a home Nations League clash with Germany on September 24.
And this is my target — to play good football in order to be proud,” said Xavi. Xavi said that his main goal as Dutch coach was to make the country proud of the Oranje again.
