Dutch look to Xavi to restore traditional football ethos

Amsterdam: In an effort to restore the traditional Dutch football ethos, the Dutch national team has turned to former Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez for inspiration. Xavi, a Spanish World Cup winner, has become the first foreign coach of the Dutch national team since 1978.

Xavi, who won the World Cup in 2010 and two European Championships during his playing career, will debut as coach on Thursday when the Dutch host Germany in Amsterdam. He will lead the team in three more Nations League matches in the following three weeks.

The Dutch have sought a change in perspective following spells under coaches Ronald Koeman and Louis van Gaal, who were accused of abandoning traditional Dutch values around ball possession and attacking football, opting instead for counter-attacks as their primary weapon. While Van Gaal took the team to the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals and Koeman to the semis of Euro 2024, the team's elimination in the round of 32 at this year's World Cup was a major disappointment.

Former international Nigel de Jong, who recruited Xavi as technical director at the Dutch football association, stated that the Dutch want to play football dominantly and attractively, both offensively and defensively. Xavi, despite his relative inexperience as a coach, is believed to possess the technical, disciplinary, and creative qualities that the Dutch side is currently lacking.

Barcelona influence is evident in Xavi's coaching style, which aligns with the ideas the Dutch supporters wish to see from their team. Midfielder Tijjani Reijnders expressed his excitement about the new ideas and approach to playing football under Xavi. Xavi, who signed a four-year contract, has described his game model as centered around possession, position, pressing, perception, and passion.

He emphasized that possession is key to winning matches, while highlighting the importance of correct positions, pressing when losing the ball, and perception of the game. However, he also made it clear that winning remains the ultimate objective.