Newly appointed Netherlands head coach Xavi Hernández poses for a picture during his presentation at the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) headquarters in Zeist, Netherlands, on August 25, 2026.
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.
“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.
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.
“I remember when I was a kid watching the Netherlands, you could watch good football. And this is my target — to play good football in order to be proud,” said Xavi.
