- By Ibrahim Ayyub
- Follow Ibrahim on Twitter
On August 12, 2026, the KNVB announced the hiring of Xavi Hernández as the new manager of the Oranje. Following the disappointing exit in World Cup 2026, a new manager was needed following the departure of Ronald Koeman. The usual gossip who could be the next Oranje manager ranged from the believable, Arne Slott, to the unbelievable, Roberto Martinez. It was a pleasant surprise for many, including yours truly, when Xavi was the one hired by the KNVB. For the first time since 1977, when the Austrian Ernst Happel was in charge of the Oranje, that a foreigner would be in charge of the Oranje.
It’s no secret that my love for football began in 1988 when I was wee lad who watched the Oranje win the 1988 European Championship. I never followed club football until after the 1994 World Cup. The club that got my attention was FC Barcelona, who had the likes of Romario and Stoichkov along with the Dutch legend Ronald Koeman and the Dutch icon, Johan Cruyff, was managing the side. Over the years, the Dutch influence on this club has been apparent.
FC Barcelona has a rich history since its inception back in 1899. The Dutch influence chapter of its rich history took place back in 1971 when Rinus Michels was hired to coach Barça and a few years later, Johan Cruyff was a major signing during that decade which saw the club end a 14 year wait for a league crown. Cruyff would then return to Barça, as a manager in 1988. That hiring would impact the club for decades where his “Dream Team” won four consecutive league titles and their first Champions League title and influence one of his players, Pep Guardiola who would go to accomplish great success as a manager at Barça, Bayern Munich and Manchester City. Pep would also play for Louis van Gaal, who took charge of Barça in 1997 and managed to lead the Blaugrana to back to back league titles, but also suffered disappointing results in Europe. It was van Gaal who also gave Xavi his Barça debut in 1988. Frank Rijkaard’s arrival in 2003 would see the Blaugrana win consecutive league titles and the club’s second Champions League title as Xavi blossomed under Rijkaard’s watch. The final Oranje manager was Ronaldo Koeman, who stepped down from the Oranje job to coach Barça in 2020, only to be replaced by Xavi in 2021.
It is ironic that Xavi is now replacing Koeman at another job. Furthermore, it’s the Barça guy taking over the Oranje and not the other way around. As a player, Xavi was a true legend of the game. As a manager, he has his merits and demerits.
Some of the positives that Xavi displayed when he managed Barça was his faith in the younger players and his lack of hesitation in dropping veterans. When Xavi took over Barça, he had no problem benching club legends, Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba. Both were instrumental in the Blaugrana’s success during the 2010s. However, when Xavi arrived, he made it clear to them that they no longer were starters. Xavi has already continued this trend by not calling up Memphis Depay and Wout Weghorst during this international break.
Xavi also gave young players their debuts when he managed Barça. You probably have heard of them; Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi, who have shined for club and country. Fermín López was also given his debut by Xavi and one can only hope that Xavi will give young Oranje players a shot to shine for their country. After suffering from Oranje managers relying on the old guard for far too long, an injection of youth is a breath of fresh air.
Nonetheless, Xavi is not flawless and there is a drawback in his appointment. Xavi is the only Barça manager in this century not to win back to back league titles. One major downside in Xavi is his lack of experience and tactical nuance. It is true that Xavi has won in his coaching stints in Qatar and at Barcelona. However, his supporting staff’s relative inexperience, along with Xavi’s was also an issue. Barça fans got to witness some great results, but also got to witness some horrendous performances, especially in Europe, where Plan B was basically whipping crosses into the box and praying for a header.
When things looked dire during Xavi’s tenure at Barça, I was hoping he’d bring in Pep Guardiola’s former assistant, Domènec Torrent, to help steady the ship. Unfortunately, that never materialized. Adding Ruud van Nistelrooy to his staff doesn’t feel like much of an upgrade, either. I would have loved to see an experienced figure in the mold of Henk ten Cate, Frank Rijkaard’s right-hand man during Barça’s mid-2000s resurgence, step into that tactical support role. That said, Xavi will never lack authority in the dressing room. He’s been in the players’ shoes, seen it all, and won it all and those players will listen to him.
After seeing Dutch managers take charge of Barça, it is now time for a Barça player to take charge of the Dutch. I am rooting for Xavi to do big things. Hopefully this is a step in the right direction and not another misstep.
