During the summer, a promising Netherlands team fell short at yet another World Cup, this time to Morocco in familiar fashion. It went down to the wire, but the Ronald Koeman-led Dutch squad was sent home in the round of 32 on penalty kicks, much to the dismay of Oranje fans worldwide. This was the last straw for Koeman, as the former centre-back resigned on June 30 after his second stint managing the team didn’t go over well with fans due to a lack of overall team success, questionable decision-making and poor in-game management.
For the next month and a half, the whole football world would debate who was best suited to manage such a historic nation. The Royal Dutch Football Association set its sights on legendary Manager Pep Guardiola, then-Liverpool Coach Arne Slot, before eventually settling on Xavi Hernández
A legend in his own right, Xavi’s managing career came after one of the best football careers in history, dominating his era alongside players like Messi and Ronaldo. The Spaniard began coaching in 2019 in Qatar, before taking over for arguably the most popular club in the world, Barcelona, in 2021. He then took a brief hiatus from managing after leaving Barcelona in 2024, before making his shocking return to the sideline as the coach of the Netherlands national team.
This announcement was shocking, to say the least. Xavi is the Netherlands’ first foreign-born coach since 1978, bringing his on-pitch wizardry to a Dutch side that has played a robotic brand of soccer for the past three years.
Xavi’s first task as Netherlands manager was against a German team that he became very familiar with during his time as an international player. In recent history, these two teams have been as close to equal as you can get on the pitch, with loads of talent at nearly every position. The contest was the first of two meetings between the teams in this year’s Nations League round-robin, in which they shared a group with Serbia and Greece.
From the first whistle, it was clear that the competitive history between these two nations never seems to fade, as both Quinten Timber and Jan Paul Van Hecke picked up yellow cards within the first 25 minutes.
A disallowed Virgil Van Dijk goal later, and one that did count from Felix Nmecha, left the Germans up 1-0 at halftime. While the Germans took more control in the second half, the Dutch flipped the script, dominating possession and goal-scoring chances. It took late heroics from third-generation player Ruben van Bommel and Cody Gakpo to level it at one goal apiece in the 93rd minute and save Oranje a point in the dying minutes.
While not the result they wanted, the Dutch battled back after a slow start and secured a point against arguably their biggest rival.
Next up was Serbia. The Netherlands were heavy favourites in this away match, but more importantly, it gave Xavi a chance to experiment with unusual lineup decisions, including starting striker Mexx Meerdink. The AZ Alkmaar man made his debut in the previous game against Germany, making it his first cap as a Dutch international after Brian Brobbey went down with a scary-looking hamstring injury.
Fast forward to minute 30, and Meerdink would have a chance to score his first goal in an orange jersey from the penalty spot. Without hesitation, Meerdink potted home his first international goal, surely letting out a sigh of relief in the process.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team looked stout for the entire first half. Serbia may not be the most threatening opponent, but the Dutch got the job done, much to Xavi’s pleasure.
Serbia didn’t go down without a fight, scoring an equalizer just one minute into the second half and sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
Just over 20 minutes later, it was Meerdink again who would help his team regain the lead with a low, driven blast into the bottom right corner that would ultimately be the game-deciding goal. The Netherlands won 2-1.
While it wasn’t a result that would blow anyone away, the score didn’t tell the whole story. The Dutch kept their grasp on the game for most of the contest, retaining 67 per cent possession and taking 25 shots.
Finally, the team ran into a red-hot Greek team who had been on a tear in recent weeks, beating the likes of Germany in the process. Greece carried that momentum into their match against the Dutch, scoring two goals in the first half and stunning the away side.
In the second half, Xavi made changes that completely changed the course of the game. In came Noa Lang, Tijjani Reijnders and Ryan Gravenberch, all three making an immediate impact on the pace of the game and turning the back pedalling Dutch into an offensive powerhouse for a half.
In the final 45 minutes, the Dutch put four into the back of the net, two of which were from Denzel Dumfries but were disallowed. Captain Virgil Van Dijk scored a patented header from a corner kick in the 59th minute, while Reijnders netted the game-tying goal in the 89th.
It was another draw, this time against a team ranked well below the Netherlands in the national ranks; however, both teams had positives to take away. The Greeks continue their undefeated streak in the tournament, while the Dutch put together a sensational second half, Xavi’s best so far.
Moving forward, it will be interesting to see how the teams adapt to Xavi’s faster, offence-driven playstyle. Some of the team’s key issues remain, but only time will tell whether Xavi’s hiring is for better or worse.
The team will conclude their Nations League round-robin in November with rematches against both Germany and Greece, with only the top team in the group advancing.