Jurgen Klopp, Xavi (foto: Getty Images)
Xavi and Jürgen Klopp will make their competitive coaching debuts with the Netherlands and Germany against each other in a blockbuster Nations League clash on September 24.
Spremljajte Nogomanio kot prednostni vir na Googlu
Dodajte Nogomanio med priljubjene vire v Google News in
prejemajte najpomembnejše nogometne novice med prvimi.
The UEFA Nations League will deliver a spectacular coaching showdown on September 24 when Xavi leads the Netherlands against Jürgen Klopp's Germany, with both legendary coaches making their competitive debuts with their new national teams.
After disappointing campaigns at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, two of Europe's biggest football nations responded by appointing two of the most recognizable coaches in the game.
Now they will begin their new eras against each other.
Xavi becomes Netherlands coach
The Dutch Football Association (KNVB) produced a major surprise after moving quickly to appoint Xavi as the successor to Ronald Koeman.
Several candidates had been linked with the position, but Dutch reports revealed talks with the former Barcelona coach before confirmation arrived only hours later.
Xavi was officially presented as the new Netherlands coach, and he already knows the opponent for his first competitive match.
On September 24, the 46-year-old will lead the Oranje against their historic rivals Germany in the Nations League.
Klopp will be waiting on the other bench
The appointment has created an extraordinary storyline because Germany recently handed their national team to Klopp.
The former Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund manager will also begin his competitive reign in the same match.
It means one of international football's oldest rivalries will now feature a fascinating tactical battle between two coaches with dramatically different football philosophies.
For both countries, the match represents the beginning of a new chapter after the disappointment of the World Cup.
A historic appointment for the Netherlands
Xavi's arrival is significant for another reason. The Netherlands have appointed a foreign head coach for the first time since 1978, the year Oranje reached the World Cup final.
Despite being Spanish, Xavi has always had a strong connection with Dutch football through Barcelona's historic relationship with the philosophy developed by Johan Cruyff.
The former Spain midfielder acknowledged that connection during his presentation.
"I feel a very special connection with Dutch football. You could say that I am almost the son of Dutch football," Xavi said.
After difficult World Cup campaigns, Germany and the Netherlands needed fresh starts. Instead of choosing cautious solutions, both federations went for enormous names.
On September 24, those two new projects will collide immediately, with Xavi against Klopp and one of Europe's greatest international rivalries providing the stage.