Spanish football legend Xavi Hernández has been appointed head coach of the Netherlands national football team (known as Oranje), the KNVB (Royal Dutch Football Association) confirmed, signing a contract through the 2030 World Cup. The 46-year-old former Barcelona midfielder and manager succeeds Ronald Koeman, who departed after the Netherlands were eliminated by Morocco in the round of 32 at the last World Cup. Xavi, who credits Dutch coaching giants Johan Cruyff and Louis van Gaal as key influences on his career, has been tasked with restoring the attacking, possession-based style of play traditionally associated with Dutch football, and is set to make his debut in a Nations League home fixture against Germany on 24 September.