Editor’s Note: Never fall asleep before hitting submit. I wrote this yesterday, didn’t send it out, and then woke up this morning to the news that Xavi released the squad pretty early in the European-time day. Welp. Either way, before I look at his squad closely, this was what I would’ve done.
Editor’s Note 2: Well, I was certainly more ambitious (if that’s the word) and future-forward than Xavi ended up being. I’m not mad at it, though. Leave a comment on this post with your thoughts!
When Xavi was first announced as the new Dutch national team manager, my initial reaction was disappointment. Can you blame me? I thought we were getting Arne Slot, a coach who has proven himself to be fantastic at identifying a player’s talents and molding them into his vision on the field.1 I held onto a brief hope that it would be Pep Guardiola. Instead, we merely get his former player and pupil.
In the weeks since that announcement, though, my thoughts of continued trophy-less purgatory have morphed into excitement, sprinkled with a little hope.
Why?
Why I’m Excited About Xavi
I think Xavi has automatic clout in that locker room, thanks to his player career; players won’t just listen to him, they will believe in him.
I think that Xavi is bringing a brand of soccer—high tempo, attacking-first, rather-win-five-four-than-one-zero Cruijff-inspired play—that players can get excited about. Which is something, by the way, the Oranje hasn’t seen since… Euro 2008? No longer is the call to Dutch headquarters in Zeist one where the players must follow strict instructions, focused more on controlling the pace of the game instead of scoring the most-possible goals.
I think that the worry of, “oh, no foreign manager has ever won the World Cup,” is hogwash. First of all, very few of the best-performing soccer nations have ever even hired a foreign manager as their sole leader on the sideline. Germany has never. Italy has never. France did, once, from 1973 to 1975—very brief. Argentina have not since the 1930s. Brazil only did for the first time last year with Don Carlo Ancelotti.2 Secondly, I think few nations would benefit from a foreign manager as much as the Netherlands. How many other countries have been able to produce a squad that’s almost surely fully bilingual, allowing for a foreign coach to step in without enormous communication issues? England had a foreign manager this past summer in Thomas Tuchel, and were it not for a complete capitulation against Argentina (at Tuchel’s tactical hand, mind you), they would’ve been in the World Cup final with a huge shot at winning it. Tuchel didn’t get defensive to protect a lead because he’s a foreigner; we saw Ronald Koeman do the same thing with his home country.
I was overthinking the fact that Xavi has never been tested with a squad that wasn’t one of the best in the league. His coaching career has consisted of the best team in Qatar (Al Sadd) and a top-two team in Spain (Barcelona); at the time of his appointment to Oranje, I was worried that the talent at his disposal could have masked cracks in his managerial armor. But now, I’m thinking: does that even matter? Look at Vincent Kompany, who struggled with Burnley in the Premier League after dominating with them in the English second division, and who was subsequently hired to coach German giant Bayern Munich, where he has seen considerable success. The Netherlands have one of the most talent-rich player pools in the world, arguably eclipsing former heavyweights like Brazil and Germany. It doesn’t matter that Xavi has never succeeded with a Sunderland or a Fortuna Sittard.
This may be an uncommon opinion, but I actually think it will be beneficial for the players to have everything in English. Imagine the pressure that comes with jetting off to a major tournament with the Dutch national team: you’re on a mission that players like Johan Cruijff, Dennis Bergkamp, Arjen Robben, and the other legends you grew up watching all failed to complete. I think that having your leader communicate in the “outside-the-home” language will provide a little separation from the pressures that come with being under a microscope that has the seeing eye of everyone you’ve ever known. You can trust that every classmate, every teacher, every friend and every acquaintance will be watching you play. There is genuinely no equivalent here in the U.S., baring being the quarterback of a team that makes the Super Bowl; but for that player, it’s more just the nature of the job as a whole, and even then, you’re only on the field half the time, meaning you bear far less responsibility than someone who plays every minute.
That’s a great segue into the meat of this post; that pressure is why I think it’s important to select players who are used to having the most-possible eyeballs on them while on the field; that is to say I give strong preference to those who play or have played in the modern-day English Premier League—the closest thing there is to the NBA or NFL of soccer.3
One more thing: while the Eredivisie is no Premier League in terms of overall talent and audience reach, I do think it’s important to signal to players that if you perform well, you can get selected. Too often in recent years, the national team has been seen by coaches as a fraternity-type group, similar to the inner workings of the mob (can you tell I’ve been watching the Sopranos for the first time?), in the sense that once someone becomes a made man, they’re in for life. Ronald Koeman certainly kept Memphis Depay around for that reason, even though he peaked in terms of pure ability about five-to-eight years ago. Even Louis van Gaal refused to adjust his 2022 World Cup plans to prominently include then-19-year-old Xavi Simons, despite reports of Simons impressing beyond belief in their practices.4 It’s such a relief that Xavi Hernández has no reason to subscribe to any methods of the past.
My Team Selection
Without further ado, here’s who I’d pick as my first 26-man squad if I were señor Xavi.5
GOALKEEPERS (3)
Robin Roefs (23) — Sunderland 🏴
Bart Verbruggen (24) — Brighton & Hove Albion 🏴
Kjell Scherpen (26) — Ipswich Town 🏴
DEFENDERS (9)
Virgil van Dijk (35) — Liverpool 🏴
Micky van de Ven (25) — Tottenham 🏴
Denzel Dumfries (30) — Real Madrid 🇪🇸
Jurriën Timber (25) — Arsenal 🏴
Jan Paul van Hecke (26) — Tottenham 🏴
Jorrel Hato (20) — Chelsea 🏴
Wouter Goes (22) — AZ Alkmaar 🇳🇱
Youri Baas (23) — Ajax Amsterdam 🇳🇱
Quilindschy Hartman (24) — Espanyol 🇪🇸
MIDFIELDERS (8)
Tijjani Reijnders (28) — Al Qadsiah 🇸🇦
Ryan Gravenberch (24) — Liverpool 🏴
Joey Veerman (27) — Borussia Dortmund 🇩🇪
Justin Kluivert (27) — Bournemouth 🏴
Quinten Timber (25) — Crystal Palace 🏴
Luciano Valente (22) — Feyenoord 🇳🇱
Gjivai Zechiël (22) — Feyenoord 🇳🇱
Kees Smit (20) — AZ Alkmaar 🇳🇱
FORWARDS (6)
Donyell Malen (27) — Roma 🇮🇹
Cody Gakpo (27) — Liverpool 🏴
Ruben van Bommel (22) — PSV Eindhoven 🇳🇱
Crysencio Summerville (24) — Al Hilal 🇸🇦
Ro-Zangelo Daal (22) — AZ Alkmaar 🇳🇱
Mexx Meerdink (23) — AZ Alkmaar 🇳🇱
Team Selection Analysis
I decided to include only one player above the age of 30: Virgil van Dijk, who is still rock-solid and one of the best in the world at age 35. In a team full of youngsters, you’re going to want his experience and leadership. I know there have been rumors of Xavi and the national team moving on from him, but I’d say not just yet. He may not be in the Euro 2028 squad, and most definitely not in the World Cup 2030 squad, but he will help bridge the transition to the next generation. Let him still be captain, I say. It doesn’t matter that he missed a crucial penalty at the World Cup 2022 or that he was arguably partially responsible for the goal that led to the World Cup 2026 elimination.6
Let’s go over the surprising names.
Kjell Scherpen is the tallest player in Premier League history at 6’9”, and given the lack of importance of the third-choice ‘keeper—Roefs and Verbruggen will occupy the goal for the next decade—this is just about giving a player a chance to familiarize himself with the national team. The other name I wrestled with, Justin Bijlow, has the Oranje experience that Scherpen doesn’t.
Youri Baas is a stellar left-footed defender. We don’t have many of those, and I’ve been watching Baas develop into a smart, capable-on-the-ball defender who is surely on his way to being a lock for the national team.
Wouter Goes, pronounced “goose,” is less of a surprise, given that he’s the anchor of a high-flying AZ team and has put in nothing but solid performances this season. Most are predicting that Xavi will include Goes.
Quilindschy Hartman is surprising, I’ll give you that. But we simply do not have a stacked list of left-footed left-backs to choose from, and if I’m Xavi, I’m moving on from 31-year-old Nathan Aké. Yes, Aké is a solid player, but he moved to a Turkish team over the summer to begin his fade into retirement, and he’s not exactly lit up Istanbul since his arrival. Hartman has had to recover from an ACL tear that kept him out of both the Euro 2024 squad and a move to English club Chelsea, but I genuinely do think that he would’ve made the World Cup if he had gone through with his rumored move to Ajax this past winter. He decided not to do so after receiving a mountain of threats from fans of his former club, and Ajax’s arch-rivals, Feyenoord. Regardless, Hartman has a lot of talent, and is a strong offensive threat down the left side who can whip in a dangerous cross. He’s still young—he’ll be in his prime at 28 for the next World Cup—and he’s exactly the type of offense-capable left-back who would fit Xavi’s play style.
Joey Veerman isn’t a surprise to anyone who’s seen him play this season at Dortmund. He is arguably the best passer the Dutch have, and that’s invaluable against stiff, tough-to-break-down defenses.
Luciano Valente is a joy to watch, and he’s developing into a star. Enough said.
Gjivai Zechiël has arguably been the Eredivisie’s best player this season, and he would be a great addition to the locker room. Easy pick.
Kees Smit has been attracting attention from Europe’s best in the last year, and Dutch soccer is lucky to have him stay another year at AZ. If you watch him play, you understand the hype: the decision-making, the comfort/patience on the ball, and the pinpoint passing. The kid’s going to be a superstar.
Ruben van Bommel is electric, and he also has a very mature head on his shoulders. He has incredible ball-striking ability, can score from anywhere, and can create danger out of nothing. I maintain that if he had not gotten injured a year ago, he would’ve played his way into the World Cup squad.
Ro-Zangelo Daal is easily the most surprising name in my squad. But as someone who has watched every AZ game this season… the guy is faster than a speeding bullet, Lois. He is unbelievably quick, and reminds me of Arjen Robben in the sense that you know exactly what he’s going to do, and yet you can’t stop it. This is obviously a look toward the future, but if I’m Xavi, I’m bringing on Daal in minute 65 of one of these games and seeing what he’s capable of. In order to disagree with this selection, you must have watched every AZ game this season. Daal is a game-changer.
Mexx Meerdink shouldn’t be surprising, except that he takes the place of World Cup star Brian Brobbey. Bold? Yes. But if I’m Xavi, I’m calling up Brobbey and being like, “Hey, Brobbeast, I’ve gotta take a look at a couple other players, and you’ve not had a great start to the season for Sunderland. Don’t worry, you’ll obviously still be in the mix—but no one’s place is guaranteed.” Meerdink, on the other hand, possesses a much better finishing ability, ball-striking ability, and vision that Brobbey just doesn’t have, yet. I also like the idea of Xavi calling up an AZ Alkmaar contingent, which allows the players to gel and approach an unfamiliar environment with familiar faces.
Just look at how many players Slot made look like world-beaters: Calvin Stengs, Lutsharel Geertruida, Mats Wieffer, Santiago Giménez. All quality players, yes—but have any of them performed consistently at the same level that they did while being coached by Slot? I, personally, don’t think so.
Side note: I think Ancelotti would’ve been a great hire 10 years ago, when Brazil had a well-rounded squad that oozed talent at every position. When you have the best team, you really just need a man manager to keep the cohesion, and that’s what Ancelotti is best at. But I think his Brazil team lost to Norway this past World Cup in part because he’s not the most tactics-focused coach.
As an example: Joey Veerman recently moved from PSV Eindhoven to Borussia Dortmund, and is further proving that he’s the incredible player we think he is. But he’s had this talent all along; so why did he perform so miserably against Austria at Euro 2024, where he lost possession 15 times and completed only 47% of his passes before being substituted due to that poor play after only ~33 minutes? I think it’s the pressure. That can throw even the most talented player off their game. Having come through the FC Volendam system with three years at SC Heerenveen and two years (at the time) for PSV Eindhoven, Veerman was not accustomed to the pressure.
By the way, in case you didn’t know: Xavi Simons was indeed named after Xavi Hernández. How cool is that, to be coached by the guy you’re named after? Simons will unfortunately have to wait for that moment, as he’s still going to be out with an ACL tear for many more months. We could’ve won the World Cup if not for that injury to Simons; I digress.
Rumors are that he’s going to choose the maximum amount of players, 26, in order to give a chance/see up close as many players as possible. He can only take 23 on game day.
Not to be a Debbie Downer, but boy, these losses sting. I hope we’re in good shape come 2030, but I have a sinking feeling that 2022 and 2026 were our best chances since 2010 to win the World Cup in my lifetime. We had such complete/balanced squads in both those tournaments.