Jurgen Klopp and Xavi Hernandez are both facing a new start when the German team visits the Netherlands. Both teams want to open a different chapter after the disappointing 2026 World Cup, but the approach of the two coaches has many differences.
Klopp was appointed to lead the German national team in July. After a long time working at the club level, the German coach quickly gained attention with his familiar energy source.
He also admitted that there is a rather special point before the match against the Netherlands. That is that both Klopp and Xavi only have a few days to get acquainted with the new team and the players mainly through matches watched from afar.
I know more Dutch players than Xavi. Whether that's an advantage or not, I don't know, but that's the truth" - Klopp said with his familiar smile.
Germany's appointment of Klopp is seen as a major change after an unsuccessful World Cup. He quickly started working by calling up 44 players for a 4-match series against the Netherlands, Serbia and Greece.
Klopp does not divide the squad in the usual way between team A and team B. Players are selected based on form, adaptability, experience and personality. Only goalkeeper Finn Dahmen is called up for all 4 matches.
This approach gives Klopp more time to observe new faces. In the list of 44 players, there are 16 people who have never worn the German national team jersey. Mika Baur, Bambase Conte or Felix Keidel are less known names but still given opportunities.
Unlike Klopp, Xavi built the Dutch national team with a more familiar force. The Spanish coach was appointed after Ronald Koeman left his position. Xavi became the first foreign coach to lead the Netherlands since Ernst Happel in 1978.
Xavi does not want to spend much time looking back at the 2026 World Cup, where the Netherlands was eliminated in the round of 32. Instead, he focuses on what he has in hand. Joey Veerman was recalled after more than 2 years of absence from the Dutch national team, while Virgil van Dijk continues to hold the captain's armband despite considering leaving the national team after the World Cup.
The Netherlands still does not have Frenkie de Jong and Donyell Malen due to injuries. When these two players return, Xavi will have more important options to build the team according to his ideas.
The match in Amsterdam is more meaningful than a confrontation between two traditional teams. This is the first time Klopp and Xavi have tested their ideas at the national team level, in the context that both Germany and the Netherlands need to regain stability after the World Cup.
Klopp admitted that this process may not be perfect from the beginning: "Everything may be a bit chaotic, but I accept that, as long as it's exciting.
With Klopp and Xavi, the new journey begins from Amsterdam. One person chooses to strongly shuffle to find suitable factors, the other takes over a squad that already has a framework. Both will have to prove new ideas that can bring Germany and the Netherlands back to their original positions.
