The KNVB has confirmed the full coaching staff around new Netherlands head coach Xavi Hernandez, combining members of his previous backroom teams with experienced figures who know Dutch football and the current national-team setup.

Sergio Alegre, Oscar Hernandez, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Adil Ramzi will work as assistant coaches, while Patrick Lodewijks returns as goalkeeping coach. Ivan Torres completes the staff as performance coach.

Van Nistelrooy and Lodewijks were also part of the Netherlands setup during the 2026 World Cup and will continue in their existing roles under Xavi.

The appointments complete the coaching group around Xavi as he begins his Netherlands tenure, with the staff combining familiarity with his methods and Dutch football expertise.

How Xavi Has Built a Complementary Netherlands Coaching Staff

Xavi said he wanted a group of coaches with different qualities, backgrounds and perspectives who could complement one another.

"I think it is important to have people around me with different qualities, backgrounds and perspectives who complement each other," Xavi said.

The former Barcelona head coach already knows Sergio Alegre, Oscar Hernandez and Ivan Torres well from their previous work together at Al-Sadd and Barcelona.

That familiarity gives Xavi a group of staff members who understand his methods and the way he wants his teams to work.

At the same time, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Adil Ramzi and Patrick Lodewijks provide Dutch football knowledge and different experiences from within the Netherlands setup.

Xavi said the staff would work across different areas of the game, including attacking, defending and set pieces, with the overall aim of supporting the players in every aspect.

What Van Nistelrooij And Lodewijks Bring To The Setup

Van Nistelrooy and Lodewijks provide continuity within a coaching staff that is otherwise entering a new era under Xavi.

Van Nistelrooy returned to the Netherlands men's national team as an assistant coach in February 2026 and will continue in that position under the new head coach.

The former Netherlands striker has previous experience within the national-team setup and also brings a coaching background that includes roles at PSV, Manchester United and Leicester City.

Lodewijks also remains in his familiar role as goalkeeping coach.

He previously worked with the Netherlands men's national team across multiple periods and brings extensive experience from his work at Feyenoord, Everton and the Dutch national team.

Their retention means Xavi will have two staff members who already know the senior international environment and the players from the previous cycle.

Who Is in Xavi's Netherlands Coaching Staff?

Xavi's confirmed Netherlands coaching staff consists of:

  • Xavi Hernandez – Head coach
  • Sergio Alegre – Assistant coach
  • Oscar Hernandez – Assistant coach
  • Ruud van Nistelrooy – Assistant coach
  • Adil Ramzi – Assistant coach
  • Patrick Lodewijks – Goalkeeping coach
  • Ivan Torres – Performance coach

The staff brings together coaches with different backgrounds and experiences.

Alegre, Hernandez and Torres previously worked with Xavi at both Al-Sadd and Barcelona.

Ramzi moves up from the Netherlands youth setup after working with the Under-18s and Under-19s, giving the senior staff additional knowledge of younger players progressing through the Dutch system.

Van Nistelrooy and Lodewijks bring experience from the existing senior national-team environment.

How Xavi's Assistants Will Support the Netherlands Squad

KNVB director of elite football Nigel de Jong said the staff was assembled in close consultation with Xavi and with the growing demands of international football in mind.

Longer and more intensive international windows require a larger coaching group capable of dividing responsibilities while maintaining individual support for players.

The KNVB has deliberately combined existing knowledge with new ideas.

Van Nistelrooy and Lodewijks bring experience of Dutch football and the senior setup, while Ramzi offers knowledge of players coming through the national youth teams.

Meanwhile, Alegre, Oscar Hernandez and Torres are already familiar with Xavi's methods from their previous work together.

The structure gives Xavi a balance between continuity and change as he begins his new role with the Netherlands.