Wesley Sneijder questions Xavi’s Netherlands national team role

Wesley Sneijder has challenged the process that led to Xavi becoming head coach of the Netherlands national team. The former Oranje midfielder said the issue was not primarily Xavi’s ability, but the apparent inconsistency between the Dutch football federation’s long-standing coaching requirements and the route followed by the new national-team manager.

Speaking on Ziggo Sport, Sneijder questioned how Xavi could secure his A, B and Pro coaching licences in four weeks before taking charge of the Netherlands. The former Netherlands international said the KNVB had previously required coaches to complete a course lasting four and a half years. He also recalled being told that an accelerated pathway was no longer available because of UEFA regulations.

Sneijder’s criticism focuses on the federation’s standards rather than a direct rejection of Xavi. He said he wished Xavi and the KNVB well, while maintaining that it was strange to appoint a national-team coach who did not appear to meet the requirements set by the federation itself. He also rejected the explanation that the rules were simply imposed by UEFA, arguing that the KNVB had presented that claim to him in the past.

The subject has personal relevance for Sneijder. He stopped his own coaching education in 2021 after a disagreement with the KNVB. His position was that former elite players should receive a more tailored route into coaching, taking account of their experience at the highest level. The dispute over Xavi’s licences has therefore reopened a question Sneijder had already raised with Dutch football officials.

Xavi’s appointment came after the Netherlands’ disappointing World Cup campaign. The Oranje were eliminated in the round of 32 by Morocco after a 1-1 draw and a 3-2 defeat in the penalty shoot-out. Ronald Koeman, who had been in charge since 2023, was replaced by Xavi, who became the first non-Dutch coach to lead the Netherlands since 1978.

The early results have offered Xavi some protection from the criticism. His first two matches ended without defeat: the Netherlands drew 1-1 with Germany on Thursday and then won 2-1 away to Serbia on Sunday. Those results gave the new coach a positive start, although Sneijder’s comments have shifted attention from the results to the circumstances of the appointment and Xavi’s formal preparation.

Xavi arrived with substantial club experience. He coached Al-Sadd from 2019 to 2021 before taking charge of Barcelona from 2021 to 2024. At Barcelona, he won La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup in 2023, while his earlier spell in Qatar produced seven trophies. He has also said that he understands the questions surrounding his nationality and that Dutch football influenced him from childhood, when the Netherlands represented attractive football to him.

The contract keeps Xavi with the national team through the end of the 2030 World Cup. His opening results give him an initial platform, but the licensing debate places the KNVB under scrutiny alongside its new coach. Technical director Nigel de Jong previously acknowledged that Xavi was not the federation’s first choice, with Pep Guardiola and Arne Slot considered ahead of him. Xavi’s next stage will therefore involve not only building the team, but also proving that the exceptional route to his appointment can be justified by his work with the Oranje.