Van Hecke sees ‘a lot of optimism’ around Xavi

“There is a lot of optimism around Xavi Hernández; he brings us clarity.” Jan Paul van Hecke praised the Netherlands coach as the team prepares for two Nations League fixtures that will shape its pursuit of a place in the quarter-finals.

The defender also said that Xavi’s principles suit him: “Every coach has their own characteristics, but he is very clear about how he wants to play. Playing out from the back, pressing, the way he manages the details. You notice it during team talks, too.” Van Hecke added that the coach’s style fits Dutch football as well as his own game. In his view, a win on Friday would be “a big step towards qualifying for the quarter-finals”.

The Netherlands play Greece in Amsterdam on Friday before facing Germany in Berlin on Monday, in Group A2. The two sides are level on 8 points. Germany have 5, while Serbia have none. A win against Greece would secure the Dutch one of the group’s top two places before the final matchday. Xavi has been in charge of the Netherlands since July, and his team lead the group after its first four matches.

Preparations have been affected by several absences. Virgil van Dijk and Brian Brobbey have been left out of the squad because of physical problems. Nathan Aké, Jeremie Frimpong, Ryan Gravenberch and Jorrel Hato are also among those unavailable. Xavi called up Sepp van den Berg to replace one of the two most recently announced absentees. Frenkie de Jong, Donyell Malen and Justin Kluivert, meanwhile, are back in the squad.

Kluivert and De Jong’s inclusion means another player has been left out. Xavi acknowledged that the decision was difficult: Memphis Depay had been the toughest choice before the previous international break, and this time it was probably Kenneth. He stressed, however, that Kenneth’s omission was not permanent. “If he keeps playing like this, he could return to the national team,” Xavi said.