Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images
Liverpool’s quartet of Dutch players are set to be coached by a legend during the upcoming international break, with Xavi taking charge of his first games with the Oranje.
The legendary Spaniard was a surprise appointment for the Dutch, but having won La Liga as a manager in 2023, the 46-year-old does have some credentials.
Though his CV in the game means he should command instant respect within any dressing room, Xavi will still be reliant on Virgil van Dijk to get buy-in from the Netherlands squad. And after confirming that the Liverpool centre-back will remain as his captain for the time being, Xavi went into detail about how impressed he has been with Van Dijk’s recent form.
Xavi thinks Van Dijk is in a good moment for Liverpool
There had been some chatter in the Netherlands that Van Dijk could retire from international football ahead of the September matches.
While that could potentially have been good news for Liverpool, the 35-year-old will instead continue, with Xavi confirming at a press conference on Monday that he will not change the captaincy.
“Yes, he will be the captain,” said the Barcelona icon. “I met him, it was a really good meeting. He was very honest. He has the capacity to continue, he’s a good leader, he’s positive, he’s motivated, so yeah. Really nice meeting, I travelled to Liverpool, so I think he’s ready to compete, to be the leader, our captain. So, very happy at this point.”
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Asked whether he had any doubts that Van Dijk would not continue playing for his country, Xavi said that his selection, like the rest of his teammates, will depend on his form. And, right now, the defender is justifying his selection after a good start to the season with Liverpool.
“It was a matter of feelings,” he answered. “If I see Virgil playing now, in my opinion there is no problem that he continues with us. He’s fit, he’s a good leader in his club, I think there’s no reason for him not to continue with us in the national team.
On whether he spoke with Van Dijk about playing until the European Championship in 2028 or the World Cup in 2030, Xavi said that no specific timeline had been agreed upon.
“We don’t know what happens tomorrow,” he said. “But for now he’s fit, he performs and he will be our captain, that’s it. We didn’t talk about two years, four years, it depends on the future, but still living in the present.”
Van Dijk suggests he could have quit the Netherlands
Meanwhile, Van Dijk also spoke on Monday to confirm his decision to continue with the national team.
However, while Xavi struck a chord of certainty that that was always going to be the case, the Liverpool superstar did suggest that there had been a decision to make from his end.
“It was a big decision, of course,” said Van Dijk. “I needed to feel the trust, and the combination of respect, fun, and everything I wanted.”
“That was there from the very first second, so the conversation didn’t need to last that long. I am really looking forward to getting together for the four important matches. Let’s make the next two years a great time, in any case.”