In the first major night of the Nations League, two of European football’s most recognisable former coaches will take their places on international benches for the first time. Jürgen Klopp and Xavi are set to make their debuts as national-team managers in the same competition.
The news from the club
There is no club setting to frame this occasion, but the significance remains clear across the continent: Klopp and Xavi, both figures with long records in elite European football, will begin new chapters in charge of their respective national sides.
Their first appearances in the Nations League will add a notable dimension to the opening major fixture of the tournament. It will be the first competitive international assignment for each coach in his new role.
Klopp arrives with extensive experience of managing at the highest level of the club game, while Xavi’s career has also moved from an iconic playing career into coaching. Their simultaneous introduction to national-team football gives the Nations League an early landmark occasion.
