Amsterdam will host an unusual continental appointment on Thursday, when Xavi Hernández begins his Netherlands tenure against Germany at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
The former Spain and Barcelona coach takes charge of the Dutch national side for the first time in a fixture carrying immediate weight: a meeting with one of Europe’s traditional powers, in a stadium closely tied to the Netherlands’ football identity.
Quick facts
- Xavi Hernández will make his Netherlands debut on Thursday.
- The match against Germany will be played at Amsterdam’s Johan Cruyff Arena.
- Spain’s Alejandro Hernández Hernández has been appointed referee by UEFA.
- Five other Spanish officials will join him on the match team.
- Hernández Hernández has refereed the Netherlands twice, with two Dutch wins.
UEFA has selected Alejandro Hernández Hernández to oversee the contest, placing a Spanish refereeing group at the centre of one of the week’s leading international fixtures. The Canary Islands official recently represented Spanish football at the World Cup staged across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
José Enrique Naranjo and Diego Sánchez Rojo will serve as assistant referees, having also worked alongside Hernández Hernández during that World Cup. Carlos del Cerro, another official with World Cup experience, will operate in the VAR room.
Alejandro Quintero has been named fourth official. The Andalusian will become an international referee on 1 January, while Javier Iglesias Villanueva will take the assistant VAR role.
The appointment marks a third Netherlands match for Hernández Hernández. His previous two games involving the Oranje both ended in victory, most recently the 1-0 win away to Greece in Euro qualifying in October 2023.
Germany’s senior team, however, will be new ground for the referee. He has previously handled Germany’s Under-21 side twice, with both matches ending in German victories, and has taken charge of three Germany Under-19 fixtures, producing one win and two defeats for that age group.
For Xavi, the evening offers a first look at his Netherlands project under the Amsterdam lights; for the Spanish officiating crew, it is another major international assignment on a fixture shaped by two of the continent’s most recognisable football nations.
