Germany and the Netherlands will begin their route towards the 2030 World Cup with an unusual managerial meeting: Xavi Hernández’s first match in charge of the Dutch national team will come against Jürgen Klopp’s new Germany in the opening round of the UEFA Nations League group stage.
After the 2026 World Cup, international football returns quickly to its next cycle, and this fixture brings together two of Europe’s most recognisable modern coaches. Klopp arrives with a far longer and more decorated club résumé, while Xavi takes his first steps in the international dugout carrying the Barcelona schooling that shaped his playing and coaching life.
Two new eras on the touchline
Xavi, a World Cup winner with Spain in South Africa in 2010, represents a younger generation of coaches influenced by Pep Guardiola. His work in the Middle East led Barcelona to bring him back to Catalonia, where his spell was uneven but delivered major domestic silverware.
Across 143 matches as Barcelona coach, Xavi recorded 90 wins, 24 draws and 29 defeats. He guided the club to the Spanish league title in 2023 as well as the Spanish Super Cup.
Klopp’s path has been considerably longer, beginning at Mainz 05 in 2000. He managed 270 games during that first senior appointment, registering 109 victories, 78 draws and 83 losses, though without winning a trophy.
His reputation was built in Dortmund, where Borussia Dortmund became one of Germany’s defining sides between 2008 and 2015. Klopp oversaw 319 fixtures, winning 180, drawing 69 and losing 70. His Dortmund team won two Bundesliga titles, the German Cup and two German Super Cups.
Klopp’s Liverpool record sets the benchmark
Klopp’s most successful period came at Liverpool, where he worked from 2015 until 2024. In 491 matches at Anfield, his side won 299 times, drew 109 and lost 83.
That tenure delivered every major prize available to an English club side: the Premier League, two League Cups, the FA Cup, Community Shield, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
| Coach | Club spell | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Major honours noted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xavi Hernández | Barcelona | 143 | 90 | 24 | 29 | La Liga, Spanish Super Cup |
| Jürgen Klopp | Mainz 05 | 270 | 109 | 78 | 83 | None |
| Jürgen Klopp | Borussia Dortmund | 319 | 180 | 69 | 70 | Two Bundesliga titles, German Cup, two German Super Cups |
| Jürgen Klopp | Liverpool | 491 | 299 | 109 | 83 | Premier League, two League Cups, FA Cup, Community Shield, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup |
The Nations League opener therefore offers Xavi an immediate examination against a coach whose club career has stretched from Mainz to Dortmund and Liverpool. For Germany and the Netherlands, it is also the first competitive marker of new projects designed to carry them into the next World Cup cycle.
