Xavi and Klopp usher in new eras for Netherlands and Germany in the Nations League

The Netherlands and Germany are back in action this Thursday, a few months after their exit from the World Cup, and both with new coaches. While Xavi Hernández has taken charge of the Dutch side, Jürgen Klopp has come out of retirement to coach the Germans.

The clash is part of Group A2 of the Nations League,but it means much more than that. It marks the start of two new projects: in a Netherlands side aiming to maintain its run of World Cup appearances after missing out in 2018 and 2022, and in a Germany side looking to return to its former glory.

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Reviving memories of the "Dutch Carousel"

Xavi Hernández took over the Netherlands after two years out of a club job since leaving Barcelona with the plan is to refresh the national team's style. The football built on midfielders combining closely and constant movement will make way for tiki-taka, adapted to the country's own identity.

When he was unveiled in his new role, the former Barcelona coach spoke of 'recovering the national team's identity', with an eye on the cycle leading to the next World Cup, in 2030 in Portugal, Spain and Morocco. The idea is to bring back memories of the Netherlands' golden years, the 'Dutch Carousel' of the 1970s.

Xavi is a declared admirer of Johan Cruyff and, in the iconic number 14's home, he promises attacking football, with a side that plays on the ball. The coach himself highlighted his connection with Dutch football, through Cruyff's influence at Barcelona in the 1990s.

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On the pitch, the core of the team remains the same. Even though names such as Memphis Depay, Frenkie de Jong, and Xavi Simons were not called up for the next fixtures, Virgil van Dijk, Denzel Dumfries, and Cody Gakpo will remain in the national team, among others, for now at least.

At the same time, younger players are emerging to strengthen the side. That is the case with Brian Brobbey, who has been catching the eye in attack for Sunderland, Gjivai Zechiël, a young midfielder at Feyenoord, Micky van de Ven, the Tottenham centre-back recovering from injury, and other names.

High pressing with youthful energy

Jürgen Klopp is leading the renewal process in Germany, a familiar figure in the local game who will bring changes. While under Julian Nagelsmann the idea was to have a more mobile base and focus on possession, with the former Liverpool boss, counter-pressing after losing the ball, along with a fixed structure, should come to the fore.

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Maximum intensity and quick vertical transitions down the flanks will be the trademark of Germany's tactical style in the coming period. The setup remains traditional, in a 4-3-3, with heavy physical demands on the midfielders, who are literally the heart of the team.

Klopp takes over a side with several open wounds and in need of reshaping, a scenario he had encountered in 2001 on a smaller stage at Mainz. He is also looking to build a stable base that becomes "self-sufficient", much like what he achieved at Borussia Dortmund. Expect, therefore, a stable system built with an eye on the next World Cup.

For this big international break, the German coach has called up 44 players split into two lists, one for the first two matches and another for the last two. Well-established names such as Marc-André ter Stegen, Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala and Havertz are in the first group, while Adeyemi, Florian Wirtz and Aleksandar Pavlovic feature in the second.

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