High-profile visit from the KNVB during Ajax - PSV
1 min readOn Saturday 5 September, the match Ajax - PSV is scheduled in round 5 on the calendar. The match will be played at 8 p.m. at the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam.
The chances are high that Christmas will feature Dutch national team coach Xavi Hernandez during this match. This is reported by the Algemeen Dagblad.
Xavi was officially presented by the KNVB on Tuesday afternoon as the new national team coach with, among others, former PSV players Patrick Lodewijks as goalkeeping coach and Ruud van Nistelrooij and Adil Ramzi as assistant national team coaches. Ajax - PSV will also be the first match in the Eredivisie that the new national team coach attends.
In addition, the AD reports that the Spaniard will also attend many other matches involving Oranje internationals over the coming weeks. More than a month from now, the Netherlands will also play their first match in the UEFA Nations League against Jürgen Klopp's Germany.
For the Christmas-time national team coach, there is also still the question of whether he will visit even more Eredivisie matches in addition to Ajax - PSV. For Xavi, the Eredivisie is a fairly unfamiliar competition, and according to the AD, the Spaniard will also have to invest in it explicitly there.
Comments8
Very clever scheduling from the KNVB, first Eredivisie visit at Ajax - PSV, then Nations League focus against Klopp. Imo it puts more pressure on everyone, not just Xavi. If PSV play brave at 20:00, he will take notes for sure.
🔥 Xavi investing in Eredivisie... now watch him judge both teams for 90 minutes. Lets go PSV, make it a statement before Nations League vs Germany.
"de kans is groot dat kersvers Oranje-bondscoach Xavi Hernandez aanwezig zal zijn" is exactly the kind of spotlight that can turn into pressure. PSV need to show control and intensity, otherwise it becomes a highlight reel for Ajax. Still, I kinda love it, ngl.
"een vrij onbekende competitie" oké, maar dat is juist waar hij nu zijn oordeel moet maken. Als Nederland binnenkort tegen Duitsland al meteen zo hoog inzet, dan moet hij hier basisprincipes zien bij PSV. Ruud van Nistelrooij als assistent is dan natuurlijk extra interessant 👀
Tbh having Xavi + Ruud van Nistelrooij as staff is peak Dutch football drama 😂. I just wonder how much he really knows Eredivisie pace, because Ajax-PSV is not a friendly match.
tbh i snap wel dat de KNVB hem wil laten starten met zo'n klassieker, maar om nou te doen alsof hij de eredivisie moet 'investeren' klinkt alsof ze hem nog niet serieus nemen. Xavi komt voor het voetbal, toch? kijk vooral wat PSV doet onder druk.
Xavi in de Arena voor Ajax - PSV, dat is wel een statement. Ben benieuwd wie hij bij PSV extra goed gaat bekijken, Lodewijks en Van Nistelrooij erbij zegt ook genoeg. 20:00 wordt echt kruidvat-drukte 🔥
First away test for Xavi and meteen Ajax-PSV. If he watches like a coach and not like a tourist, this could be a big psychological moment for both teams. Hope PSV dont crumble early, because the Johan Cruijff Arena will be loud.