Klopp's Germany Visit Xavi's Netherlands in Nations League Rebuild
The short version
- Germany face the Netherlands in the Nations League on Thursday.
- Jürgen Klopp took over as Germany head coach in July.
- Xavi Hernández is the new head coach of the Netherlands.
- Both teams underperformed at the World Cup before the coaching changes.
The new coaches, both hired after disappointing World Cup showings, meet Thursday as two of Europe's storied rivals begin fresh eras.
Jürgen Klopp and Xavi Hernández will lead their new national teams against each other Thursday, when Germany travel to face the Netherlands in the Nations League.
Both federations turned to new leadership after their countries had disappointing World Cup campaigns. Klopp took charge of Germany in July, while Xavi now heads the Netherlands.
At a pre-match press conference, Klopp noted the shared nature of their situations, saying the two coaches met on Monday and that he knows more of the Dutch players personally than his counterpart does.
Since taking the Germany job, Klopp has appeared re-energized in public appearances, a contrast to how he seemed after leaving Liverpool and during his earlier unveiling as Red Bull's head of global soccer.
