Netherlands v Germany: Klopp and Xavi begin revival projects with derby

Germany’s Nations League visit to the Netherlands on Thursday night kicks off a fresh chapter for both teams after disappointing World Cup campaigns. Jürgen Klopp, now Germany’s coach since July, set the tone with playful comments about his counterpart, Xavi Hernández, as he and Germany meet Xavi and the Dutch in Amsterdam. Klopp said the situation is similar because they met Monday and play Thursday, and joked that he knows more Dutch players personally. For Germany, the job is to rebuild momentum, while Klopp addressed media scrutiny concerns about his family. Xavi’s Netherlands start marks their first foreign coach since Ernst Happel in 1978. He faces limited squad flexibility but has recalled Joey Veerman and will keep Virgil van Dijk as captain.