Pep Guardiola is currently staying away from coaching, following his departure from his position as Manchester City’s head coach at the end of last season, after spending ten years at the Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola appears keen to continue his break for now, as the Spanish manager has declined to coach the Italian national team in recent times.
However, Italy was not the only national team that Guardiola turned down. Nigel de Jong, the sporting director of the Royal Dutch Football Association, revealed that the Spanish manager was the top candidate to take charge of the Dutch national team before the decision was made to appoint Xavi Hernandez.
The Royal Dutch Football Association appointed Xavi Hernandez as the new national team coach, succeeding Ronald Koeman, who left his position after the Oranje’s elimination in the Round of 32 at the World Cup.
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De Jong said in remarks reported by 'tribalfootball': 'We realized early on that Guardiola wanted to take a break, and then signing Arne Slot was our second option.'
De Jong also discussed negotiations with former Liverpool manager Arne Slot, who declined to coach the Dutch national team and wishes to continue managing clubs.
De Jong added regarding the negotiations with Slot: 'We must respect his decision. We did not discuss the length of the contract with Slot at all; the conversation between us was entirely focused on his vision as a coach and his ideas.'
Regarding the signing of Xavi, De Jong concluded: 'We signed Xavi for his great passion and dominance, as well as his extensive coaching experience gained from his previous two roles. In addition, I believe he has the right personality to connect with the players, and he embodies the identity we want to see in the Dutch national team.'
The Royal Dutch Football Association hopes that Xavi will put the Dutch national team back on the right track, as the former midfielder’s contract with the Oranje runs until 2030.
