Jurgen Klopp, Xavi, Zinedine Zidane: Profiling the Nations League managerial newcomers

Almost 12 weeks on from Spain lifting the 2026 World Cup, international football is back, with European nations preparing to battle it out in a new UEFA Nations League campaign over the September/October break.

While several familiar faces will be on show, the international landscape has also seen a fascinating changing of the guard in the dugout.

Indeed, three of football’s biggest heavyweights – Germany, the Netherlands and France – enter the tournament under the guidance of new high-profile managers ready to make their mark.

While excitement is building ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s first match as Germany boss, there is also plenty of intrigue around the appointments of Netherlands coach Xavi and France manager Zinedine Zidane among others on the continent.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at these three blockbuster tacticians embarking on new journeys this week.

Jurgen Klopp (Germany)

Widely embraced as the messianic saviour of a fractured national team, Jurgen Klopp will step onto the international stage for the first time to spearhead a new era for Germany.

After wrapping up his memorable nine-year spell at Liverpool in 2024 – where he won one Champions League trophy and ended the club’s 30-year drought to lift the Premier League title – Klopp stepped away from the dugout to serve as the Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull, starting in January 2025.

However, he left that corporate position in July 2026 when the national call answered his ultimate coaching ambition. "This is the pinnacle, the absolutely high point of my footballing career as coach. I will give everything I have got,” said Klopp following his appointment.

While the media and general public's initial reaction to his Red Bull move had drawn some domestic criticism, his appointment as national team boss has been met with euphoric fanfare from German supporters desperate for his trademark charisma and tactical genius on the touchline.

However, that initial goodwill faced immediate media pressure during his introductory press conference. Well aware of the intense media scrutiny that often compromised predecessors Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel, Klopp immediately laid down the law by threatening to quit if the media invaded his family's privacy.

Succeeding Nagelsmann, who resigned following a disappointing 2026 World Cup campaign, Klopp will attempt to instill an intense, vertical gegenpressing identity that the previous regime struggled to execute consistently.

He is uniquely qualified to build this culture, having famously engineered high-octane teams to achieve two Bundesliga titles with Borussia Dortmund before his heavy-metal, trophy-laden era at Anfield.

Klopp, who has named a mammoth 44-man squad this month, will make his highly-anticipated international debut on Thursday when Germany travel to Amsterdam to face the Netherlands in their opening League A Group 2 fixture.

Xavi (Netherlands)

A historic new era begins for Dutch football this week, as Xavi breaks a half-century tradition to become the nation's first foreign manager since the 1970s.

Having been out of the dugout since his departure from Barcelona in May 2024 – a year after steering his boyhood club to La Liga and Spanish Super Cup glory – the midfield icon took a two-year sabbatical before answering the call from Amsterdam.

While the decision initially raised eyebrows among traditionalist domestic pundits, the Dutch media and supporters have ultimately embraced the news with immense intrigue, fascinated by the romantic prospect of a Spanish purist restoring their native footballing ideals.

"I feel a special connection, an administrative and emotional link, to Dutch football through the teachings of Johan Cruyff," Xavi remarked during his first press conference.

Succeeding Ronald Koeman, who stepped down following the Oranje’s last-32 exit at the 2026 World Cup, Xavi is tasked with revitalising a Dutch squad that grew rigid and overly pragmatic under the previous management.

Not only has Xavi inherited a squad mixed with both youth and experience, it is also blessed with a plethora of Premier League-based stars and other players who compete across Europe’s top divisions.

Thursday's blockbuster opener against Klopp’s Germany promises to be a true baptism of fire for Xavi, before the Netherlands face Greece and Serbia twice in League A Group 2.

Zinedine Zidane (France)

One of French football's most eagerly-anticipated appointments became official in July when Zinedine Zidane was unveiled as the 17th head coach of Les Bleus.

The 54-year-old is widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders in football history, most notably inspiring France to 1998 World Cup glory and winning the Ballon d’Or in the same year.

Zidane also boasts an exceptional managerial CV after winning two La Liga titles and three consecutive Champions League trophies across two memorable spells as Real Madrid boss.

After five years away from management and turning down “several offers from clubs”, Zidane is ready to receive the baton from former teammate Didier Deschamps, whose monumental 14-year reign drew to a close following a bitter semi-final exit at the 2026 World Cup.

"I've always seen the France national team in the view of a fan, but also as a future manager. That's the reason why I didn't take on a new club team,” Zidane told reporters. “I told myself that the only thing I wanted to do after Real Madrid was the French national team.”

Possessing the aura and composure to handle highest-stakes dressing rooms, Zidane's arrival has injected a wave of optimism into a footballing nation desperate to reclaim its place at the absolute summit of international football.

Rather than imposing a dogmatic, unyielding philosophy, Zidane will bring a masterclass in man-management, tactical fluidity and tournament pragmatism designed to empower his individual superstars including Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise.

Zidane’s first game in charge of France – ranked third in the world by FIFA – will take place on Friday when Les Bleus travel to Kocaeli Stadyumu to face Turkey in their opening League A Group 1 fixture.

Who else will make management debut in Nations League?

Nations League holders Portugal have a new man at the helm in Jorge Jesus. The experienced former Al-Hilal boss steps into international management for the first time at 72 years old, replacing Roberto Martinez, and is tasked with integrating 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo into his new system.

Euro 2020 winner Roberto Mancini has returned to Italy for a second stint following a brief spell with Saudi Arabia, and his first match back at the helm will see him come up against debuting international manager Mark van Bommel, who left Royal Antwerp to take the reins at Belgium.

Another manager returning to the international stage is Croatia’s Slaven Bilic, 14 years after his initial six-year reign ended in 2012. His opening match on Saturday is against Santi Denia, who has made history as Czechia's first foreign coach having previously honed his craft with Spain’s youth sides from Under-17 to Under-23 level.