Competition in European national team football is no longer limited to stars who make a difference on the pitch, as the excitement has also moved to the coaches' benches, which will feature big names in the new season who have made a prominent history for themselves with clubs and national teams.
Eyes are particularly drawn to three coaches embarking on a new phase in their careers: Frenchman Zinedine Zidane with the French national team, German Jürgen Klopp with Germany, and Spaniard Xavi Hernández with the Netherlands, in a scene that adds an exceptional character to the 2026-2027 Nations League competitions.
Zidane begins his mission with the French national team, succeeding Didier Deschamps, as he revealed his first squad which saw the call-up of five new players, a move that reflects the coach's direction towards discovering new talent and building a team capable of competing in upcoming tournaments.
Zidane's official debut with "Les Bleus" will be against Turkey on September 25, before facing Belgium and then Italy, with a rematch against Belgium in October.
Zidane's return to the French national team carries great significance, after his name was linked for years to the most prominent pages of French football, whether as a player or a coach, before he finally got the chance to lead the senior team. Zidane hopes to leverage his vast experience to build a new generation, with Kylian Mbappé continuing to wear the captain's armband.
In Germany, Jürgen Klopp is embarking on a completely different experience, after deciding to move into the world of national team coaching following a career full of success with clubs.
The German coach signed a four-year contract with the German Football Association, to continue his mission with the national team until Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup, in a long-term project through which he seeks to rebuild the team and compete for major titles.
Klopp announced his first squad, which included 44 players divided into two groups in preparation for four Nations League matches. Germany begins its campaign with a match against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on September 24, then faces Greece, before facing Serbia and Greece again during October.
On the other hand, Xavi Hernández begins his first experience with national teams after taking charge of the Dutch national team on a contract extending until the 2030 World Cup finals.
The Spanish coach has outlined the features of his project from the outset, emphasizing his desire to build a team that relies on possession, initiative, and playmaking, while stressing that the team's interests will always come before any individual considerations.
The exclusion of Memphis Depay from Xavi's first squad was one of his most prominent early decisions, while he decided to keep Virgil van Dijk as captain of the Dutch national team.
Xavi faces his first test against Germany on September 24 in the Nations League, a match that gives him an early opportunity to measure the extent to which his tactical ideas can manifest with the national team.
Despite the different experiences of the three coaches, the common thread between them is the transition to a new phase with entirely different challenges. Zidane knows the French national team and the details of French football from the inside, while Klopp is having his first experience with national teams after many years of work with clubs, while Xavi seeks to transfer his philosophy based on possession and build-up play to the Dutch national team.
From here emerges one of the most important stories of the new season's Nations League, as the competition is not limited to points and results, but extends to a tactical battle between different footballing schools led by three of the most prominent coaching names in world football.
As the starting whistle approaches, the Germany vs. Netherlands match will be one of the most prominent early tests for these new projects, while the French public awaits Zidane's debut at the helm of the national team.
With these new ventures beginning, the coming years will reveal the extent of Zidane, Klopp, and Xavi's success in transforming their vast club experience into integrated projects capable of competing with national teams, especially with the proximity of several major continental and world events.