Guardiola has been out of a job since stepping down as Manchester City manager following the 2025/26 season.
Nigel de Jong, former Manchester City midfielder and current Director of Elite Football at the KNVB, revealed in an interview with Dutch news outlet NOS that Guardiola was the dream candidate to succeed the resigned Ronald Koeman, but that a deal was out of the question and he had to move on quickly.
"We realised quite early on that he wanted to take a sabbatical, and (Arne) Slot was next on the list," De Jong said.
Slot, long rumoured to be the top candidate, passed on the job because he preferred to stay a club coach, with De Jong confirming that he had no more than two meetings with Slot.
"We have to respect that. We didn’t discuss the contract length at all. The conversation focused entirely on the substance, his vision and what sort of coach he is."
Another name that was often mentioned was that of PSV manager Peter Bosz, who extended his contract with the reigning Eredivisie champions in May and was never a real candidate: "Peter is a brilliant coach, but we looked at his profile, qualities and availability. We drew up the shortlist based on that."
'Xavi is the best choice'
The search for the new Netherlands manager was down to two names: Michael Reiziger, whom De Jong met along with supervisory board member Clarence Seedorf for an extensive talk, and Xavi Hernandez.
Michael Reiziger is currently the Netherlands U21 manager and was in serious contention for the job: "We view him from the organisation’s perspective. And there was a good reason why we brought him on board three years ago," De Jong said.
"Firstly, because he has the potential to develop. And secondly, because we saw him as a potential national team manager. To this day, I hold Michael in very high regard. He knows that too. We believe he can become a successful coach and a potential national team manager in the future."
In the end, De Jong and the KNVB hired former Barcelona great Xavi Hernandez, whom they admired for his intangibles.
"For his passion, the dominance he exudes, and his experience as a manager from his two previous jobs. But apart from that, I think he has the personality to get to the boys in a certain way and embrace the football culture and identity we like to see embraced in the Dutch national team."
In his opening statement as Netherlands manager, Xavi underlined how he wants his team to play and honour Dutch football heritage.
"The Netherlands has a rich football culture and a clear vision that really appeals to me: attacking football, based on possession, with creativity, passion, and conviction,” said Xavi, who's been a vocal admirer and follower of Johan Cruyff throughout his career.
“Of course, the most important goal is and always will be to win, but I prefer to do so in a way that reflects those characteristics and that people can enjoy. The potential is there, as is a solid foundation to build on. I look forward to taking on this challenge together with the players, the staff, and everyone at the KNVB.”
Xavi will officially be presented on Tuesday, August 25th, with a press conference at the KNVB headquarters in Zeist. The Spaniard's first official match as Netherlands manager will be on September 24th, when they'll face Germany in the UEFA Nations League.