New Netherlands coach Xavi Hernandez vowed on Tuesday to bring back the attacking footballing philosophy that the Oranje are famous for, believing that this will bring the team out of the doldrums in terms of results.

Matthijs de Ligt will miss the Netherlands' World Cup campaign after undergoing back surgery to address an injury that has kept him out since November.

The setting was the iconic San Siro in Milan, where two fierce rivals -- West Germany and the Netherlands -- met in a high-stakes round of 16 clash. Laden with the weight of history and footballing supremacy, the encounter carried an air of simmering hostility long before kickoff.

Memphis Depay became the Netherlands' all-time top goalscorer with a brace in their 3-2 win in Lithuania in World Cup qualifying on Sunday.

Chelsea signed teenage Netherlands defender Jorrel Hato from Ajax in a deal worth a reported £37 million ($49 million) on Sunday.

Former Dutch international Quincy Promes is to resume his career in the United Arab Emirates where he is fighting extradition to the Netherlands after being sentenced to six years in prison in absentia for drug trafficking.

Atletico Madrid have signed Memphis Depay from LaLiga rivals Barcelona, the two clubs said on Friday, with the Netherlands forward penning a 2-1/2 year contract.

Dick Advocaat gets off to a winning start as the Netherlands keeps their slim hopes of qualifying for next year's World Cup alive with a 5-0 win over Luxembourg.

Danny Blind was sacked as Netherlands coach on Sunday after a 2-0 defeat to Bulgaria left the team's chances of reaching the World Cup finals hanging by the slenderest of threads.