News Focus
- Feyenoord terminate Robin van Persie’s contract after 16 months as head coach
- The Dutch club finished second in the Eredivisie last season, 19 points behind champions PSV
- New technical director Devy Rigaux and general manager Robert Eenhoorn oversaw the decision
- Club cites declining performance trends and playing style concerns as reasons for dismissal
- Van Persie previously won the FA Cup with Arsenal and Premier League with Manchester United as a player
Dutch club Feyenoord have removed Robin van Persie from his position as manager. The decision comes just 16 months after the former striker took charge of the Rotterdam outfit.
Van Persie guided the team to a second-place finish in the Eredivisie during his only full campaign. This result secured Champions League football for the club. However, they finished 19 points behind league winners PSV Eindhoven.
The sacking follows recent changes in the boardroom. Devy Rigaux joined as technical director and Robert Eenhoorn became general manager only two weeks ago.
Rigaux praised the 42-year-old’s efforts. He stated that Van Persie worked very hard for the club during his 18 months there. He said the manager deserves praise for ending a tough season in second place. This position guaranteed Champions League matches, which the club values highly.
However, the club carried out a detailed internal review. They looked at how the team’s playing style developed and the drop in points across both European and domestic competitions.
The board decided that appointing a new coach before next season would benefit the team, Rigaux explained.
Van Persie played for Feyenoord twice during his career. He scored 46 goals in 122 matches for the club. After retiring, he worked as an assistant to Dick Advocaat and coached youth teams.
He briefly managed Heerenveen in 2024 before returning to Feyenoord nine months later. As a player, he spent eight years at Arsenal and won the FA Cup. He then joined Manchester United in 2012 and lifted the Premier League trophy in his first year there.