Feyenoord parts ways with Robin van Persie

Dutch Eredivisie side Feyenoord has officially parted ways with club legend Robin van Persie, who had been at the helm for 16 months. The contract of the 42-year-old manager was terminated following criticism regarding the team's style of play and dropped points, despite finishing the season with a Champions League qualification. In a statement, the club said, "We have concluded that it would be better to start the new season with a new head coach."

The Feyenoord adventure for Robin van Persie, who returned to De Kuip—where he grew up in the youth academy and retired from football—as head coach in February 2025 with high hopes, ended sooner than expected. The Dutch giant's new management and technical staff made a radical decision following a performance report reviewed at the end of the season.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFICATION NOT ENOUGH TO SAVE HIS SEAT

Feyenoord finished the season in 2nd place with 65 points in a campaign dominated by their arch-rivals PSV Eindhoven, securing direct qualification for the UEFA Champions League. However, this success was not enough to bridge the deep cracks within the club.

The main reasons behind the separation were listed as follows:

Decline in points performance: Technical Director Dévy Rigaux stated that the points collected by the team were inconsistent both in Europe (elimination by Fenerbahçe in the Champions League qualifiers and the Europa League process) and in the league.

Dressing room crises: According to reports in the Dutch press, Van Persie's ties with many senior players were severed, most notably with captain Quinten Timber, who left the team suddenly in January to transfer to Marseille.

Raheem Sterling transfer fiasco: The fact that English star Raheem Sterling, who was brought to the team with high hopes during the winter break, produced only 1 assist in 8 matches, combined with tactical instability, increased the level of criticism.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM MANAGEMENT: "IT WAS A DIFFICULT DECISION"

Feyenoord Technical Director Dévy Rigaux made the following remarks regarding the termination of the club legend's tenure:

"Robin van Persie gave everything for the club over the last 1.5 years. His contribution to finishing a difficult season in second place and securing the vital Champions League ticket for our club cannot be ignored; we thank him.

However, we conducted a detailed internal evaluation where we analyzed many factors, including the development of our style of play and the downward trend in the standings both in Europe and the Eredivisie. As a result, we decided that it would be best to start the new season with a new head coach."

ROBIN VAN PERSIE'S FEYENOORD RECORD

The young manager did not have a statistically poor record on the Feyenoord bench following his stint at Heerenveen, but the high expectations ultimately led to his departure.

Matches managed: 58

Wins: 30

Points per game: 1.71

News Source: 12punto