Feyenoord Coaching Reset
Feyenoord fires Robin van Persie despite Eredivisie second place, targets new foreign coach
Anonymous
Feyenoord has dismissed head coach Robin van Persie after a 15-month stint, despite finishing second in the Eredivisie and securing direct qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League. Reports cited a broader decline in results across domestic and European competition, including failure in Champions League qualification and a disappointing Europa League phase, alongside internal concerns about playing style, team development, and potential friction with squad and the club’s new leadership. Under the newly appointed directors Robert Eenhoorn and Devy Rigaux, the club is now targeting a foreign top coach as van Persie remains bound to his contract until July 2027. Among the leading names on the shortlist is Austrian Oliver Glasner, while Arne Slot and Walid Regragui have also been discussed as high-profile possibilities. A tier below those “dream” options, Dutch media has pointed to Dick Schreuder, whose NEC Nijmegen run included a first-ever Champions League appearance. Overall, the decisions and candidate discussions signal Feyenoord’s push to reset its sporting project with a coach aligned to the incoming executive direction.
Key Points
1
In explaining the decision, Feyenoord technical director Dévy Rigaux cited a “downward trend in points collected, both in Europe and in the Eredivisie,” adding that the club concluded “it would be better to start the new season with a new head coach.”
2
Despite finishing second domestically, Feyenoord were 19 points behind champions PSV Eindhoven; across Europe, their Europa League ended with elimination in the league phase in 29th place.
3
Van Persie’s record also included earlier European disappointment: Feyenoord were eliminated from the Champions League third qualifying round by Turkish side Fenerbahçe, and the club’s KNVB Cup run ended in an early exit.
4
Dutch reporting described not just broad “friction,” but specific day-to-day issues: concerns about playing style and team development were paired with reports of tensions with key players, constant changes to the starting lineup, and disagreements with the club’s new sporting leadership structure led by Rigaux and Robert Eenhoorn.
5
Among the more realistic coach options, Dick Schreuder has publicly insisted he will stay in Nijmegen—writing that he would “100% certainly” remain—while one report highlighted NEC’s “fantastic, attractive” attacking brand, likened to Jurgen Klopp’s “rock-’n’-roll” style at Liverpool.
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