Shortly before the World Cup kicked off, Feyenoord Rotterdam moved forward with its plans for the future—and fired coach Robin van Persie.
In the Dutch Eredivisie, once again this season, no team could stand up to PSV Eindhoven. The defending champions finished with 84 points—a full 19 (!) points ahead of their closest “rival,” Feyenoord. The club was so dissatisfied with the season’s results that exactly three weeks after the final matchday, head coach Robin van Persie was forced to clear out his locker. The runners-up officially announced this on Sunday evening.
It was a “difficult decision” to dismiss the former world-class striker, as Feyenoord’s Technical Director Devy Rigaux openly admitted. “He deserves credit for ultimately finishing a difficult season in second place,” Rigaux emphasized. However, a “thorough” analysis led to the conclusion “that it is better for us to start next season with a new head coach.” The historic Rotterdam club has not yet revealed who that will be.
Van Persie had failed to win over the bosses on a lasting basis. First, his team failed to advance in the final qualifying round for the Champions League—and then disappointed across the board in the group stage of the Europa League with six losses in eight games. The early exit from the Dutch Cup and disappointing results in key Eredivisie matches further solidified the decision by club officials.
Return to his hometown
“Among other things, we took into account the development of the team’s performances and the downward trend in points earned both in Europe and in the Eredivisie,” Rigaux explained the decision-making process.
Van Persie had taken over the position in his hometown at the end of February 2025. The 102-time Dutch international had started his professional career at Feyenoord in 2001—and finally ended it there in 2019.