Feyenoord manager Robin van Persie sacked after 16 months in charge

Feyenoord have sacked manager Robin van Persie after just 16 months in charge of the Eredivisie Dutch club.

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The former Arsenal and Manchester United striker guided the club to a second-place finish and Champions League qualification in his only full season as manager, though they finished 19 points behind winners PSV Eindhoven.

The 42-year-old departs just two weeks after Devy Rigaux’s appointment as technical director and Robert Eenhoorn as general manager.

“Robin van Persie has given everything for the club over the past 1.5 years. He certainly deserves credit for concluding a difficult season with a final second-place finish. This secured Champions League football, which is of course very important,” said Rigaux.

“We conducted a thorough internal analysis. In this, we took into account, among other things, the development of the style of play and the declining trend in terms of points total, both in Europe and in the Eredivisie.

“The conclusion was that it is better to start the next season with a new head coach.”

Van Persie had two spells as a player at Feyenoord, at the start and end of his career, scoring 46 goals in 122 appearances for the Rotterdam club.

After retiring, he became assistant coach under Dick Advocaat and worked with their youth teams.

He left to take charge of Heerenveen in May 2024 but returned to Feyenoord nine months later.

The former striker spent eight years at Arsenal from 2004 and helped them to win the FA Cup before joining Manchester United in 2012, where he won the Premier League in his first season at the club.