Feyenoord officially parted ways with manager Robin van Persie after a 16-month stint.
Despite successfully guiding the Rotterdam giants to a second-place finish and a qualification spot in the UEFA Champions League, the club’s board opted to dismiss the Dutch icon following a season plagued by inconsistent domestic performances.
The decision marks a swift end to his managerial tenure, which began in February 2025 when he took over from Brian Priske.
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While his spell had promising moments, most notably a strong opening to the 2025-26 campaign, the club’s momentum stalled during a frustrating run of just 3 wins in 14 games across all competitions between October and January.
Ultimately, his failure to challenge PSV for the Eredivisie title and early exits in both European competitions and the Dutch Cup led to growing discontent among the fanbase.
Van Persie’s dismissal follows the appointment of a new general manager, Robert Eenhoorn, and technical director Devy Rigaux at the club.
“Robin van Persie has given everything for the club in the past 1.5 years,” Rigaux said in a statement on Feyenoord’s website.
“He certainly deserves credit for ending a difficult season with second place in the end. With that, Champions League football was secured, which is, of course, very important.
“We have conducted a thorough analysis. We have included the development of the game delivered and the downward trend in terms of points, both in Europe and the Eredivisie.
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“The conclusion was that it would be better to start next season with a new head coach.”
The Dutchman had a brief spell in charge of Heerenveen before being lured back to Feyenoord last year.
Van Persie initially earned his managerial stripes within the Rotterdam-based giants’ youth set-up after hanging up his boots.
He was also a technical coach while Arne Slot, who was sacked by Liverpool last month, was in the hot seat.
