Former Manchester United star Robin van Persie has been sacked as head coach of Feyenoord, despite guiding the club to a second-place finish in the Eredivisie last season.
Managerial tenure cut short
The ex-Manchester United striker was appointed as Feyenoord boss in February 2025, signing a contract that was set to run until 2027. However, the Rotterdam club have decided to make a change after falling well short in the title race. Feyenoord finished a massive 19 points behind runaway champions PSV Eindhoven, and their inconsistency throughout the season proved costly.
Van Persie's side endured a damaging dip in form around November and December, and they finished the campaign with just four wins in their final ten matches. This poor run increased the pressure on the Dutchman, who was also criticised for run-ins with players and constant tinkering with the team.
Club statement
Technical director Devy Rigaux said: "Robin van Persie has given everything for the club over the past 18 months. He deserves credit for guiding the team through a challenging season and ultimately securing second place. That ensured qualification for the UEFA Champions League, which is of great importance to the club."
Rigaux added: "We conducted a thorough internal evaluation in which we looked at several factors, including the development of the team's performances and the downward trend in points collected, both in Europe and in the Eredivisie. The conclusion was that it would be better to start the new season with a new head coach."
European struggles
Feyenoord were also eliminated from the Dutch Cup in the second round and won only two of their eight Europa League group matches. They only qualified for the Europa League after being heavily defeated by Fenerbahce in Champions League qualifying.
Raheem Sterling joined Feyenoord in January after being allowed to end his Chelsea exile, but Van Persie was unable to consistently get the best out of the English winger and had to defend some of his performances.
Van Persie's record
The former Netherlands international leaves Feyenoord with a 51 percent win record from his 58 matches in charge. Before taking over at Rotterdam, Van Persie began his managerial career at Heerenveen but failed to last the season there.
During his time as a player at Manchester United, Van Persie inspired the club to the Premier League title in the 2012-13 season, which remains their most recent top-flight success. He scored 58 goals in 105 appearances for United.
