Dutch club Feyenoord have announced the departure of head coach Robin van Persie, confirming that the team will begin the 2026/27 campaign under new leadership.
In a brief statement released on its X handle on Sunday, the Rotterdam-based club said, “Feyenoord will start the 2026-2027 season with a new head coach. The club would like to thank Robin van Persie for everything he gave during his time as head coach.”
Van Persie, who returned to his boyhood club as head coach in February 2025 on a contract running until 2027, leaves after guiding Feyenoord to a second-place finish in the Eredivisie and qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
Explaining the decision, Feyenoord’s newly appointed technical director, Devy Rigaux, said, “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.”
Rigaux added, “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.”
The decision comes despite Van Persie leading Feyenoord to second place in the Dutch top flight, although the club finished 19 points behind champions PSV Eindhoven and endured an inconsistent campaign.
The 42-year-old former Netherlands, Arsenal and Manchester United striker won 30 of his 58 matches in charge during his 16-month spell at the helm.
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