Robin van Persie has been sacked as Feyenoord head coach after 15 months in the role.
The former Arsenal and Manchester United striker was appointed at his boyhood club, where he began his playing career, in February 2025 and recorded a second-place finish in this season’s Eredivisie — the Dutch top division.
Feyenoord technical director Devy Rigaux said it was a “difficult decision” to part company with the 42-year-old, who won 30 of his 58 matches in charge.
“He deserves credit for guiding the team through a challenging season and ultimately securing second place,” said Rigaux, who noted the “great importance” of qualification for next season’s Champions League for the Rotterdam club.
Feyenoord parts ways with Robin van Persie
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. pic.twitter.com/P9UkuUGUnv
— Feyenoord Rotterdam (@Feyenoord) June 7, 2026
“We noted 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.”
Prior to last season, Feyenoord had recorded a top-two league finishes in just two of the previous 11 campaigns, but they did finish 19 points behind champions PSV Eindhoven.
The Dutch side were also eliminated in the third qualifying round of the Champions League by Turkish club Fenerbahce, before winning two and losing six of their Europa League league phase games, seeing them eliminated in 29th place of the 36-team table.
Van Persie managed former England winger Raheem Stirling as he tried to resurrect his career, but he did not score in his eight appearances for the club to date.
The striker retired from playing at Feyenoord in 2019, having scored 144 goals in 280 Premier League appearances for Arsenal and Manchester United, as well as spending time at Fenerbahce before returning to Rotterdam.
The former Netherlands international transitioned to coaching at Feyenoord, with roles at first-team and youth level before taking the reins at Heerenveen.
