Robin van Persie Poised for Management Role at Feyenoord, Reports Suggest

Reports suggest that Robin van Persie (41) is on the verge of taking the managerial position at Feyenoord after the Rotterdam club reached out to sc Heerenveen, according to Dutch media.

Various sources, including the usually trustworthy Voetbal International and Leeuwarder Courant, indicated on Wednesday that Feyenoord intends to appoint Van Persie immediately. The team has been without a head coach since Danish manager Brian Priske was dismissed on February 10 and recently secured a place in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 by eliminating AC Milan.

Van Persie began his professional journey at Feyenoord, the 16-time Dutch champions, in 2001 before making a move to Arsenal in 2004. After his stints with the Gunners, Manchester United, and Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahce, Van Persie returned to Feyenoord in 2018. During his one and a half seasons in Rotterdam, he found the back of the net 25 times and lifted the KNVB Cup.

Following his retirement as the Netherlands’ top goalscorer, Van Persie transitioned into coaching, starting as the striker’s coach for the senior squad. Having initially begun as an assistant with the U16 team—where his son Shaqueel played—he progressed to the U18s alongside head coach Brian Pinas in the summer of 2023.

The Eredivisie club sc Heerenveen appointed Van Persie the following year after he impressed as a coach with Feyenoord’s U18 during the UEFA Youth League. Now, with Heerenveen, he is striving for a position in the playoffs for European football and is currently placed ninth in the Eredivisie, holding 27 points from 23 matches.

If Van Persie takes up the position, the former Premier League star may potentially come up against Arsenal, his old club, in the Champions League round of 16.