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After a rather unexpected and stellar win against AC Milan in the Champions League round of 16 playoff tie, Dutch side Feyenoord is all set to appoint former player Robin van Persie as their new head coach. Van Persie is set to sign a two-year deal until 2027, according to David Ornstein.
The decision came in after Feyenoord recently sacked its head coach Brian Friske, just two days before their important first leg fixture against AC Milan in the UCL. Friske, who was appointed as the manager at the start of the season, as a replacement to Arne Slot, current Liverpool coach, couldn’t deliver the results expected out of him at the club. Friske ended his short stint at Feyenoord with a win percentage of 54.5 from his 33 matches in charge.
Robin van Persie who handled managerial duties at Feyenoord previously in their youth setup is set to return to his boyhood club to take over as head coach. Feyenoord will have to pay compensation to Eredivisie’s side Heerenveen where Van Persie was under contract till the end of the season.
Tough challenge ahead for Robin van Persie at Feyenoord
While it will be a big boost for Van Persie in his managerial career, signing at Feyenoord will bring its own set of challenges. The latest one will be Feyenoord’s game in the round of 16 in the UCL where their potential opponents could be Arsenal.
The possible outing will be specifically special for Robin van Persie as he would return to face his former club at the Emirates Stadium. This potential UCL fixture could see Robin van Persie stepping into the Emirates Stadium once again; in a rather hostile environment as Arsenal could be even more motivated to defeat Feyenoord.
Notably, in 2012, the striker left the Gunners to join the Red Devils, an arch-rival for Arsenal in the Premier League. He even went on to win the Premier League title with Manchester United in the 2012-2013 season.
Only time will tell how well Robin van Persie does at Feyenoord in a managerial role but players and fans alike will hope that this could be the start of a solid tenure for the Dutch side.
