Robin van Persie’s very short coaching career has been marked with bold calls, and it will be no different at Feyenoord.
The former goalscoring great made headlines with his unusual attacking tactics at Heerenveen that he stuck with through thick and thin, and they earned him the Feyenoord job where he excelled in his half-season to start 2025.
Now heading into his first full season, Van Persie’s Feyenoord got the ball rolling with an impressive 2-1 victory over Fenerbahce in Champions League qualifying.
There was another shock from the former Arsenal and Manchester United man, though, his stripping of the captain’s armband from who many consider the team’s best player – Quinten Timber.
Asked to explain the very bold call post match, Van Persie said it was due to Timber having one year left on his contract and not signing a new one.
“Our choice has nothing to do with us being dissatisfied with Quinten,” he said.
“He’s one of the leaders of our team. You have to see it as a large group of leaders, in which we now choose Sem Steijn, Anis Hadj Moussa, and Givairo Read as our first captains.
“That has nothing to do with us not being satisfied with other players.
“You look for several things in a captain. You’re also talking about a sense of commitment to the club, someone who maintains the team culture.
“Quinten has one year left on his contract, so that also plays a role. If Timber had already extended his contract, that would have influenced this decision, yes.
“I don’t want him to leave at all. With him, we have a better chance of becoming champions than without him.
“We’ve just seen that again. It’s also his right not to want to renew his contract. He can decide that for himself.”
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