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E-mail Xinhua, February 24, 2025
Dutch soccer club Feyenoord announced on Sunday that former player Robin van Persie has been appointed as head coach with immediate effect.
Van Persie, 42, joins from SC Heerenveen, succeeding Brian Priske, who was dismissed on February 10 due to 'inconsistent results and a lack of chemistry'. In the interim, youth coach Pascal Bosschaart had been leading the team.
Van Persie, all-time top scorer of the Netherlands' national team with 50 goals, has signed a contract until mid-2027. Feyenoord has also brought in Rene Hake as an assistant coach. Hake previously served as assistant to Erik ten Hag at Manchester United before Ten Hag's dismissal in October last year.
"We are delighted to appoint a true club icon as Feyenoord's new head coach," said general manager Dennis te Kloese in a press release. "Robin knows this club inside and out and understands exactly what is needed to achieve success."
Born in Rotterdam, Van Persie rose through Feyenoord's youth academy before making his first-team debut in the 2001-02 season at 18, and helping the team win that year's UEFA Cup.
In 2004, he moved to Arsenal, where he became one of the world's top strikers. He later won the Premier League with Manchester United before winding down his playing career at Turkey's Fenerbahce and, finally, Feyenoord in 2019.
Over a year after retiring, Van Persie began his coaching career at Feyenoord, working as a specialist trainer and leading the Under-16, Under-18, and Under-19 teams in the UEFA Youth League.
In summer 2024, he took on his first head coaching role at SC Heerenveen. While results were mixed, including a 9-1 defeat to AZ and a current ninth-place standing in the Eredivisie, his attacking style of play drew attention.
"Everyone knows how special my bond with Feyenoord is," Van Persie said in a press release. "I'm incredibly excited to work with this group of players, supported by our fans, and to build success together."
Van Persie faces major challenges as he takes charge of Feyenoord. The club is currently third in the Eredivisie, trailing Ajax and PSV, and is set to face Inter Milan in the Champions League round of 16 in March.
