Robin van Persie says he is looking forward to achieving success with Feyenoord following his appointment as head coach, Afrosport reports.
The former Netherlands forward took over from Brian Priske who was dismissed on February 10, with Pascal Bosschaart taking over on an interim basis, leading the team past AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League knockout playoffs.
Van Persie was previously at Heerenveen where he joined last summer and coached in the ongoing 2024-25 before Feyenoord approached him.
He was an attacking coach with the Rotterdam outfit between March 2020 and June 2021 before serving as a technical and youth coach between 2021 and 2024.
“Everyone knows how special my bond with Feyenoord is,” Van Persie told the club website.
“I am enormously looking forward, together with a strong staff, to working with the player group at 1908 and then in De Kuip, supported by the Legion, playing matches and achieving successes together.”
Feyenoord general manager Dennis te Kloese, reacting to Van Persie’s appointment said: “We are delighted that with Robin van Persie we can appoint a true club icon as the new coach of Feyenoord.
“Robin knows the club incredibly well and knows exactly what is needed to achieve results
“With his vast international experience, Robin can obviously help the players develop further here. Moreover, his soccer vision fits perfectly with what we have in mind at Feyenoord: attacking and well-kept soccer, combined with guts, intensity and fight.”
The next chapter starts here.
𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐧 𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐞, welcome home again! pic.twitter.com/mgaM8yl79e
— Feyenoord Rotterdam (@Feyenoord) February 23, 2025
Van Persie’s career as a player started at Feyenoord in 2001, scoring 46 goals and providing 16 assists in 122 competitive games before moving to Arsenal in 2004.
He will have Rene Hake as his assistant while Bosschaart will return to coach the U-21s.
His first game in charge will be at home against NEC Nijmegen in the Eredivisie on Saturday.
