Feyenoord fans call for Robin van Persie to be fired

When Robin van Persie returned to De Kuip in February 2025 to take the helm at Feyenoord, it felt like the ultimate homecoming.

The legendary striker, who immortalized himself at Manchester United by firing them to their 20th league title with 26 goals in a single season, brought with him a pedigree few could match.

Before stepping into the Feyenoord dugout, he had cut his teeth as a youth coach in Rotterdam and spent a brief, mixed stint managing Heerenveen.

Van Persie made headlines by handing his son, Shaqueel van Persie, his professional debut—a move that drew sharp criticism after Shaqueel’s subsequent outings coincided with a dip in team performance and the serious injury recently picked up by the youngster.

However, his romantic return has recently been clouded by accusations of nepotism and poor results.

The numbers tell a sobering story.

Feyenoord currently sits in 2nd place in the Eredivisie, but they are a staggering 14 points adrift of leaders PSV, having played one game more.

Their form over the last six matches has been erratic with two wins, two draws, and two losses.

Coming off a bruising 3-0 defeat to PSV, the pressure has reached a breaking point, leading to the scenes witnessed this past Sunday.

The frustration in Rotterdam has officially boiled over, according to Voetbal Primeur.

During Sunday’s away fixture against FC Utrecht, traveling fans transformed the visitors’ section into a gallery of grievances, unfurling a series of banners targeting the club’s leadership from top to bottom.

As the match kicked off, the stands displayed pointed messages including “Mismanagement,” “RVC out,” “RVP out,” and “Dennis out.”

The “Dennis” in question refers to General Manager Dennis te Kloese.

The situation surrounding Te Kloese has turned particularly volatile; following the defeat to PSV, he was subjected to phone harassment and threats.

This weekend’s display is part of a growing trend of vocal dissent.

The supporters have consistently used banners to voice their fears throughout the season: “With this vision, we’ll soon be playing in the KK Divisie. Feyenoord, the biggest amateur club in the Netherlands.”

Against Sturm Graz: “We’re back to square one: incompetent, from management to staff.”

Interestingly, the chaos in the stands didn’t immediately derail the players.

Despite the external pressure, the team remained largely untroubled, barring a single opportunity conceded to Gjivai Zechiël.