Feyenoord has also recruited René Hake to join Feyenoord 1 as assistant coach. Hake gained extensive experience over the past 20 years as trainer and assistant coach at FC Emmen, PEC Zwolle, FC Twente, SC Cambuur, FC Utrecht, Go Ahead Eagles and Manchester United. Hake also signed with Feyenoord until mid-2027.

'We are delighted that with Robin van Persie we can appoint a true club icon as the new coach of Feyenoord 1,' said general manager Dennis te Kloese. '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. To support him as a coach in transferring this vision we have found a very experienced assistant in René Hake, who will also strengthen the technical staff with immediate effect,' said Te Kloese.

'Robin's arrival means that interim coach Pascal Bosschaart will resume his old role as coach of Feyenoord Under 21 after yesterday's Eredivisie match against Almere City FC,' Te Kloese continued. 'In recent weeks Pascal has done a fantastic job, for which we are incredibly grateful. That Feyenoord managed to qualify for the eighth finals of the UEFA Champions League is a great achievement by the entire staff and player group. We are very grateful to Pascal that as a true clubman he was immediately willing to step in when we called on him.'

Robin van Persie himself says he is 'proud and honored' with his appointment. 'Everyone knows how special my bond with Feyenoord is. 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.'

As a “product” of Varkenoord, Van Persie has belonged to the Feyenoord family for almost thirty years. As early as the age of 18, the left-footed striker made his debut for the first team in the 2001-2002 season. That year he was hardly imaginable from the main squad and, as a starting player, experienced one of the club's absolute highlights with the winning of the UEFA Cup in his own Kuip.

After spreading his wings to Arsenal F.C., Van Persie grows into one of the best strikers in the world. He created a furor in England at both Arsenal and Manchester United, with whom he won the Premier League, and, as the Dutch national team's attacking leader, also achieved appealing results with the Dutch national team. In January 2018, after an adventure at Fenerbahçe, he returned to the old nest at Feyenoord, winning the TOTO KNVB Cup and the Johan Cruijff Schaal with his club. After concluding his career at De Kuip, Van Persie soon turned his attention to coaching. At Varkenoord, he takes his first steps in that new role, but also immediately plays a role at 1908 as specialist coach of the Feyenoord 1 attacking line.

Van Persie, who until last summer worked at Varkenoord as trainer of Feyenoord Under 18 and the stadium club's UEFA Youth League team, is now returning to Rotterdam as head coach after a period as head coach at sc Heerenveen. Video analyst Yöri Bosschaart, who accompanied Van Persie to Heerenveen, also returns to Feyenoord in RvP's wake.

The Feyenoord 1 staff will soon consist of head coach Robin van Persie, assistants René Hake, Etienne Reijnen and John de Wolf, and goalkeeper coach Jyri Nieminen. Feyenoord is in talks with Brian Pinas to return as well.

Robin van Persie will be officially presented to the media next Monday, Feb. 24, at 3:30 p.m. ET. The presentation will be broadcast live on Feyenoord ONE.