Feyenoord's Dévy Rigaux triggers coach change and transfer push

Feyenoord dismissed Robin van Persie as head coach, appointing former Club Brugge director Dévy Rigaux as technical director. The move sparked criticism from former Dutch internationals Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart, who called the decision “shocking” and “a disgrace”. Rigaux now faces pressure to replace Van Persie while steering the club’s sporting policy.

The club’s search for a new manager has focused on high‑profile candidates such as Oliver Glasner, Kjetil Knutsen and Wouter Vrancken, with former Feyenoord legend Jan Boskamp praising Rigaux’s decisiveness. Discussions centre on finding a coach capable of delivering Eredivisie and Champions League results while fitting the Rotterdam philosophy.

In parallel, Rigaux is pushing a major Belgian transfer, targeting midfielder Charles Vanhoutte from OGC Nice. The planned signing is presented as a “top‑flight” move to strengthen the squad for the upcoming Champions League campaign and to challenge rivals such as PSV.