Robin van Persie and Feyenoord star Quinten Timber did not see eye to eye and saw an argument begin to break out in the press after the team’s defeat on Sunday
Robin van Persie is involved in an altercation (Image: Marcel van Dorst/EYE4images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Former Arsenal and Manchester United striker Robin van Persie has been criticized by Feyenoord star Quinten Timber for failing to protect his players. Timber, the younger brother of Gunners full-back Julian, has asked the manager to give his opinion to his face.
Van Persie watched his side suffer a 4-3 defeat at Sparta Rotterdam on Sunday, leaving them 16 points behind Eredivisie leaders PSV. The 42-year-old scored the second goal for his son Shaquille, but Van Persie’s day was marred by defeat and off-field drama.
Feyenoord’s manager, who took over in February last year, criticized Timber, saying before the match that he had left him on the bench for “purely sporting reasons”. He added: “I look at training sessions, matches and how the players are playing their roles, especially their intentions.
“I think there’s a lot of room for improvement in some areas. I want our defense and attack to execute their duties with purpose. That’s how I judge them, and that’s why I’m choosing other players now.”
The Timbers weren’t happy with that assessment and fired back after the game. The Dutch star is already expected to leave the club and his relationship with supporters is strained, but he declared he had to speak out following Van Persie’s actions.
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“What the coach said, I think it’s unfortunate that something like this happened. It’s happened many times before where coaches don’t protect their players,” he said furiously. “It’s okay to have an opinion, but please say it to my face. This was the limit.”
Timber continued: “Everyone at the club knows that I give my all in the game and I did that today. If I have to play at right-back, I will do it for the team. You can put any player in front of the camera and they will say the same thing.”
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“It feels like a farce. It’s like I’m not doing anything. There’s a lot going on and there’s a lot of emotions involved, including the fans who aren’t happy with me. It’s never fun.
“My intention has always been that I’m not going to leave the club empty-handed. I want to leave the club, but let’s not pretend we’re not working or doing nothing. Everyone at the club knows that’s not the case.
Quinten Timber likely to leave Feyenoord (Image: Marcel van Dorst/EYE4images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“I’m sorry to hear you say this. It’s not the first time. I’ve let it go once or twice, but this time I’m standing up for myself.”
Van Persie further strengthened his position when asked about Timber’s comments.
Quinten Timber is set to leave Feyenoord before the January transfer window closes (Image: 2025 Rene Nijhuis/MB Media)
“If we determine that a player does not have the intention to carry out that duty, we will judge that based on training sessions and matches and make a selection based on the player having that intention,” he said.
“I always want to see that you have the intention to fight back. Sometimes you give bad passes, but I thought that was important. I’m not happy with that with Quinten. That’s why I choose others.”
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