Erik ten Hag turning down the chance to take charge of Feyenoord opened the door for Manchester United icon Robin van Persie and René Hake to get the job instead.
That’s according to Algemeen Dagblad, who report that there was very much a Manchester United theme to Feyenoord’s hunt for a new manager.
They explain that Ten Hag was high on the list for Feyenoord director Dennis te Kloese, who believed that the former Manchester United boss could raise the bar at the club once again.
However, he turned out to not be a feasible option as he only wants to think about a return to work in April following his departure from Old Trafford. There is also a good chance that his next job will be abroad.
That led Te Kloese to turn to Van Persie, who also happens to be represented by SEG, the same agency that manage Ten Hag. They also dealt with René Hake’s move to Manchester United last summer.
A quick conversation followed, and the deal was done, with Hake seen as a smart appointment alongside Van Persie thanks to his experience. He can help ‘provide balance’ to a coach who is relatively inexperienced.
The appointment of both appears to be in the final stretch but was only finalised after Ten Hag’s initial rejection.
