Feyenoord Faces Celtic in Crucial Europa League Clash
Europa League: Feyenoord vs Celtic
Venue: De Kuip, Rotterdam Date: Thursday, 27 November Time: 17:45 GMT
Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio Scotland Extra & Sounds, with live text commentary available on the BBC Sport website and app.
Robin van Persie, a generational talent as a player, now faces the challenges of management.
With a career that spanned Feyenoord, Arsenal, and Manchester United, Van Persie's left foot produced moments of magic that captivated fans. He also enjoyed a remarkable international career, almost reaching the pinnacle of success when he and his Dutch teammates finished as runners-up to Spain in the 2010 World Cup final in Johannesburg, amidst the relentless sound of vuvuzelas.
Now, as the manager of Feyenoord, Van Persie welcomes Celtic to Rotterdam for a pivotal Europa League match. Appointed in February after the dismissal of Brian Priske, Van Persie, 42, has experienced a mixed bag of results since taking over.
His previous managerial experience was at Heerenveen, where he won only nine of 26 matches. He had also served as an assistant to Dick Advocaat at Feyenoord. Currently, he is under pressure after losing his last three matches, including a recent Europa League defeat against Stuttgart, which left Feyenoord trailing Celtic in the group standings.
Feyenoord's recent struggles have also cost them their position at the top of the Eredivisie, with reigning champions PSV Eindhoven now leading by six points. In their last match, a disappointing 4-2 home defeat to NEC Nijmegen saw Feyenoord squander a 2-1 half-time lead.
"This isn’t typical of us," Van Persie remarked after the defeat. "When you play that well, it’s hard to swallow. I thought we were good against Stuttgart, but we lost in the closing stages."
Despite the team's challenges, there was a special moment for the Van Persie family, as Robin named his 19-year-old son, Shaqheel, on the bench for the first time. Having previously coached his son in the youth team, Van Persie emphasized the importance of fairness: "Of course it’s special, but ultimately, I don’t favor him or disadvantage him because he’s my son. That wouldn’t be fair either. I treat him like any other player."
Both Feyenoord and Celtic are in urgent need of points. Last season, ten points were sufficient for three clubs to advance in the league phase, but not for two, with Feyenoord currently trailing their Scottish rivals by a point.
Feyenoord's top scorer this season is Japan's Ayase Ueda, who has netted 13 goals in 18 appearances, while winger Anis Hadji Moussa has emerged as a key player after a loan spell at Vitesse last season. On the other side, Celtic may face Leo Sauer, who has played in all of Slovakia's 2026 World Cup qualifiers, while £8.8 million summer signing Sam Steijn was appointed captain by Van Persie shortly after his arrival at De Kuip.
As both teams grapple with injury issues, Feyenoord is missing several key players, including Givairo Read, a reported target for Arsenal and Bayern Munich, and Canadian full-back Cyle Larin.
This match is reminiscent of the 1970 European Cup final, where Jock Stein's team of Lisbon Lions fell 2-1 to Feyenoord after extra time, despite taking an early lead. While this match may not carry the same historical weight, its outcome could have significant implications for both teams' progression in this season's Europa League, a reality Van Persie is acutely aware of.