Feyenoord sack Slot successor two days before Champions League playoff

Feyenoord have sacked manager Brian Priske two days before their Champions League play-off tie against AC Milan, blaming a “lack of chemistry” between the 16-time Dutch champions and the Dane who succeeded Arne Slot less than eight months ago.

While Slot has guided his new club six points clear at the top of the Premier League, Feyenoord are 12 off the pace in the Eredivisie and went out of the Dutch Cup with a 2-0 quarter-final defeat at PSV on Wednesday.

“As a professional and as a person, I still hold Brian in high esteem,” Feyenoord technical director Dennis te Kloese said, calling the decision “very disappointing for all parties”.

“However, sometimes you have to conclude that, despite everyone’s good intentions, things are just not working out, and you have reached a point where there is not enough support to continue forward together.”

Feyenoord vs Milan

Former Midtjylland, Royal Antwerp and Sparta Prague manager Priske guided Feyenoord to the play-offs for the Champions League round of 16 despite a 6-1 hammering at French club Lille on Matchday 8.

The 1970 European Cup champions and two-time Uefa Cup winners have beaten Bayern Munich, Sparta, Benfica and Girona this season, as well as recovering from 3-0 behind at Manchester City to earn a draw with three goals after the 74th minute at Etihad Stadium.

They finished two points below a Milan side who visit De Kuip for the first leg on Wednesday (8pm GMT) before the return game at Stadio San Siro on February 18 (5.45pm).

“Although Feyenoord achieved some impressive results with Brian – especially in the Champions League – the first team’s performance has been far too inconsistent in recent months,” explained Te Kloese. “Unfortunately, we see too little structural progress.”

Feyenoord are one of two Dutch sides in this season’s Champions League, with PSV facing Juventus in the play-offs for the right to join Liverpool and seven other teams who have gone through automatically following the league phase.

Arne Slot Feyenoord record

Slot succeeded former Netherlands manager Dick Advocaat in the Feyenoord hotseat before the start of the 2021/22 season, leading them to third in the top flight and the inaugural Conference League final.

The Dutchman won the Eredivisie by seven points ahead of PSV in 2022/23 and lifted the Dutch Cup the following season.

He won the Eredivisie Manager of the Year award in both of his campaigns in charge. Feyenoord finished seven points behind PSV in 2023/24, losing two of their 34 league games.