Amsterdam: Feyenoord replaced coach Fred Rutten with Giovanni van Bronckhorst on Sunday, hours after the Dutch club missed out on an automatic place in next season’s Europa League.
Rutten had been due to step down at the end of the season but left shortly after Sunday’s 3-0 loss at PEC Zwolle condemned Feyenoord to the postseason play-offs for a berth in the European club competition.
Feyenoord did not win any of their last five regular season games and ended fourth behind AZ Alkmaar after being comfortably placed just one month ago for a third-place finish behind champions PSV Eindhoven and runners up Ajax Amsterdam.
“The club management has decided it is better if Fred Rutten and Feyenoord split straight away. Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who was due to take over from Rutten next season, will now take charge,” the club said in a statement.
Feyenoord now play Heerenveen over two legs, away first on Thursday and then at home on Sunday.
If they advance on aggregate they meet the winner of the tie between PEC Zwolle and Vitesse Arnhem for a place in the Europa League.
