ROBIN VAN PERSIE AND TIMBER FORCIBLY SEPARATED AFTER HEATED LOCKER FIGHT
Robin van Persie and Quinten Timber had to be pulled apart in a heated locker room clash after the Sparta loss.
Pressure keeps building on Feyenoord boss Robin van Persie, and now there’s word out about a heated clash with former captain Quinten Timber in the locker room after Sunday’s wild match.
Feyenoord lost 4-3 to local rivals Sparta Rotterdam. That’s their eighth loss in the last twelve games, and the whole day felt like chaos in Rotterdam.
Afterwards, Van Persie went to the media to explain why he left Timber out of the starting eleven. He said Timber hadn’t been showing enough effort in training, so he benched him.
Timber came on in the second half, but he didn’t hide his frustration about what Van Persie said. “I think it’s a shame it has to be like this,” he told ESPN. “It’s not the first time the coach hasn’t protected a player—in this case, me. There’s a limit. It’s happening again. It feels like a puppet show, and now people think I’m not putting in any work. That needs to be cleared up.”
Rumour has it Timber’s heading to Olympique Marseille soon. He wanted to tell his side, so he called for an interview on the spot—no green light from the club’s press officer or Van Persie.
The tension between Van Persie and Timber blew up in the locker room. They got into it—face to face, voices raised. Journalist Mikos Gouka broke the story after talking to Feyenoord director Dennis te Kloese, who was actually there when it all went down. Te Kloese didn’t spill much, though.
“I’m not always in the locker room, but I’ve been there more often lately,” he told Algemeen Dagblad. “I get why people are asking. For me, it’s like ‘what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,’ even if that’s not how things usually go here.”
Gouka says everyone knows about the fight and that people had to step in to pull Van Persie and Timber apart. Te Kloese wouldn’t say more.
“I can’t pretend everything’s great. Clearly, this isn’t good. But some things need to stay inside the club. I’m not discussing this with the press,” he said.
Even after all this, Te Kloese backed Van Persie, telling Algemeen Dagblad that his job was safe for now, but he wouldn’t say when that might change.
“There are no untouchables here. The results have been bad—we’re not hiding from that. But at some point, it has to stop. If you’re asking when enough is enough, I don’t have an answer. We need to start winning. If we miss out on the Champions League again, it’s a big setback. The club’s growth has come from competing and winning at that level.”
MARSEILLE MELTDOWN: WHY MEDHI BENATIA QUIT AFTER A BITTER MASON GREENWOOD FALLOUT
Marseille meltdown: Medhi Benatia resigns as Sporting Director after clashes with Mason Greenwood. Get the latest on De Zerbi’s exit.
Marseille’s sporting director, Medhi Benatia, has quit his job after reports of friction with Mason Greenwood, the former Manchester United striker.
It’s a tough time for the club. Benatia’s exit comes with pressure piling up; Marseille’s going through a rough patch that also saw Roberto De Zerbi walk out. De Zerbi left after that brutal 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. The team are sitting in fourth, and they just missed out on the next round of the Champions League in dramatic fashion.
Benatia, who used to play for Morocco and had a solid career with Bayern Munich, Roma, and Juventus, confirmed he’s stepping down. In his statement, he didn’t hold back: “Since I got here, I’ve poured my heart into this job with one goal: getting Marseille back where it belongs. I know this club inside out. I understand what it asks of you and the passion behind it.”
He tried to keep things positive: “We’re still in the fight. Making the Champions League is within reach, and we’re still gunning for the Coupe de France. Even with the setbacks and bad luck, the project’s still moving forward on the pitch. But I can’t ignore what’s happening around us.”
Benatia pointed to growing frustration and a communication breakdown: “In Marseille, results speak for themselves. You know I don’t sugarcoat things. With all the tension in management, I’ve handed in my resignation because, to me, the club always comes first. I don’t want to be an obstacle or a burden.”
He finished with a note of regret: “I did everything I could, but I couldn’t calm things down around the team even though I really believe they can hit their targets.”
Apparently, Benatia and Greenwood just didn’t get along. Greenwood’s been crucial for Marseille since joining in 2024, and while De Zerbi backed him publicly, things between Benatia and Greenwood reportedly got icy. L’Equipe claimed the two barely spoke, and Benatia didn’t hide his criticism on or off the field.
Some say Benatia got fed up with Greenwood ignoring commercial duties last summer and not caring about the fallout. Now De Zerbi’s on the market, a familiar name for clubs like Manchester United and Tottenham, both hunting for new managers.
De Zerbi’s already been linked to United before. After his stint at Brighton, he was apparently considered for the Old Trafford job before they stuck with Erik ten Hag.
ARRESTS AT THE MKM: WHY POLICE INTERVENED DURING HULL CITY’S FA CUP DEFEAT
Police made arrests at the MKM Stadium as Chelsea beat Hull 4-0. Read the full report on Pedro Neto's hat-trick and the fan fallout.
Hull City say police made arrests after fans started up discriminatory chants during their 4-0 FA Cup loss to Chelsea on Friday night. Early in the game, the stadium’s PA system cut in with a warning: stop the chanting, or face arrest. Stewards and police didn’t mess around in the second half; the club announced they’d actually detained some supporters.
The chant targeted Chelsea and was homophobic. It’s not the first time this kind of thing has happened. Back in 2022, the Crown Prosecution Service made it clear that a certain lyric in the chant is a homophobic slur, and using it can land you in legal trouble. Just ask Paul Boardman, a Liverpool fan who got slapped with a Wembley ban and a £500 fine for shouting it at a train station.
Meanwhile, the game itself got away from Hull. Chelsea rolled over them, with Pedro Neto bagging a hat-trick. Hull boss Sergej Jakirovic still found a few positives, though. He liked the team’s defensive setup and thought they could’ve used their counterattacks better. “We deserved at least one goal,” he said, “but if we play like this, we’ll be in a good spot in the Championship.” He’s already thinking ahead to the next match against QPR.
On the other side, Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior was back at the MKM Stadium, his old stomping ground. He was buzzing about his team’s attitude and effort, especially in the first half. “Hull are flying in the Championship, and I hope they make the Premier League,” he said. “But our mentality and quality tonight made the difference.” He singled out Pedro Neto for his work rate and finishing, but really, he seemed proud of the whole squad. “Everyone put in a shift. The mentality was spot on.”
The night was extra special for Rosenior. He had more than 20 family members in the stands and got warm applause from both sets of fans. “This club means a lot to my family and me,” he said. “I really appreciate the welcome. It was a good night all around.”