Former Manchester United star Robin van Persie suffered a heavy defeat in just his fourth game as manager of Heerenveen. Taking over from Kees van Wonderen in May, Van Persie’s team faced a 9-1 thrashing at the hands of AZ Alkmaar in the Eredivisie on Saturday. Heerenveen’s only goal came from Luuk Brouwers.
This game marked Van Persie’s fourth match in charge, following a victory over NAC Breda last time out. So far, his squad has collected four points from their first four fixtures of the 2024/25 campaign.
After the shocking defeat, Van Persie gave his assessment of the game and admitted that he was not traumatized by the result. “This is tough,” he told reporters. “You’ll encounter a number of bumps in your career. This was a very big bump. We learned a few more lessons from this match than we normally would. This is part of football.”
Van Persie emphasized that setbacks are part of every player’s journey to becoming their best version: “You want to get the best out of yourself. That involves falling and getting up again.”
During his successful career in the Premier League, Van Persie spent time at Arsenal before switching to Old Trafford with Manchester United. Reflecting on past defeats, he said, “I also lost 8-2 to Manchester United once… It wasn’t fun either, but it’s part of being a footballer.”
Van Persie stressed the importance of standing tall and being proud during challenging moments: “It’s about standing with your chest out in these very situations and being proud of yourself and each other.”
