Been quits Feyenoord after player revolt

Feyenoord coach Mario Been has quit the Eredivisie club after players led a revolt against him.

Been oversaw Feyenoord’s disappointing 10th place finish last season, having joined the club in 2009.

Traditionally one of the powerhouses of Dutch football, Feyenoord have struggled to compete with rivals Ajax Amsterdam and PSV Eindhoven in recent campaigns, and it appears the club’s players have had enough.

The squad took a vote, with 20 out of 23 expressing their lack of faith in the coach, leading to Been’s resignation hours later.

”Been came to his decision yesterday after captain Ron Vlaar told technical director Martin Van Geel that the majority of players had lost confidence in any further cooperation with the coach,” the club said in a statement.

”Been left the training camp in Ermelo and said he would immediately quit as head coach of Feyenoord.”

Captain Vlaar said he felt he had no choice but to bring the players feelings to light.

”The purpose of the meeting was to create clarity, but during the course of our conversation I noticed a lot of irritation among the players,” Vlaar said.

”This was the first time the irritation had been so clearly expressed. I could have done nothing and let everything simmer, but I felt I had to take responsibility and therefore requested a meeting with Mr Van Geel.”

”I clearly asked the players who was for and who was against, when it appeared the majority of players had lost faith. We knew what the consequences might be and Mr Van Geel has made it very clear the implications of our action.”

”We as a squad will take the responsibility this season to do much better than we did last year.”

Van Geel has been left in the unenviable positions of having to find a new coach just a month out from the start of the season, and admitted Been’s resignation came as a shock.

”We are extremely surprised by this. It is deeply regrettable, especially considering the timing,” he said. ”We’d had no signs that pointed to such a fatal breach in trust from the majority of the squad.”

”We asked the players not to do it, give it a chance and realise the greater responsibility of the squad. But the conclusion of the players was that there was no confidence in Mario Been. They were adamant.”

”This has damaged Feyenoord’s plans enormously. When I started at Feyenoord I knew a challenge was waiting. But what has happened in recent days has thrown the whole club backwards.”