Ex-Manchester United striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy has resigned down as head coach of PSV Eindhoven after realizing he did not have the support from within the club to continue following a series of ‘internal incidents’ in recent weeks.
A number of PSV players are said to have protested to the board about Van Nistelrooy’s methods, and the simmering tension behind the scenes has now reached a boiling point at the Philips Stadion, where change is on the way.
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Van Nistelrooy returned to PSV, where he played for three years between 1998 and 2001 before joining Manchester United, in 2018 to coach the club’s U19 team.
After serving as the Netherlands’ assistant manager, he returned to Eindhoven to coach PSV’s reserve team last season before taking over for Benfica-bound Roger Schmidt in July.
Despite widespread dissatisfaction with PSV’s failure to put real pressure on champions Feyenoord, who are 10 points clear at the top with one match remaining, Van Nistelrooy did deliver the Johan Cruyff Shield and KNVB Cup.
Following a 1-1 draw at De Kuip, PSV won 3-2 on penalties against Ajax in late April, and Van Nistelrooy appeared to cut a popular figure in the dressing room after the game when he danced happily with his players.
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However, things have quickly deteriorated after PSV’s success in Rotterdam, and there have been rumours that Van Nistelrooy is on the verge of resigning due to internal concerns from his players.
Those reports have been repeatedly refuted by PSV club sources in the Dutch press, but the 46-year-old has now taken matters into his own hands, resigning from his position.
A club statement read: “Head coach Ruud van Nistelrooy announced on Wednesday morning that he would leave PSV. After several discussions about internal affairs that have taken place in recent weeks, a meeting took place on Tuesday evening between the Board of Directors and Van Nistelrooy.
“It was decided to keep the focus on next Sunday’s match against AZ and to continue talking after the season.
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“Van Nistelrooy reported this morning that, in his opinion, there was not enough support within the club to continue longer. He immediately explained this to the players and staff.
Van Nistelrooy is said to have taken special offense when conversations between players and management were published in the Dutch daily De Telegraaf.
Because of the collapse in confidence within the club, he regarded his position to be borderline impossible.
he now believed his position to be borderline impossible because of the loss in confidence within the club.
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While Van Nistelrooy’s tenure ended on an obviously poor note, it should be noted that he lost two great players, Cody Gakpo and Noni Madueke, in January in big-money deals to Liverpool and Chelsea.
Despite a valiant comeback attempt, PSV were eliminated from the Europa League in February after losing 3-2 on aggregate to finalists Sevilla.
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The Eredivisie giants lost just once in Group A and defeated Arsenal 2-0 at home in late October to secure their place in the knockout stages.
With PSV, Feyenoord, and Ajax all set to appoint new managers before the start of the 2023/24 season, it may be a busy summer in Holland.
