‘Say that to my face!' - Quinten Timber slams Feyenoord boss Robin van Persie for failing to 'protect' players & says he wants transfer in shocking outburst

The simmering tensions at De Kuip erupted into open warfare on Sunday, completely overshadowing the Rotterdam derby. Feyenoord’s painful 4-3 defeat to city rivals Sparta Rotterdam - decided by a last-second winner from Joshua Kitolano after the hosts had fought back from a two-goal deficit - became a footnote as the conflict between head coach Van Persie and his star midfielder Timber took centre stage. Timber, who was controversially dropped to the bench amid talks regarding an imminent transfer, lashed out at his manager’s pre-match justification for the decision, signalling an irrevocable breakdown in their relationship.

Van Persie had explained his team selection by publicly questioning Timber’s "work ethic" and "intention" during training sessions. This public dressing down infuriated the midfielder, who requested to speak to the media immediately after the final whistle to set the record straight. Speaking to ESPN, Timber expressed his dismay at being hung out to dry by his coach.

"I just read about what was said before the match," Timber fumed. "I think that's a bit of a shame. That it has to go this way. It has happened a few times now that the trainer does not protect the player. In this case, with me. There is a limit. It is happening again now." 

The core of the dispute lies in Van Persie’s assessment of Timber’s professional commitment. The midfielder, a linchpin of the Feyenoord side for three and a half years, vehemently denied the accusation that he has been slacking off. He characterised the manager's comments as a fabrication, describing the narrative being constructed around him as a "puppet show".

"Everyone at the club I have worked with for three and a half years knows that I always give everything in training and matches," Timber insisted. "I did that again today. Even if I have to play at right-back, I do that for the club and my team. It looks like a puppet show that it is now being said that I do nothing. That must be clear."

Timber issued a direct challenge to his manager regarding the criticism, demanding honesty rather than media games. "You can't say that I'm throwing my hat at it," he said, using a Dutch idiom for giving up. "Then you have to say that to my face. Whatever I think, if you don't ask the questions, I don't have to say it. Sometimes you can protect a player. This was the limit, that's why I'm standing here."

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The fallout from the public row appears to have sealed Timber’s fate in Rotterdam. The midfielder candidly admitted that he has likely walked out onto the De Kuip pitch for the last time as a Feyenoord player. With the transfer window open, the situation has accelerated rapidly, with Timber suggesting that the current environment has made his position untenable. Fabrizio Romano reports that talks had already been underway regarding a move before he was dropped from the starting XI and now says that Marseille are set to snap him up, with negotiations in an advanced stage.

"There is a lot going on, there is a lot of emotion involved, also with the supporters who are not happy with me now," he explained. "I have always said in conversations that you want the best outcome for both. I would prefer not to leave the club for free, not to leave for zero cents. That increases the chance that I will leave now."

When pressed on his immediate future, Timber was resigned to an exit, though leaving for free or a low transfer fee was not his initial plan. "That's the last resort, that I want to leave here for free," he said. "That's never changed. That's why we've been talking. That's why I'm saying there's a good chance something will happen in the coming days. There's a lot of movement. I don't want to leave for free; if you don't reach an agreement, it's one and two.

"This could have been my last match at De Kuip. I knew that. No matter how difficult or how emotional, I tried to enjoy it to the fullest. It's a shame to lose again. It's especially painful that it happened in the final minute. But you can't say I'm throwing in the towel. You have to say that to my face. Whatever I think, if you don't ask the questions, I don't have to say it. Sometimes you can protect a player. This was the limit, that's why I'm here,"

If there was any hope of a reconciliation, Van Persie extinguished it during his own post-match press conference. When informed of Timber’s scathing remarks, the Feyenoord boss refused to back down. Instead, he elaborated on his critique, referencing a philosophy he promised to adhere to when he became a coach: judging players on their "pure intention" to perform tasks.

"I made a promise to myself before I became a coach that I would always stay close to myself and close to the purity of football," Van Persie stated coolly. "If I see that you do not have the intention to consistently carry out the tasks, then I make choices for players who do have that intention. It is not about not being allowed to make mistakes, but about having the intention to defend back. I am not satisfied with Quinten about that."

When asked explicitly if there was a way back for Timber, Van Persie’s answer was stark. "If you ask me personally... I don't think so. I judge players with my lens as a coach. In that, I miss the pure intention of the game in defending and attacking. If you can't muster that over a long period... then there is a consequence."