Feyenoord have found their next head coach, and it’s a familiar face. Giovanni van Bronckhorst is heading back to De Kuip, just months after leaving Liverpool. Sipke Hulshoff joins him as assistant coach. Deal done. Here we go.

A Homecoming Years in the Making

This isn’t van Bronckhorst’s first rodeo in Rotterdam. He came through Feyenoord’s academy as a player, then returned as assistant coach between 2011 and 2015, working under Ronald Koeman and Fred Rutten. Promotion followed quickly. As head coach from 2015 to 2019, he delivered an Eredivisie title, two domestic cups, and two Johan Cruyff Shields. That trophy haul still resonates with supporters today.

After stints in China, Scotland, and Turkey, van Bronckhorst landed at Liverpool last year. There, he served as Arne Slot’s assistant, gaining fresh experience in the Premier League. However, once Slot’s future at Anfield grew uncertain, so did his.

Hulshoff’s path runs in parallel. The Frisian coach previously managed Feyenoord’s reserves, before becoming Slot’s right-hand man at the club itself. When Slot moved to Liverpool, Hulshoff followed. Both men, now free agents after leaving Merseyside, found their way back to Rotterdam together.

Timing played a role, too. Feyenoord recently parted ways with Robin van Persie as head coach, leaving technical director Dévy Rigaux searching for a replacement. Given their history and chemistry, van Bronckhorst and Hulshoff emerged as obvious candidates.

For Feyenoord, this represents more than a simple coaching change. It’s a reunion with proven winners, men who understand the club’s culture inside out. Expectations will rise quickly, especially after a turbulent recent campaign.

As pre-season approaches, attention turns to squad planning, transfers, and tactics. Van Bronckhorst knows De Kuip intimately. Now, he gets the chance to write another chapter there, this time with Hulshoff by his side.