There was a particular second for the Van Persie household, nevertheless, because the supervisor named his 19-year-old son Shaqheel on the bench, his first involvement with the primary crew. They’d beforehand labored collectively when he coached the membership’s youth crew.

“In fact it is particular, however in the end, I do not favour him or drawback him as a result of he is my son,” stated Van Persie senior. “That would not be honest both. I deal with him like another participant.”

Like Celtic, Feyenoord desperately want to choose up factors. Ten was sufficient for 3 golf equipment in final season’s league part, but it surely wasn’t for 2 of them with the 16-time Dutch champions some extent worse off than their Scottish counterparts.

Their high scorer this season is Japan worldwide Ayase Ueda, who has scored 13 targets in 18 outings, with winger Anis Hadji Moussa stepping up this season having been on mortgage at Vitesse final marketing campaign.

On the opposite aspect might be Leo Sauer, the Slovakia large who man featured in all of his nation’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers, whereas £8.8m summer season signing Sam Steijn was made captain by Van Persie instantly after arriving at De Kuip.

With Celtic nursing their manner by an damage disaster, Feyenoord have additionally discovered themselves shorn of key males together with reported Arsenal and Bayern Munich goal Givairo Learn and Canada full-back Cyle Larin.

It’s a fixture that may evoke recollections of the 1970 European Cup remaining when Jock Stein despatched seven Lisbon Lions on to the San Siro pitch in Milan with the hope of repeating their glory of three years beforehand, solely to lose 2-1 after further time regardless of taking the lead by Tommy Gemmell.

This clearly is not of that magnitude, however the final result might have severe repercussions in terms of development on this season’s Europa League – and Van Persie is aware of it.