Wednesday October 27, 2021
Windows of the apartment building destroyed
Manager resigns after being attacked by fans
For Mark Koevermans, the position as manager of Feyenoord Rotterdam is too dangerous. The former tennis professional resigns from concern for his integrity. Before that, fans damaged the official’s house and smeared it with paint.
After several attacks and threats from fans of the Dutch first division football club Feyenoord Rotterdam, General Manager Mark Koevermans is stepping down on December 1st. The club announced this on its homepage. The 53-year-old former tennis professional has worked for Feyenoord in various functions since 2009. “It hurts to have to make that decision. But I think it’s for best,” Koevermans wrote.
In September the windows of his house were smashed and the front door was smeared with paint. The perpetrators not yet identified are added to the hard core of the supporters, who also threatened ex-captain Steven Berghuis, who had switched to Ajax, in the summer. Koevermans was also threatened several times. The board of directors of Feyenoord also confirmed that because of the incident, a potential club sponsor has not signed a contract that is ready for signature and has withdrawn.
The Dutch football association KNVB responded in a statement to Koeverman’s announcement of his resignation. The KNVB supported Koevermans, regretted his resignation and condemned the outbreaks of violence, it said in a statement. The new KNVB director responsible for professional football, Marianne van Leeuwen, made contact with the Ministry of Security and Justice in The Hague on Wednesday. She explained that the state institutions, in cooperation with the KNVB, will shortly adopt new measures to combat violence in football.
Before his time as a football official, Koevermans was active as a professional tennis player in the late 80s and early 90s, and at his best was 37th in the men’s world rankings. In doubles, he reached the semi-finals with his partner Paul Haarhuis as the best Grand Slam result at the 1990 French Open.