Feyenoord's Technical Director Dévy Rigaux Faces Harsh Criticism
Dutch pundits Valentijn Driessen and Mike Verweij have delivered a stinging early verdict on Dévy Rigaux’s work as Feyenoord’s technical director, branding his first transfer window “no success at all” and repeatedly likening him to controversial former Ajax chief Sven Mislintat.
The pair, speaking in De Telegraaf’s Kick-off podcast, tore into both his market moves and his public performance.
‘I fear the worst’
Verweij’s alarm bells started ringing after Rigaux’s recent round-table session with journalists.
“When I look at that round-table discussion by Rigaux with several journalists, I really fear the worst,” Verweij said, before drawing a sharp comparison. “I hope this does not become the new Sven Mislintat.”
The criticism quickly turned to specifics. Verweij highlighted Rigaux’s stance on Hadj Moussa and the transfer saga around Read.
“He says: ‘No club is allowed to talk to Hadj Moussa, because he has an ongoing contract.’ Well, that is very naive, because it happens everywhere,” Verweij argued.
He then questioned Rigaux’s version of events around Read’s price tag.
“He also says there was no bid of 30 million for Read, with Rigaux hiding behind the ‘official bid’ of 26 million. But in telephone contact Roma immediately indicated they wanted to move towards that 30 million.”
For Verweij, the pattern felt familiar.
“He brings in players from the second Bundesliga. And another similarity is that you can sense in the media that everyone is over the moon with Rigaux, as if a world wonder has walked in. That was also the case with Mislintat.”
‘Scandalous’ round-table
Driessen picked up the baton and went even harder at Feyenoord’s new decision-maker, especially over how he spoke about his predecessor Dennis te Kloese.
“It was truly a scandalous round-table discussion!” Driessen snapped. “The way he spoke about Dennis te Kloese... He did not say it directly, but he did let all kinds of things slip about the Te Kloese period. Too many players, far too much in wages, too many write-downs... He knew what he was getting into, didn't he?”
For Driessen, Rigaux is now under pressure not just to talk about a “different way”, but to match the output of the man who rebuilt Feyenoord’s sporting structure.
“Well, I'm very curious whether in that, according to him, ‘completely different way’ he is going to achieve the same results as Dennis te Kloese,” he said.
His warning about the squad’s current level was blunt.
“You can go into the Champions League with this team, but you will finish bottom without a chance. And then what is the value of Read, Hadj Moussa and Zechiël?”
‘Everyone falls for his slick talk’
Verweij then returned with a fourth and final comparison to Mislintat, this time focusing on what he sees as Rigaux’s ability to charm a room.
“Everyone falls for his slick talk!” he said, before taking aim at the way new signing Tjark Ernst has been framed. “Tjark Ernst, material for Die Mannschaft... Every diagonal ball is a goal conceded!”
The message from both men was clear: behind the smooth presentation and optimistic rhetoric, they see a risky strategy, an underwhelming window and a Feyenoord squad they believe is nowhere near ready for the demands of the Champions League.
