Jonas Eidevall resigns as Arsenal Women’s head coach after fan unrest
Jonas Eidevall has resigned as Arsenal head coach just four games into the Women’s Super League season.
The Swedish manager, who joined Arsenal in June 2021, has been under increased pressure in recent months given the club’s results.
They finished third in last season’s WSL – five points behind champions Chelsea and runners-up Manchester City – and their form this season has caused them to slump to sixth after just one win in four games.
Their 2-1 defeat by Chelsea at the Emirates on Saturday followed a midweek 5-2 thumping by Bayern Munich in the Women’s Champions League, with both results sparking a significant backlash from fans.
This was Jonas Eidevall's last interview as Arsenal manager.#BBCFootball #WSL pic.twitter.com/reptpBPCwx
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) October 15, 2024
The club confirmed on Tuesday morning that Eidevall had left his role with immediate effect, adding that Renee Slegers, the first-team assistant, will take charge of the team as interim head coach, starting with their Champions League match on Wednesday against Norwegian team Valerenga.
Arsenal sporting director Edu Gaspar said: “We thank Jonas for his commitment to the club and achievements here since joining us in 2021.
“We have great respect for the dedication and commitment he showed to our women’s first team and recognise the role he has played in the growth and development of Arsenal Women. We all wish him the very best for the future.
“Our focus will now turn to the process of appointing a new head coach, and in the meantime supporting Renee as she takes interim charge of the team starting with two important fixtures this week.”
Clare Wheatley, Arsenal’s director of women’s football, said: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to Jonas for his hard work and dedication to Arsenal Football Club over the past three years.
“Jonas has brought us back-to-back trophies in the last two seasons, together with many memorable moments on the pitch.
“We wish Jonas and his family the best of health, happiness and success for the future.
“We have full confidence in Renee to take responsibility for the team in the interim period.”
An Arsenal statement added: “The search for a new head coach is under way and we will make a further announcement when that process is complete.”
Eidevall’s exit a reminder women’s game not as harmonious as it once was
Arsenal’s title hopes had already taken a battering after just one win four weeks into the WSL season. Now the club, who sit sixth in the league, have been left reeling from Jonas Eidevall’s sudden resignation.
There were high hopes when the Swede was brought in three years ago to take charge of a club who have long been a powerhouse of the English women’s game. But the harsh truth is that he has underdelivered during his tenure. Save for back-to-back League Cup wins, the Gunners’ trophy cabinet has been looking rather bare in recent seasons since their last domestic title in 2019.
After an uninspiring 0-0 home draw with Everton, a 5-2 thrashing in Munich last week and a 2-1 defeat by Chelsea at the Emirates last weekend – which prompted a smattering of boos – the Swede has bowed to fan pressure. Many still blame him for not doing more to keep the club’s star striker Vivianne Miedema, the WSL’s record goalscorer, who departed in the summer for Manchester City, where she has scored twice in five matches.
Eidevall’s premature exit is a reminder that women’s football is not the harmonious place it once was for players and managers, whose performances are increasingly being put under the microscope. Fans are no longer willing to settle for mediocrity.
The “Jonas Out” graffiti sprayed onto a wall on Hornsey Road outside the Emirates last weekend – when one fan came armed with a giant P45 – were reflections of the fan unrest that has been brewing among impatient Arsenal fans.
Looks like someone's been busy tonight reflecting the views of the majority of @ArsenalWFC supporters on the Hornsey Road… pic.twitter.com/Ysut4vQHaA
— Layth (@laythy29) October 12, 2024
Even England manager Sarina Wiegman, after announcing her 25-strong Lionesses squad ahead of friendlies against South Africa and Germany next week, was somewhat rattled by the news. “I was a little bit in shock, I didn’t expect that,” she said. “Of course, that’s really sad. I had a good working relationship with him. I was a little bit flabbergasted to be honest.”