Jonas Eidevall has opened up about his acrimonious departure from Arsenal after being named the new head coach of the National Women’s Super League (NWSL) side of the San Diego Wave.
The 41-year-old resigned from his role from the Women’s Super League (WSL) last October, after a string of disappointing results that had fans calling for his sacking.
Three months before and ahead of Eidevall’s departure across the pond, he stood by his resignation claiming it was the “right decision” and also pinpointed the moment he believes fans lost faith in him.
Speaking with Sports Illustratedrevealed Eidevall: “I think when we didn’t rebuild [Vivianne] Miedema’s contract, my relationship with the fans at the time was hurting the team.
“I thought [leaving] it was the easiest quick fix for the team to be able to perform again. It was an incredibly difficult personal decision for me to leave, but sometimes you have to do it when it’s what you think is best for the team. I also preach that to every team. I always preach [that] you have to do what’s best for the team.”
Arsenal were heavily criticized when they were discovered would not renew Miedema’s contractwhich is why she eventually left as a free agent. At the time, the current Manchester City striker was the WSL’s all-time top goalscorer, scoring a total of 79 goals.
“Sometimes you lose as an individual, but if everyone is committed to always making the best decisions, then everyone wins in the end, and this time it was my decision to make the hardest decision,” Eidevall added.
“I think it was the right decision for me personally and I think the team is playing well, so I’m really happy.”
Although the Wave have already begun their search for a new head coach, it is understood the club became interested in Eideval almost immediately after he left Arsenal.
Sporting director and general manager Camille Ashton said Sports Illustrated: “We did a pretty extensive head coaching search that started last summer. Jonas wasn’t part of the picture at that point because he was unavailable, but we continued and when things changed, he immediately became an option.”
Despite only being founded four years ago, the Wave already has quite a rich history in the world of women’s football. Former WSL boss Casey Stoney helped write the club’s history, guiding them to victory in the 2023 NWSL Shield and 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup.
However, after a seven game winless streak, she was fired mid-season, which shocked the women’s game. The Wave finished their 2024 campaign under interim manager Landon Donovan, placing tenth in the league.
But with a new leader at the helm, Eidevall is ready to go. “The visa depends on when I qualify to come to the US, but I’m used to flexible training starts,” he added.
“When I joined Arsenal, it was during COVID-19 and I was still under contract with my Swedish club [FC Rosengard]. We can either get results or make excuses, and I definitely prefer results.
“The first part of the preseason is about building a relationship with the players and the staff. It’s about getting to know them as people and who they are, what’s important to them and what motivates them, so that the rest of the players and the staff can help them achieve that .
“It’s a process that starts now. It’s about building relationships, and for me that’s the foundation of how much we can challenge and how much we can compete later in the season. One of the things that really motivates me as a person working in these environments is getting to know people and understanding how I can be a part of helping that person reach their potential.
“There is no doubt that each person is unique and has their own journey and that needs to be understood.”
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