Former Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall said the departure of club icon Vivianne Miedema in July was the main reason for his resignation in Octobersaying the situation created a rift among fans who had no “quick fix” and cast a “cloud” over the new season.
After joining in 2017, Women’s Super League (WSL) record holder Miedema scored 125 goals and provided 50 assists in 172 appearances for the Gunners – and Eidevall, who arrived in 2021 after leaving Sweden’s Rosengard, said he faced a budget decision between keeping the 28-year-old at the club or signing a contract with Spanish striker Marion, winner of the Caldentey World Cup.
“My relationship with the fans was so bad after we released Vivianne Miedema that there was no quick solution,” Eidevall told the Swedish newspaper. Aftonbladet.
“You have a limited budget to deal with and we had the opportunity to sign Marion Caldentey or extend the contract of Vivianne Miedema.
“But it’s not a decision that you later stand at a press conference and say ‘we had to choose between two players’. The reality is that we cannot afford both. Then I have to make a decision about what I think is best for the club.”
🗣️ “I think sometimes people don’t connect things”
Jonas Eidevall talks about his relationship with Vivianne Miedema when he was Arsenal boss 🔴 pic.twitter.com/catmjD6vMM
— Sky Sports WSL (@SkySportsWSL) January 7, 2025
‘No problem’ with myedema, says Eidevall
Miedema won the 2018/19 WSL and three League Cup titles with Arsenal, but missed a total of a year of football between December 2019 and the end of last season due to knee injuries.
The Netherlands’ all-time goalscorer has since joined Manchester City, scoring against Eidevall’s Arsenal in September before suffering another knee problem that has kept him out since early October.
“Usually I think I’m good at predicting the consequences of a decision, but I have to be honest in saying that I didn’t see it, in this case,” said Eidevall, whose the appointment as manager of the National Women’s Soccer League’s San Diego Wave team was announced Tuesday.
New Wave head coach Jonas Eidevall saw Arsenal fans loathe him in 2024, prompting him to step down in October after their slow start.
I asked what the lesson was from that experience. He discussed the importance of transparency, something he hopes to offer supporters in San Diego. pic.twitter.com/d7hpxi0OKc
— Darnay Tripp (@DarnayTripp) January 8, 2025
“A cloud was hanging over us. If he was just hanging over me, I’d be fine – no worries. But if that becomes the narrative that affects the team, then the team’s performance in the fall will not be beneficial.
“But I would still make the same decision. I am convinced that Caldentey will continue to be a great asset for Arsenal.
“I never had any problems working with Miedema. She has a strong personality and will always speak her mind, which is similar to me as a person. It was a decision made for purely sporting reasons.”
“We had to find a way to get rid of the cloud, and the easiest way was for me to leave. It’s probably pretty unusual in this industry to go it alone.”
THE ERA OF EIDEVALLA HAS ARRIVED 🌊 pic.twitter.com/4EqWinJGqu
— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) January 7, 2025
Eidevall backs Arsenal’s successor Slegers
Caldentry has one goal and one assist in nine WSL games and has scored five times in 10 Champions League games in 2024/25.
The former Barcelona regular contributed to an 11-game unbeaten run under interim manager Renee Slegers, who joined as Eidevall’s assistant in September 2023.
“I see Renee as a great leader,” Eidevall said. “[She has a] good foundation of values and strong football knowledge. I’m very happy to see the good results and performances that she, the team and the coaching staff have put together and I really hope she sees the possibility of being allowed to continue. I think that would be best.
“Looking at the other coaches coming into the league, would they have more experience than Renee? She led Rosengard for two years, was coach of Sweden under 23, scout of the Netherlands and Swedish national teams [and was at Swedish club] LB07 before that and led them through an extremely difficult season. It’s careless to say that she wouldn’t have much experience.”
Gunners are in FANTASTIC shape under the leadership of Renée Slegers 🤩#BarclaysWSL @ArsenalWFC pic.twitter.com/Y0tYFjiMwA
— Barclays Women’s Super League (@BarclaysWSL) January 8, 2025
Arsenal are ‘squeezing’ for Eidevallo
Arsenal lost two of their first five Champions League games of the campaign and won one of their four league games before Eidevall’s departure, including a 2-1 home defeat to arch-rivals Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium in his last WSL outing.
“The thing I missed the most … was finding a balance between where I can put my energy,” the 41-year-old said. “We had 37 employees when I left and 27 or 28 players on the team.
“One of the parts that was wearing me down – and one of the parts of my decision to leave – was not having a sporting director to work with.
“I almost thought it was overwhelming to deal with so many people every day. As soon as I talked to someone, it was because I had a plan. I haven’t had a single ‘how are you?’ conversation. It created a little void in me.”
