Driessen calls for Feyenoord board intervention over share buyback

Valentijn Driessen has urged Feyenoord’s supervisory board to intervene amid reported uncertainty over a planned share buyback. According to FCUpdate’s account of his De Telegraaf column, general director Robert Eenhoorn is considering whether money earmarked for the deal would be better spent on the playing squad.

The Vrienden van Feyenoord, a group of wealthy supporters, acquired a 49 per cent minority holding for €32 million in 2010 and received two supervisory-board seats. Driessen says Feyenoord can recover the shares through payments of €17.5 million in September 2026 and another €17.5 million in September 2028, with one board seat surrendered after each instalment.

Driessen argues that abandoning the arrangement would damage Feyenoord’s financial interests. FCUpdate reports that he estimates the club’s current value at between €496 million and €554 million, excluding its ownership of De Kuip. On that basis, he says the €35 million purchase would secure a stake worth more than €250 million. The journalist described hesitation over the deal as an “irresponsible policy choice” and called on the supervisory board to ensure it proceeds.

Voetbalzone also reports criticism of technical director Dévy Rigaux. Driessen questioned the decision not to accept a reported €30 million offer for Givairo Read and said Rigaux must now secure leading prices for players placed on the market, naming Read, Ayase Ueda, Anis Hadj Moussa and Gjivai Zechiël. He argued that failure to do so would amount to an unsuccessful transfer window.