Arsenal & RVP: Loyalty and Trust (“Partir c’est mourir un peu”)

Robin van Persie is about to leave Arsenal after a splendid marriage with the club and its manager. Arsène Wenger.  The Dutch striker from Rotterdam is hungry for success. Especially after his glorious year for Arsenal. And even more after his disastrous EURO 2012 with the Dutch squad.

A long time ago Robin van Persie lived in my neighbourhood in Kralingen, Rotterdam. On a square with multi-nationalities he had to stand up for himself. As a child he had an overdose of energy. Always playing outside. Especially with his football. Pride, show and respect were the cornerstones in his youth. He grew up with his father who was an artist. Van Persie needed one thing most, something his father could provide him: trust. His father let his son join the nearby football club at the age of four: Excelsior Rotterdam. A perfect club for young talents. Young Robin never was keen on winning or become the best player.

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He wanted to have fun and be the artist –just like his dad – on the pitch. When he started to play for big brother Feyenoord, things changed a bit. But the enfant terrible needed trust. There wasn’t a good match with the manager. A manager who he would encounter later on… as the manager of the past Dutch team: Bert van Marwijk. Not surprisingly RVP couldn’t live up to the expectations during the past tournament.  In Ukraine Van Marwijk could still not give him the certainty he needed:  Permanent leader of The Dutch strike.  A valuable lesson for newly assigned national manager van Gaal and manageres in general.

He matured in London under the wings of Wenger. He gained trust. He offered loyalty. He grew up. The rebel became a man and a leader. The well thought decision to leave after eight seasons is also a loyal one to his fans: He knows he can not improve his last season. He is already on the top of the Arsenal mountain. Staying will result in deception; for fans and player. His value for the London team will diminish, taking into consideration his inevitable loss of motivation. Manchester City and Juventus have been named as potential buyers. He is worth at least £ 10 million. But money can’t buy ambition for him. When van Persie is in his Gunners shape he is a guarantee for goals and leadership.

The money offered is not astronomical according to his results in previous years. I can vividly remember the match on Stanford Bridge, where he led his team with a 3-5 win over Chelsea in one of the most spectacular games of the past season. A hat-trick from his golden foot. But van Persie is done playing. Money can’t buy ambition for him. Cups and titles are missed. He’ll choose his next club carefully. Ambition, pride and respect is the name of the game. To be remembered as a winner is what counts.

When you think of the fans and Arsenals boss Wenger a French proverb comes to mind: “Partir c’est mourir un peu” (Saying goodbye, is dying a bit).

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