Former Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall said the departure of club icon Vivianne Miedema in July was the main reason for his resignation in October, saying the situation had created a divide with fans who did not had no “miracle solution” and cast a “cloud” over the new one. season.
After arriving in 2017, Women’s Super League (WSL) top scorer Miedema produced 125 goals and 50 assists in 172 appearances for the Gunners – and Eidevall, who arrived in 2021 after leaving Swedish side Rosengard, said he faced a budgetary decision between keeping the 28-year-old at the club or signing Cup-winning Spanish striker Mariona Caldentey of the world.
“My relationship with the fans was so bad after we let Vivianne Miedema go that there was no quick fix,” Eidevall told the Swedish media outlet. Aftonbladet.
“You have a limited budget that you have to deal with and we had the opportunity to sign Mariona Caldentey or extend Vivianne Miedema’s contract.
“But it’s not a decision that you later talk about in a press conference and say ‘we had to choose between two players’. The reality is that we couldn’t afford both. Then I have to make a decision on what I think is best for the club.
🗣️ “I think sometimes people don’t connect the dots”
Jonas Eidevall opens up about his relationship with Vivianne Miedema when he was Arsenal manager 🔴 pic.twitter.com/catmjD6vMM
– Sky Sports WSL (@SkySportsWSL) January 7, 2025
‘No problem’ with Miedema, 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 which has kept her sidelined since early October.
“I generally think I’m good at predicting the consequences of a decision, but I have to be honest in saying I didn’t see that in this case,” said Eidevall, whose appointment as manager of National Women’s Soccer League team the San Diego Wave was announced Tuesday.
New Wave head coach Jonas Eidevall saw Arsenal fans complaining about him in 2024, leading him to resign in October after a slow start.
I asked what the lesson was from this experience. He spoke about the importance of transparency, something he hopes to provide to his supporters in San Diego. pic.twitter.com/d7hpxi0OKc
-Darnay Tripp (@DarnayTripp) January 8, 2025
“There was a cloud hovering over us. If it had just weighed on me, I would be fine – no worries. But if this becomes a narrative that affects the team, then the team’s performance in the fall will not benefit.
“But I still would have made the same decision. I am confident that Caldentey will continue to be a great asset to Arsenal.
“I never had any problems working with Miedema. She has a strong personality and will always say what she thinks, which is similar to me as a person. It was a decision taken 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 quite unusual in this area for you to go alone.
THE EIDEVALL ERA HAS ARRIVED 🌊 pic.twitter.com/4EqWinJGqu
– San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) January 7, 2025
Eidevall backs Arsenal successor Slegers
Caldentry has one goal and one assist in nine WSL matches and has scored five times in 10 Champions League matches in 2024/25.
The former Barcelona regular has contributed to an 11-game unbeaten run under caretaker manager Renee Slegers, who joined Eidevall as an assistant in September 2023.
“I consider Renée a great leader,” Eidevall said. “[She has a] good value base and solid football knowledge. It makes me very happy to see the good results and performances that she, the team and the coaching staff have achieved and I really hope that they see the possibility that they are allowed to continue. I think that would be best.
“Looking at the other coaches coming into the league, would they have more experience than Renée? She managed Rosengard for two years, was coach of the national under-23 team for Sweden, scout for the national teams of the Netherlands and Sweden. [and was at Swedish club] LB07 before that and led them through an extremely difficult season. It’s sloppy to say she doesn’t have much experience.
The Gunners are in FANTASTIC form under the leadership of Renée Slegers 🤩#BarclaysWSL @ArsenalWFC pic.twitter.com/Y0tYFjiMwA
– Barclays Women’s Super League (@BarclaysWSL) January 8, 2025
Arsenal run out for Eidevall
Arsenal lost two of their first five Champions League matches of the campaign and won one of their four league matches before Eidevall’s exit, including a 2-1 home defeat to familiar rivals Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium during its last WSL competition.
“What I missed the most… was finding the balance of where I could put my energy,” the 41-year-old said. “We had 37 employees when I left and 27 or 28 players on the squad.
“One of the things I found exhausting – and one of the things in my decision to leave – was the lack of an athletic director to work with.
“I almost thought it was overwhelming to deal with so many people on a daily basis. Whenever I spoke to anyone, it was because I had an agenda. I haven’t had any conversations that were simply “how are you?” “. It created a little void in me.
