Former Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall has said the departure of club icon Vivianne Miedema in July was the primary reason for his resignation in October, saying the situation created a rift with fans that had no “quick fix” and cast a “cloud” over the new season.
After joining in 2017, Women’s Super League (WSL) record 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 had faced a budgetary decision between keeping the 28-year-old at the club or signing World Cup-winning Spain forward Mariona Caldentey.
“My relationship with the supporters was so bad after we let Vivianne Miedema go that there was no quick fix,” Eidevall told Swedish 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 stand at a press conference and talk about and say ‘we had to choose between two players’. The reality is we couldn’t 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 the dots”
Jonas Eidevall discusses his relationship with Vivianne Miedema when he was Arsenal boss 🔴 pic.twitter.com/catmjD6vMM
— Sky Sports WSL (@SkySportsWSL) January 7, 2025
📰 Table Of Contents
‘No problems’ 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 through knee injuries.
The Netherlands all-time scorer has since joined Manchester City, scoring against Eidevall’s Arsenal in September before suffering another knee issue that has kept her out since early October.
“I usually think that I am good at predicting the consequences of a decision, but I must be honest in saying that I did not see that, in this case,” said Eidevall, whose appointment as manager of National Women’s Soccer League team the San Diego Wave was announced on Tuesday.
New Wave head coach Jonas Eidevall saw Arsenal fans sour on him in 2024, leading him to step down in October after their slow start.
I asked what the lesson from that experience was. He discussed the important of transparency, something he hopes to offer supporters in San Diego. pic.twitter.com/d7hpxi0OKc
— Darnay Tripp (@DarnayTripp) January 8, 2025
“There was a cloud hanging over us. If it had just been hanging over me, I would have been fine – no worries. But if it becomes a narrative that affects the team, then the team’s performance in the autumn will not benefit.
“But I would have still made the same decision. I am convinced that Caldentey will continue to be a great asset for Arsenal.
“I have never had any problems working with Miedema. She is a strong personality and will always speak her mind, which is similar to me, as a person. It was a decision made on purely sporting grounds.”
“We needed to find a way to get rid of the cloud and the easiest way was for me to leave. It is probably quite unusual in this industry that you go by yourself.”
THE EIDEVALL ERA HAS ARRIVED 🌊 pic.twitter.com/4EqWinJGqu
— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) January 7, 2025
Eidevall backs Arsenal successor Slegers
Caldentry has provided one goal and one assist in nine WSL games and scored five times in 10 Champions League matches in 2024/25.
The former Barcelona regular has contributed to an 11-game unbeaten run under interim manager Renee Slegers, who joined as Eidevall’s assistant in September 2023.
“I experience Renee as a great leader,” said Eidevall. “[She has a] good foundation of values and strong football knowledge. It makes me very happy to see the good results and performances that she, the team and the coaching team have put together and I really hope that see the possibility that they will be allowed to continue. I think that would be the best.
“Looking at other coaches coming into the league, would they have more experience than Renee? She led Rosengard for two years, was under-23s national team coach for Sweden, a scout for Holland and Sweden’s national teams [and was at Swedish club] LB07 before that and led them through a hugely difficult season. It’s sloppy to say she wouldn’t have much experience.”
The Gunners are in FANTASTIC form under Renée Slegers 🤩#BarclaysWSL @ArsenalWFC pic.twitter.com/Y0tYFjiMwA
— Barclays Women’s Super League (@BarclaysWSL) January 8, 2025
Arsenal ‘draining’ for Eidevall
Arsenal lost two of their first five Champions League games of the campaign and won one of their four league matches before Eidevall’s exit, including a 2-1 home defeat to familiar title rivals Chelsea at Emirates Stadium in his final WSL contest.
“What I missed the most… was finding the balance between where I could put my energy,” said the 41-year-old. “We had 37 employees when I left and 27 or 28 players in the squad.
“One of the parts that I found draining – and one of the pieces in my decision to leave – was the lack of a sporting director to work with.
“I almost thought it was overwhelming to handle so many people on a daily basis. As soon as I spoke to anyone, it was because I had an agenda. I had zero conversations that were just ‘how are you?’. It created a small void in me.”
