Jonas Eidevall Resigns as Arsenal Head Coach
The rumours have circulated for days and Arsenal has now announced that Jonas Eidevall resigns from his position as head coach at Arsenal. Despite extending his contract by three years in October 2023, a disappointing run has questioned his ability to take the team forward.
Eidevall lead Arsenal to two Conti Cup trophy wins but for a club of Arsenal’s calibre, better results are demanded. Failure to get through the qualifying stages of last season’s Women’s Champions League left a huge blemish on his managerial CV. However, Arsenal renewed his contract shortly afterwards, a decision that was scrutinised by many Arsenal fans.
Fans became further disgruntled with the club’s decision to release the WSL all-time leading goalscorer, Vivianne Meidema. The player’s relationship with Eidevall looked strained at times, and seeing her start her Manchester City career so brightly has caused frustration in the fan base.
Arsenal’s Poor Start to the 2024/24 Season
The start of the 2024/25 season has been poor for an Arsenal team with high expectations. In the WSL, draws with Manchester City and Everton, an unconvincing 1-0 win against Leicester City and a loss to rivals Chelsea have left Arsenal languishing five points behind City. Chelsea have hit the floor running with their new manager Sonia Bompastor, claiming a 100% win record in their opening three WSL matches.
In the Champion’s League, a poor 1-0 defeat against Hacken in the second round gave a frightening reminder of last season’s disastrous Champion’s League exit at the hands of Paris FC. Arsenal were able to turn the fixture around with a 4-0 win in the second leg. However, a 5-2 drubbing by Bayern Munich last week highlighted Arsenal’s current woes.
Eidevall made the decision to resign, although it may be a case of walking away before the inevitable happened. As well as losing the faith of the fans, the players have looked like a team that doesn’t want to play for their manager anymore. A defeat at the Emirates Stadium to Chelsea was the final nail in the coffin. Someone had even painted ‘Jonas out’ on a wall outside the Emirates Stadium, something you rarely see in the women’s game. Arsenal legend Ian Wright also recently raised his concerns about Arsenal women’s team.
Who Will Replace Eidevall as Arsenal Women Manager?
Arsenal announced that Eidevall will be replaced in the interim by assistant manager Renee Slegers. There have been several names mentioned as possible replacements and former Arsenal player Casey Stoney was in attendance at the Chelsea game. Stoney led Manchester United back into the top flight and then went took the role of head coach at NWSL team San Diego Wave.
Her sacking by Wave was something of a surprise to many, and she is currently still available. Given that the Arsenal management hierarchy has shown great support to their women’s team in recent years, you would expect that they will be looking to bring in a high quality manager. Following the news that Jonas Eidevall resigns, the search has started for a new manager who will hopefully deliver the club’s aspirations for the women’s team.