Quinten Timber Blasts Van Persie After Derby Loss, Signals Exit
Quinten Timber
January 2026
Timber publicly attacked van Persie for not protecting him, after being benched and criticised for training attitude, suggesting the relationship has broken down and his departure is imminent. Van Persie justified dropping Timber by questioning his work and intent; Timber responded post-match saying the coach repeatedly fails to shield players and challenged him to say criticisms directly, with the outburst overshadowing a derby decided by a last-second Kitolano winner.