Arsenal fans’ fury over Miedem was ‘so bad’ I had to resign, says Eidewale

Former Arsenal manager Jonas Eideval has said that the departure of club icon Vivian Miedema in July was the main reason for his resignation in Octobersaying the situation had created a rift with fans who had no “quick fix” and cast a “cloud” over the new season.

Since joining in 2017, Women’s Super League (WSL) record holder Miedem has scored 125 goals and 50 assists in 172 games for the Gunners – and Eideval, who arrived in 2021 after leaving Sweden’s Rosengard, said he faced a budget decision between keeping the 28-year-old at the club or signing Spain’s World Cup-winning striker Championship, Mariona Caldentay.

“My relationship with the supporters was so bad after we let Vivian Miedema go that there was no quick solution,” Eideval told a Swedish newspaper. The evening newspaper.

“You have a limited budget to deal with and we had the option of signing Mariona Caldentay or extending Vivian Miedema’s contract.

“But it’s not a decision that you stand up in a press conference later 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 Eideval has discussed his relationship with Vivian Miedema when he was Arsenal boss 🔴 pic.twitter.com/catmjD6vMM

— Sky Sports WSL (@SkySportsWSL) January 7, 2025

“There are no problems” with Miedema, says Eideval

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 Dutch all-time goalscorer has since joined Manchester City, scoring against Arsenal since Eideval in September, before suffering another knee problem that has kept her out since early October.

“Usually I think I’m good at predicting the consequences of a decision, but I have to be honest, I didn’t see that, in this case,” said Eidewal, whose The appointment as manager of the National Women’s Soccer League’s San Diego Wave was announced Tuesday.

New Wave boss Jonas Eideval has fired Arsenal fans in 2024, leading to his resignation in October after their slow start.

I asked what the lesson was from that experience. He discussed the importance 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 over us. If it was just above me, I’d be fine – no worries. But if that becomes the narrative that affects the team, then the team’s performance in the fall will not benefit.

“But I would still make the same decision.” I am convinced that Caldentej will continue to be a great asset for Arsenal.

“I have never had any problems working with Miedema. She is a strong person and will always speak her mind, similar to me, as a person. It was a decision made on purely sports grounds.”

“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 industry to go it alone.”

THE EIDEVAL ERA HAS ARRIVED 🌊 pic.twitter.com/4EqWinJGqu

— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) January 7, 2025

Ejdwal backs Arsenal’s successor, the Sluggers

Caldentry has one goal and one assist in nine VSL games and has scored five times in 10 Champions League games in 2024/25.

The former Barcelona regular contributed to an 11-game unbeaten run under caretaker manager René Slegers, who joined as Eideval’s assistant in September 2023.

“I see Rene as a great leader,” Eideval said. “(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 staff have put together and I really hope to see the possibility that they will be allowed to continue. I think that would be best.

“Looking at the other coaches coming into the league, are they going to have more experience than Rene? She managed Rosengård for two years, was the Under-23 coach for Sweden, a scout for the Netherlands and the Swedish national teams (and was at the Swedish club) LB07 before that and led them through a very difficult season. It’s sloppy to say she wouldn’t have had a lot of experience.”

The Gunners are in FANTASTIC form under the leadership of Rene Slegers 🤩#BarclaysWSL @ArsenalWFC pic.twitter.com/Y0tYFjiMwA

— Barclays Women’s Super League (@BarclaysWSL) January 8, 2025

Arsenal “squeeze” for Ejdeval

Arsenal lost two of their first five Champions League games of the season and won one of their four league games before Eideval’s departure, including a 2-1 home defeat by arch-rivals Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium in his last game. in VSL.

“The thing I missed the most … was finding a balance between where I can put my energy,” the 41-year-old said. “We had 37 employees when I left and 27 or 28 players in the team.

“One of the parts I found draining – and one of the parts in my decision to leave – was the lack of a sporting director to work with.

“I almost thought it was overwhelming to deal with so many people on a daily basis. As soon as I spoke to someone, it was because I had an agenda. I had zero conversations that were just “how are you?” It created a little void in me.”