Arsenal Women’s head coach Jonas Eidevall has resigned with immediate effect.
The Swede joined the Gunners from FC Rosengard in June 2021 and led them to two League Cup titles and the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2023.
But Arsenal have endured a difficult start to this season, with only one win from their opening four Women’s Super League matches and a heavy 5-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Club statement: Jonas Eidevall
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) October 15, 2024
Assistant coach Renee Slegers will take charge of the team on an interim basis.
Arsenal sporting director Edu said on the club website: “We thank Jonas for his commitment to the club and achievements here since joining us in 2021.
“We have great respect for the dedication and commitment he showed to our women’s first team and recognise the role he has played in the growth and development of Arsenal Women. We all wish him the very best for the future.
“Our focus will now turn to the process of appointing a new head coach and, in the meantime, supporting Renee as she takes interim charge of the team, starting with two important fixtures this week.”
Frustration from the Bayern loss was compounded by a 2-1 home defeat against Chelsea in the WSL on Saturday.
Asked about the pressure on his own position afterwards, Eidevall said: “I give absolutely everything today in the preparation for this game, I think you can see that the players give absolutely everything on the pitch.
“I think that’s the part you can control as a coach. And, just like focusing on the next match, I need to focus on the things I can control.”
Arsenal have not won the WSL title since 2019 having being usurped by Chelsea at the top of the tree, with Manchester City the team providing a consistent challenge.
Slegers’ first test will be a Champions League clash with Valerenga on Wednesday, while they return to league action on Sunday with a key game against West Ham.
England manager Sarina Wiegman gave her reaction at a press conference on Tuesday morning, saying: “I just heard it, to be honest I was a little bit in shock, I didn’t expect that.
“Of course that’s really sad. I had a good working relationship with him. I was a little bit flabbergasted to be honest.”
When then asked about fans having wanted Eidevall to go and if the extent to which his future was talked about was something she had seen before in the women’s game, Wiegman said: “The game is growing so much, and is visible so much, and of course now a few clubs in the Champions League, it is getting bigger and bigger.
“So you see that coming too, that’s also become part of the game, and unfortunately this is a negative one. Lots of things are very positive, but also some negative things are coming with that too.”
