Feyenoord lost 4-3 to neighbours Sparta Rotterdam, their eighth defeat in the last 12 across all competitions, on a tumultuous day in Rotterdam.
Scrutinised manager Robin van Persie took to the media to explain the omission of former captain Quinten Timber from the starting lineup, citing a lack of work ethic in training as the main reason behind benching the midfielder.
Timber was brought on in the second half, but was unhappy with Van Persie's pre-game comments, he admitted following the game.
"I think it's a bit of a shame that it has to be this way," Timber told ESPN. "It's happened a few times now that the coach hasn't protected the player. In this case, it was me again. There is a limit. It's happening again now. It seems like a puppet show where people are now saying I am not doing anything. That needs to be made clear."
Quinten Timber, who's reportedly on his way to Olympique Marseille, told his story in an interview he requested on the spot, without the approval of either the club's press manager or Robin van Persie.
Head-to-head fight
The tension between Van Persie and Timber boiled over in the locker room, where the two butted heads in a heated fight, as revealed by Algemeen Dagblad journalist Mikos Gouka in an interview with Feyenoord director Dennis te Kloese.
Te Kloese was present in the locker room and witnessed the incident, Gouka reports, but didn't reveal much about the incident.
"I'm not always in the locker room, but I have been there more often in recent times," he told Algemeen Dagblad. "But I get the question. To me, it's 'what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas', even though that doesn't work out here often."
Gouka continues by saying that everyone knows about the incident and that Van Persie and Timber had to be forcibly separated, to which Te Kloese refused to comment.
"I can't say that everything is amazing. Of course, this isn't good either. However, there are things that must stay within the club. I shouldn't discuss this with the press," said Te Kloese.
Robin van Persie was assured of his position by Te Kloese following the game, and the director confirmed this towards Algemeen Dagblad, refusing to admit when Van Persie's job would be at risk.
"There are no sacred cows here. The results are poor; we're not hiding from that. But it has to stop at some point. If you want to know when it will be enough, the answer is no. We have to start winning. And if we miss out on the Champions League again, it will be difficult for our development. Because the growth we made as a club was largely due to our participation and winning on that stage."