Feyenoord coach Gio van Bronckhorst is sorry for Frank de Boer over his sacking at Crystal Palace.

De Boer was axed by Palace on Monday, just 77 days after his appointment.

Van Bronckhorst, preparing for tonight's Champions League opener with Manchester City, said: "I'm very sorry he was fired because he trained the club for a couple of months.

"As a trainer you need time and trust from the board. You have to get the time to develop your team."

Van Bronckhorst says he went through a similar experience at Feyenoord, but received the backing of the board.

"I lost a lot of matches, but the board gave me the confidence to go on," he continued. "They saw my qualities. I got the chance to make it good and then finally won three trophies. Frank did not get that chance, so I'm very disappointed in that respect."