AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - The FIFA World Cup for youngster will kick off next weekend and all has been set in place in the host nation Holland to produce the most exiting football tournament of the summer and the most visited youth world cup in the history of FIFA. A short introduction.
Remarkable fact number one is the venue selection. All stadiums (apart from FC Utrecht's De Galgenwaard are located in provincial towns. That excludes any major city, which has been done on purpose. Organising committee member Harry Been explains: "Playing these matches in Holland's major cities would have been a mistake. These cities will be busy with summer festivals, dance parades, national and regional holidays and all those other things that make our cities vibrant. By moving it to the country-side, we make sure that the World Cup is THE local event of the summer, attracting huge interest from the local population. Several weeks before the start of the tournament, tens of thousands of tickets had already been sold and a run to the ticket office is expected for the following days. Also, the stadiums we selected are relatively small, guaranteeing a much nicer atmosphere than a half-empty ArenA could ever offer."
The host nation has given this tournament full credit itself by national advertising campaigns and, most importantly, a top-notch delegation from youth national coach Foppe de Haan, who explains it as follows: "We intend to win this trophee and I have selected the very best of the best this country has to offer. Ryan Babel from Ajax, Collins John from Fulham, Ibrahim Affellay from PSV, Gianni Zuiverloon from Feyenoord and many more relatively famous and excellent players have been selected. The public knows these players and I hope the entire nation will run to the ticket offices as a result."
But Turkey and Morocco will also be playing home matches. A large part of the Dutch population has it's origins in those two countries and the national coaches expect a lot of support. The most positive note on this front is that this tournament is already unifying the Dutch population rather than alienating the different supporters groups. The Dutch have had a turbulent year with terrorist attacks and increasing racism and violence against immigrant groups but now that things have calmed down this spring, this tournament will break down the final walls seperating the different groups in Dutch society.
All is in place, let the games begin.
By Erik
Additional information:
The tournament's official site
Participating teams
Remarkable fact number one is the venue selection. All stadiums (apart from FC Utrecht's De Galgenwaard are located in provincial towns. That excludes any major city, which has been done on purpose. Organising committee member Harry Been explains: "Playing these matches in Holland's major cities would have been a mistake. These cities will be busy with summer festivals, dance parades, national and regional holidays and all those other things that make our cities vibrant. By moving it to the country-side, we make sure that the World Cup is THE local event of the summer, attracting huge interest from the local population. Several weeks before the start of the tournament, tens of thousands of tickets had already been sold and a run to the ticket office is expected for the following days. Also, the stadiums we selected are relatively small, guaranteeing a much nicer atmosphere than a half-empty ArenA could ever offer."
The host nation has given this tournament full credit itself by national advertising campaigns and, most importantly, a top-notch delegation from youth national coach Foppe de Haan, who explains it as follows: "We intend to win this trophee and I have selected the very best of the best this country has to offer. Ryan Babel from Ajax, Collins John from Fulham, Ibrahim Affellay from PSV, Gianni Zuiverloon from Feyenoord and many more relatively famous and excellent players have been selected. The public knows these players and I hope the entire nation will run to the ticket offices as a result."
But Turkey and Morocco will also be playing home matches. A large part of the Dutch population has it's origins in those two countries and the national coaches expect a lot of support. The most positive note on this front is that this tournament is already unifying the Dutch population rather than alienating the different supporters groups. The Dutch have had a turbulent year with terrorist attacks and increasing racism and violence against immigrant groups but now that things have calmed down this spring, this tournament will break down the final walls seperating the different groups in Dutch society.
All is in place, let the games begin.
By Erik
Additional information:
The tournament's official site
Participating teams
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