Eindhoven's warm welcome
Monday, May 8, 2006
Article summary
The UEFA Cup final will be played in a city "which is very passionate about football".
Article body
The Royal Netherlands Football Association's impeccable reputation for organising major events will once again be put to the test this week when Eindhoven hosts the 2006 UEFA Cup final.
Dutch soil
The most recent UEFA Cup decider on Dutch soil brought victory for a team from the country when Feyenoord triumphed in their own De Kuip stadium against BV Borussia Dortmund back in 2002. Although there is no Eredivisie involvement this time - despite the best efforts of SC Heerenveen, AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord - the KNVB is still taking pride in playing host to such a prestigious game. "I am a satisfied man," said general secretary Harry Been.
May focus
"After organising the UEFA Champions League final in the Amsterdam ArenA in 1998, the unforgettable UEFA EURO 2000™ tournament in conjunction with Belgium and, of course, the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship we have had plenty of practice in recent years," he added. "Next is the UEFA Under-21 European Championship in 2007." But for now the focus is on Eindhoven for Wednesday's match between Middlesbrough FC and Sevilla FC. While the PSV Stadion may not be the biggest venue in Europe, the aesthetically pleasing 31,300-seater arena is preparing to lay on a glorious show.
'Beautiful stadium'
"It's especially nice that this city and PSV have been awarded this final as they are ready for that," said Been. "They have built a beautiful stadium here, and the city is very passionate about football." And the KNVB general secretary believes this passion is one of the country's main attractions. "The secret to the Netherlands lies in the enthusiasm of the people," he continued. "We always have full stadiums and we have an excellent reputation for television coverage. We mix enthusiastic people, cities that are eager to organise things and the excellent media coverage proves that we are successful."
'Previous experience'
UEFA's Head of Club Competitions Michele Centenaro concurs that previous success helped Eindhoven's candidacy. "Their experience was a very important factor as there is a lot of expertise in the Netherlands and they have already hosted a lot of events and always delivered an excellent product," he said. "It's no coincidence that they also have been awarded with the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship final round."
