Excelsior Rotterdam competes in Special Eredivisie
Next season, Excelsior Rotterdam will participate in the project ‘Special Eredivisie’ organised by the Dutch Foundation for the Disabled Child. 12 players signed contracts to join the special team.
“The best thing about this afternoon is that you can see that everyone is happy for the children. They experience something they didn’t expect and enjoy it to the fullest. If you see the children having fun on such an afternoon without pressure or victimisation and with a big smile on their face, then they are a very great example for many others”, says the head coach of the men team Ricardo Moniz.
Special Eredivisie with 9 teams
The Special Eredivisie team of Excelsior Rotterdam will compete with 9 Eredivisie clubs in the league. The Eredivisie clubs ADO The Hague, Ajax/Only Friends, De Graafschap, FC Emmen, FC Groningen, Heracles Almelo, VVV Venlo, SC Heerenveen and FC Utrecht will also participate in the competition.
“In addition to the training sessions, the clubs will compete with each other in a tournament format. This will be done in 8 vs. 8 form, the same form in which this target group normally plays. These tournaments will be played – if possible – in a stadium around a matchday. The entire experience of playing against other clubs in a great environment will be central. The children are already looking forward to the games and are eagerly waiting for their first minutes as an official player of Excelsior Rotterdam”, says Andrean Loizides.
Busy programme for new players
The children of the Excelsior Rotterdam G-team were presented with a packed programme. They started the afternoon with the official signing of their contract with the head coach of Excelsior, Ricardo Moniz. After that, they went on the main field of the stadium and got completely unexpectedly a training led by Moniz. Then they continued their way with a stadium tour and they finish the afternoon with a press conference of head coach Richard Mank of the female team Excelsior Barendrecht.
“The idea was to organise everything as tightly as possible for the children today. This way they could enjoy their contract signing and the surroundings of the stadium to the fullest. In addition, it was also a great opportunity to tell the parents more about the Special Eredivisie. All this has been achieved and we are very happy with it”, says Andrean Loizides.
Fantastic experience
It was noticeable that the new contract players were enthusiastic. Luise Sieswerda, parent of Excelsior Rotterdam G-soccer player Sabine Melis, also enjoyed the afternoon. “She is a huge football fan and was really looking forward to today. She has been practicing a lot on her signature the last few days and you noticed that she found it very exciting. In addition, this is a great opportunity to get acquainted with the ‘real’ world of football and that’s why I think they are all very happy with what’s going to happen. It’s great to see your child like that. I think it’s great that they can have such an experience in a stadium. The entire programme also makes it ‘real’. Signing a contract, training with Ricardo Moniz, a tour and a press conference. These are all things that Sabine was really looking forward to.”
Dutch Foundation for the Disabled Child
The Special Eredivisie is a project organised by the Dutch Foundation for the Disabled Child. Thanks to the support of VriendenLoterij it is possible to create the Honorary Division where having fun is paramount. Inge Vos, the project advisor at the Foundation, is extremely happy with the competition. “We started a long time ago with the planning of an Eredivisie for children with a disability. It is important that children with and without disabilities can play and exercise together. The Special Eredivisie is part of this to ensure that children with disabilities do not stand on the sidelines, but can participate and also realise their dream of playing at an Eredivisie club”, concludes Inge Vos.
Excelsior Street League
