HatTrick help for KNVB campus

UEFA has helped the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) strengthen its football development work through the establishment of a new football campus at the KNVB sports centre in Zeist.

Thanks to funding from the UEFA HatTrick assistance programme, the KNVB is upgrading its infrastructures, and UEFA's HatTrick Committee came to Zeist for its latest meeting to see the results for themselves.

A special plaque was unveiled in recognition of UEFA's crucial assistance, reading: "The KNVB campus is supported by UEFA."

"We wanted to have something permanent to show UEFA's support in the building of the KNVB campus, the home of Dutch football," explained KNVB president Michael van Praag.

Allan Hansen with the plaque thanking UEFA for its support©KNVB

UEFA HatTrick Committee chairman Allan Hansen paid tribute to the KNVB for their "fantastic campus", saying: "The aim of the HatTrick programme is to encourage our national associations to upgrade facilities and develop the game. This is exactly what the KNVB is already doing."

The new football campus is set to host all national-team training camps, with its facilities geared towards developing football knowledge through performance analysis, and giving education and development opportunities to a variety of target groups.

Several building blocks are involved in the KNVB football campus project – training and research (playing fields, indoor halls, performance facilities); a football medical centre; meeting and lodging facilities; and office structures for the KNVB administration and other Dutch football organisations.

KNVB president Michael van Praag shows Allan Hansen the plaque recognising UEFA's help©KNVB

The running track at the KNVB campus in Zeist©KNVB

All of the Netherlands teams - men's, women's, youth and senior - will benefit from the campus©KNVB

Virtual reality technology is used for training at the KNVB campus©KNVB