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Paint the town orange | Inside UEFA

This will be the biggest EURO ever, and while it is a celebration of 60 years of the competition, it will also mark 20 years since the Netherlands jointly hosted EURO 2000 with neighbours Belgium – a tournament that Michael van Praag, president of the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB), remembers fondly.

“I have some great memories because all those great [footballing] countries were close by. You could go and see them play. It was also very important in the development of Dutch football,” Van Praag says. “I also think that many young boys became enthused by what they saw there, and also started playing football [because of EURO 2000].”

Johan Cruiyff ArenA (Photo: Jorrit Lousberg)©UEFA

Bid success Their successful bid to jointly host EURO 2020 was welcome news for the KNVB and the enthusiastic supporters, who back not only the brilliant Oranje, but are also enthusiastically gearing up for a great party in Amsterdam. “Everyone wanted to [bid]. We, the Netherlands, are also too small a country to organise something like this on our own. But, we really wanted to take part because we have a huge fan base and everybody dresses up in orange, and we thought if we manage to qualify, then you have a European Championship where you can also play a couple of home games. And that’s great for them. Also, we think it’s great that young kids are able to see famous players from other teams in the flesh in Amsterdam.

“The idea behind [EURO 2020] was that you organise the European Championships in places where it would never normally take place, because many countries in Europe cannot organise a European Championship as they are too small. So, by going to various cities, you end up in places where the EURO wouldn’t normally take place. That’s what I really liked about it and also it’s the European Championship’s 60th birthday, so that calls for something special.”

Football for all Football is a way of life for the Dutch, and as Van Praag explains, helping to host a history-making EURO will trigger a new kind of legacy, as support for the game, and women’s football in particular, following their Women’s EURO 2017 home triumph and Women’s World Cup runners-up spot, continues to grow. “We are a country with a very dense infrastructure. We’ve [only] got 17 million people, but we have 3,140 amateur clubs, so a young boy or a girl can get on their bike and within ten minutes they can be at a club where they are trained by a qualified coach.

“But what we also see is that, especially between the ages of 13 and 16, both boys and girls stop playing football because they want to do something else, such as a different sport, gaming, going to cafés, and even though they are still very young, they can always go out and relax on a terrace [in a bar or café] somewhere. So, we obviously see a decline. We see that there’s an increase in women’s football, but we’re seeing a decline in boys. But, we hope that the fact there’s such a huge tournament coming to the Netherlands provides an extra boost, and those kids will say: ‘Hey, football really is great and let’s keep playing’.”

After failing to qualify for both EURO 2016 and the 2018 World Cup, the Netherlands began to rebuild and are enjoying better fortunes on the pitch, most recently as finalists in the UEFA Nations League, defeated only narrowly by Portugal. Naturally, this is an added reason to be excited about the upcoming EURO.

“The Dutch team is always celebrated,” Van Praag adds. “The side events around a match are always very important. Thousands or perhaps even tens of thousands of people attend these, all dressed in orange shirts or with an orange hat. We also see that the people who are fans of the Dutch team are not necessarily fans of football clubs. So, it’s often families with wives and children, which always creates a very special atmosphere at the national team’s matches. And when that is all organised in your own country, we put a lot of extra emphasis on [providing] good events on the side, to make sure to create fan zones, not only for the Dutch fans, but also for fans of other teams. One of the things that the Netherlands is famous for is inclusion. We find it very important to be together with people from different countries and backgrounds. So I expect that, when you talk about a united front against discrimination, the Netherlands will be at the forefront. Football for everyone. That is what we promote, and we will certainly use this tournament to put more focus on this.”

Amsterdam’s appeal Off the field, the KNVB and the city of Amsterdam are jointly preparing plenty of activities to engage local and visiting fans to the Dutch capital, while the city’s eternal and diverse appeal will attract fans to sights outside of sport.

“You have the canals, nice terraces and nice restaurants,” Van Praag says. “People from Amsterdam and the Netherlands are welcoming, we have that capacity. Amsterdam is not only a city. Just take a look at our beaches. Zandvoort is called Amsterdam Beach for example, and everything is accessible with ease. I think that Amsterdam and its surroundings are a great place for everyone to enjoy a day out. If you want to go out sailing, then you can do that, but you can also go and visit the forest, see the beautiful fields of flowers or visit a museum to see the The Night Watch by Rembrandt. You can all do that here.”

Amsterdam One of the world’s busiest port cities since the Dutch Golden Age, Amsterdam is a vibrant capital with a historical centre that has retained a relaxed and intimate vibe – its man-made canals, charming alleyways and ubiquitous bicycles combining to create a unique atmosphere. Amsterdam is a city steeped in art too, with masterpieces galore at the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum, and the creative spirit alive in its galleries and street art. The locals’ approach to football is equally colourful, orange being the preferred choice whenever the national team are playing. Johan Cruyff remains Amsterdam’s most famous footballer, and the Dutch legend’s name now adorns the stadium where Europe’s finest will star at EURO 2020, the same venue having hosted five games during the 2000 tournament.

MATCHES

Johan Cruijff ArenA

Capacity: 54,000 14 June: Group C match 18 June: Group C match 22 June: Group C match 27 June: Round of 16

This article originally appeared in UEFA Direct 186

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eddiejpoplar · 7 years

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Marco Wittmann wins the DTM finale at Hockenheim for BMW

Marco Wittmann (GER) produced an impressive display in his last race as DTM champion – for now – to claim his first win of the season and ensure that BMW ended the season on a high. He finished ahead of René Rast (GER) at the Hockenheim (GER) finale. Second place was sufficient for the Audi driver to win the title. Wittmann now has nine DTM victories to his name. He ended the 2017 season as the best-placed BMW driver in the Drivers’ Championship, finishing in fifth place with 160 points. In the Team Championship, BMW Team RBM was the top-placed BMW team in fourth. BMW ended the year third in the Manufacturers’ Championship.

Behind Wittmann, Maxime Martin (BEL) and Augusto Farfus (BRA), in sixth and seventh place, also picked up points in Sunday’s race at Hockenheim. Tom Blomqvist (GBR) started from pole position, but failed to finish after being hit from behind by another car. Timo Glock (GER) and Bruno Spengler (CAN) finished 12th and 14th. In total, 152,000 spectators followed the final weekend of the 2017 DTM season at the Hockenheimring.

The qualifying:

Marco Wittmann (Red Bull BMW M4 DTM) and Tom Blomqvist (BMW Driving Experience M4 DTM) were embroiled in a close battle for pole position throughout the 20-minute session, which was interrupted halfway through due to track damage. In the end, it was Blomqvist who secured the third pole of his career with a fastest time of 1:30.491 minutes, for which he scored three points towards the Drivers’ Championship. Wittmann ended the final qualifying session of the season in third place, picking up one point for his efforts. Maxime Martin (SAMSUNG BMW M4 DTM) and Augusto Farfus (Shell BMW M4 DTM) also made it into the top-ten in seventh and ninth places. Timo Glock (DEUTSCHE POST BMW M4 DTM) and Bruno Spengler (BMW Bank M4 DTM) were 12th and 14thfastest. Penalties awarded to other cars saw Martin promoted one place, while Farfus, Glock and Spengler moved up two places on the grid.

The race:

Tom Blomqvist and Marco Wittmann got away well at the start and were running first and second after the opening lap. A further three BMW drivers were in the top ten for the first half of the race, namely Maxime Martin, Augusto Farfus and Timo Glock. An earlier pit stop saw Wittmann leapfrog Blomqvist and take over as the leading BMW driver. With the Drivers’ title at stake, René Rast (GER, Audi) was showing good pace. He passed Blomqvist after his pit stop, while Wittmann pulled clear at the front of the field. A few laps later, Blomqvist was hit from behind by Robert Wickens (CAN, Mercedes) and forced to retire shortly after. Wittmann comfortably defended his lead to claim his first victory of the season in his last race, for now, as DTM champion. Rast was runner-up and crowned the new champion. Maxime Martin and Augusto Farfus came home sixth and seventh to pick up more points at the end of the season. Timo Glock and Bruno Spengler were 12thand 14th.

The reactions:

BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt: “The 2017 DTM season finished with an exciting final weekend. 152,000 spectators created a fantastic atmosphere – and witnessed two good, fair races. Timo Glock made it onto the podium for us on Saturday. Marco Wittmann’s victory then brought the season to a perfect close for us. We once again had three drivers in the points in the final race, and we have now had four wins this season. Although this is the first time since our DTM comeback in 2012 that we have come away without a title, I would like to say a big thank you to the whole team. It has been a hard year, but everybody gave it their all, right down to the final lap. Congratulations to René Rast and Audi on their titles. René got the better of the more established drivers in his rookie year. All in all, the DTM event here at Hockenheim has once again shown what makes this series so special: close battles, fantastic drivers, and passionate fans. Congratulations to Gerhard Berger and everyone involved. Race weekends like these are the reason we will offer the ITR our full support as it works to shape the future of this race series over the coming weeks and months.”

Stefan Reinhold (Team Principal, BMW Team RMG): “That was an eventful end to an eventful season. Firstly, congratulations to René Rast. We have known each other for a long time, so I am very pleased for him, and of course congratulations to Arno Zensen and his team too. I would like to say a big thank you to our team and BMW. We struggled with a few issues this weekend, but to see Marco on the top step of the podium again in the very last race of the year is just fantastic. We are already looking forward to next season.”

Marco Wittmann (#11, Red Bull BMW M4 DTM – Qualifying result: 3rd place, race result: 1st place – 74 races, 9 wins, 20 podiums, 9 pole positions, 683 points, 2 drivers’ titles): “I am really happy. Every driver wants to end the season with a win. It is a great way to go into the winter break. I have been hungry for my first win of the season ever since my victory at Zandvoort was disallowed. It feels fantastic to get it now. My team did a magnificent job. We made a few changes to the car after Saturday, and it really worked well. Thank you to the entire RMG crew, and congratulations to the new champion René Rast.”

Augusto Farfus (#15, Shell BMW M4 DTM – Qualifying result: 9th place, race result: 7th place – 84 races, 4 wins, 12 podiums, 6 pole positions, 380 points): “I think we performed well. There was not much more in it for us. It feels good to have picked up a few more points in the final race of the season. I am now looking forward to the winter break, then we can go on the attack again next year.”

Timo Glock (#16, DEUTSCHE POST BMW M4 DTM – Qualifying result: 12thplace, race result: 12th place – 74 races, 4 wins, 9 podiums, 4 pole positions, 346 points): “The whole day was unfortunately not exactly ideal. As on many other race Sundays this year, it did not really come together for us. We had to replace a damaged gearbox which meant that the suspension points were not right. Also, we did not have enough time left to change the anti-roll bar. As such, the car was not as good as yesterday and we were fighting a bit of a losing battle today. I think Marco’s victory is a nice end to the season for BMW. Respect to René Rast and congratulations on his title win. He fought hard for that in his first year. I take my hat off to him.”

Bart Mampaey (Team Principal, BMW Team RBM): “We had a very good qualifying and then led the race for the first few laps with Tom Blomqvist. It is obviously very disappointing that he was then taken out by Robert Wickens in a very dubious manoeuvre for which he was later penalised. Maxime made up a few positions, thanks to a good strategy and a quick pit stop. As the season draws to a close, I would like to thank BMW and my team. We always gave it our very best and, in my opinion, did as well as possible.”

Bruno Spengler (#7, BMW Bank BMW M4 DTM – Qualifying result: 14thplace, race result: 14th place – 157 races, 15 wins, 48 podiums, 18 pole positions, 833 points, 1 drivers’ title): “Congratulations to Marco on his win today and, of course, to René on the title. Personally, I am obviously not happy with my race today. I don’t think we were right to stop just three laps before the end of the race. That’s the way it goes sometimes.”

Tom Blomqvist (#31, BMW Driving Experience M4 DTM – Qualifying result: 1st place, race result: DNF – 54 races, 1 win, 5 podiums, 3 pole positions, 197 points): “My start was good, and I led up until the pit stop. That did not go well, and I lost ground as a result and dropped back two positions behind Marco and René. After that, I no longer had the same pace and had a few issues with the balance of the car. Robert Wickens then took me out of the race. All in all, it was very disappointing for me and, to a certain degree, reflects my entire season.”

Maxime Martin (#36, SAMSUNG BMW M4 DTM – Qualifying result: 7th place, race result: 6th place – 64 races, 3 wins, 10 podiums, 3 pole positions, 363 points): “It was a difficult race. We were not able to match the other cars’ pace so well in the second half. Despite that, it has been another good season for me. We have had a few highs and lows, but on the whole we were roughly as consistent as in previous years. Congratulations to Marco on his win today. And, of course, congratulations to Audi and René Rast on their titles.”

The standings:

Drivers: 1. René Rast (179 points), 2. Mattias Ekström (176), 3. Jamie Green (173), 4. Mike Rockenfeller (167), 5. Marco Wittmann (160), 6. Lucas Auer (136), 7. Timo Glock (133), 8. Maxime Martin (132), 9. Robert Wickens (119), 10. Gary Paffett (102), 11. Paul di Resta (99), 12. Nico Müller (81), 13. Bruno Spengler (75), 14. Edoardo Mortara (61), 15. Maro Engel (51), 16. Augusto Farfus (35), 17. Tom Blomqvist (25), 18. Loic Duval (22).

Teams: 1. Audi Sport Team Rosberg (352 points), 2. Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline (257), 3. Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Mercedes me (221), 4. BMW Team RBM (207), 5. Mercedes-AMG Motorsport BWT (197), 6. BMW Team RMG (195), 7. Audi Sport Team Phoenix (189), 8. BMW Team RMR (158), 9. Mercedes-AMG Motorsport SILBERPFEIL Energy (150).

Manufacturers: 1. Audi (798 points), 2. Mercedes (568), 3. BMW (560).

The article Marco Wittmann wins the DTM finale at Hockenheim for BMW appeared first on BMW BLOG

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