A moment many Dutch football fans had waited for finally arrived. As well as excitement and adrenaline streaming through the blood of many ‘Oranje’ supporters, the nervousness was present on many faces. Among them, approximately 1,000 students.
The Netherlands had not won at home since March 2015, they missed out on the Euro 2016, and the kick-off to the World Cup qualifiers wasn’t the best of starts either. This was a crucial game that had to be won, and so for 15 euros per seat, one area of ‘De Kuip’ was packed with fanatic students.
Special package
This was a special package for students, organised by OnsOranje, who offered tickets for a discount, including a free drink that had to be picked up outside the iconic stadium.
The ‘Oranje’ had a strong start to the game against Belarus, with a few chances for the Dutch strikers, and so an early goal was imminent. Ollie, a second year history student stated that “the game play was great, they delivered with some good finishes. Overall the game was better than I expected from this team”. Victor, also a second year history student, who chose De Kuip over watching his country play, added to that. “The Dutch have very good sportsmanship and it’s really easy for me to identify with the Dutch team.”
First time
Despite De Kuip not being full, the atmosphere was amazing, as Ollie said. “It was a great game to see, especially as it was my first time seeing the legendary Dutch national team play live”, he added. A marching band kicked-off a great night of football by playing both national anthems as the stadium turned red, white, blue and orange.
It definitely promised to be a thrilling night. Victor, another history student, emphasized that “the student price is a very good idea, especially because of the free beer. Unfortunately, it was non-alcoholic, but that didn’t make the night any worse.”
After 90 minutes of jumping, singing and participating in the ‘wave’ to keep warm, a 4-1 victory was visible on scoreboards. All in all, a 15 euro game with 5 goals, and a free drink, in De Kuip , was certainly value for money, even for a student.
