Orange Legionnaire

Cheers to five more years.

In 2010, F.C. Twente sent an Academy advisor, Rene Hake, to help advise the Dayton Dutch Lions. That Academy advisor helped the Dayton Dutch Lions jumpstart their Dutch Lions Academy (as Hake judged youth players and helped sort infrastructure) in the Summer of 2010. As a result of Twente's help and the Dutch Lions coaches, players, and staff's laboring, the Dayton Dutch Lions Academy was a great success in their first year; And now the two clubs want to follow that successful start, with more interaction and more information sharing in their partnership in 2011 and for years to come.

As a result, a few days ago, dutchlionsfc.com reported that the two clubs have extended their relationship for five more years to come.

The Dayton Dutch Lions' owners, both Mike Mossel and Erik Tammer, were in Twente F.C. headquarters this past weekend to sign papers on the agreement. The Dutch Lion owners were also there to discuss how to strengthen their relationship with Twente in 2011, with Twente Technical Director Cees Lok and Financial Director Gert-Jan Nijweide.

It appears that both sides are not only on the same page, but on the same paragraph and in the same sentence when it comes to what they want to achieve together.

Twente Technical Director Cees Lok on the partnership:

"FC Twente has a lot of confidence in founders Mike Mossel and Erik Tammer. Their philosophy and vision on top professional player development matches our beliefs. I am convinced that their efforts will lead to more results and make the Dutch Lions FC a leading institute in the American Leagues and I certainly do not rule out the possibility of a top player of the Dutch Lions playing professional soccer for FC Twente in the future."

Dutch Lions owner Mike Mossel on the partnership:

“On one side we have access to the expertise of one of the top soccer institutes in Holland and Europe, on the other hand FC Twente is well on the way to become a global player and we offer them an option to tap into a market with tremendous opportunities. The US dominates almost every sport except for soccer but have the most active soccer players in the whole world. We believe that with the help of FC Twente we can combine the best of both worlds in our Youth Academy and create a Gateway to professional soccer for US players. The fact that we signed a five year agreement also shows we are both in it for the long term and want to invest in our relationship and the US.”