Amsterdam is the planned starting point for the Ukraine national team for Euro-2020

25.04.2020 17:28

Photo by Oleksandr Hlyvynskyi

We continue to talk about the location before the pandemic of the location of the national team in the final tournament of the European Championship, which by decision of the UEFA Executive Committee was postponed to 2021.

It was previously decided that a few days after arriving and being located at their tournament base in Bucharest, the blue and yellows will go to the place of their starting game for the Euro - Amsterdam.

Entrance through the George Bush gate.

Unlike Romania, the national team of Ukraine will arrive in the Netherlands through a powerful air hub "Schiphol", which is one of the five largest European airports in terms of passenger traffic. Located 17,5 km from Amsterdam, the resort receives more than 45 million passengers each year. However, thanks to the clear organization of the European Championship, the participating teams will not cross paths with any other passenger after arriving in the Dutch capital.

Representatives of the border service will promptly check the passports of the members of the game delegation just on board the plane, and right next to the aircraft's ladder a bus will be waiting for the collectors, which will take them to the hotel directly from the airport. It is interesting that the national team of Ukraine will leave the borders of the airport after passing through the gates of George W. Bush. In this way, history has engraved the mention that the President of the United States became the first passenger to take advantage of a special departure from the resort.

Photo by Oleksandr Hlyvynskyi

Cozy hotel near the center

It takes about 20 minutes to drive from the airport to the Hyatt Regency, which will be the first transfer for the blue and yellows in the European tournament. Opened only three years ago, the new hotel is located a few kilometers from the bustling tourist center of the capital - in a cozy quiet area. A five-minute walk from the Hyatt is the picturesque Osterpark, where the Ukrainian national team is sure to take a traditional team walk along shady alleys along the picturesque ponds.

Photo by Oleksandr Hlyvynskyi

The hotel itself will have two floors reserved for the national team, which will be guarded around the clock by security staff hired by the Euro organizing committee. Therefore, none of the outsiders will be able to get to the collection area. The blue-and-yellows will also have a separate dining room, at the same time equipped for theoretical classes, separate massages and rooms for cargo storage and equipment.

Traditionally, the hotel has an exclusive lounge area where players and coaches can relax and play billiards if they wish. Enter the hotel and leave it when, say, you need to go to training or a match, the team will be through a special separate entrance.   

Photo by Oleksandr Hlyvynskyi

A fort hotel for the Netherlands national team

Interesting fact - Hyatt Regency has already become a pre-match residence for away teams. Bayern Munich and Lyon Olympic stopped here before the games against Amsterdam's Ajax - in the Champions League and the Europa League, respectively. The battle between Ajax and Bayern in December 2018 is memorable with the extravaganza of goals scored with an exchange of goals in the last minutes - 3: 3.

But the hotel is especially proud of the fact that the Dutch national team, which usually gathers before home matches at the National Association in Zeist, set up here for the League of Nations match against France in September 2018. The Hyatt staff can safely record this visit to their victories, as the Oranges defeated the world champions - 2: 0. By the way, the hotel knows how to make pleasant surprises for its guests: a nice surprise was waiting for the Ukrainian delegation during the inspections of the room - blue chocolate with a golden trident depicted on it.

Photo by Oleksandr Hlyvynskyi

Ajax base is the future of Dutch football

Each host city of the European Championship has a transfer training base. In Amsterdam, this was the club campus "Ajax". The legendary academy of the Amsterdam club, which probably raised more than a hundred stars of world football, is located a few minutes drive from another no less famous building - "Amsterdam Arena".

Photo by Oleksandr Hlyvynskyi

On the basis of "Ajax" - 12 fields (including - artificial) on which teams of different age groups actively train - there are more than 10 of them, starting with U-9 (of course, there are teams of both boys and girls). In addition to the fields, there is an arena, a gym and a café on the basis of Ajax, which is also called De Toekomst ("Future"). In the latter, the story has a vivid illustration: photos of teams of all years, trophies, a T-shirt by Johann Cruyff himself - all give the younger generation an understanding of what a unique place it grows.

The national team of Ukraine, if necessary, will be able to train on the main field of the Ajax base, equipped with grandstands with a canopy. Here, in particular, youth teams play their matches. The blue and yellows will use this lawn if, say, the coaching staff decides to hold classes on the field on the day of the game, because the field of the tournament stadium is reserved for official training.

Photo by Oleksandr Hlyvynskyi

Johann Cruyff's Arena is an impressive innovation in technology

The majestic Amsterdam Arena, built before Euro 2000, was opened in 1996. After the death of the legendary player and coach Johan Cruyff, it was decided to name the building after him, so for two years the arena has been called just that. With a capacity of more than 50 spectators, the stadium impresses with technologically innovative solutions. Perhaps the sliding roof now does not surprise the locals as in the late 90's, but the use of solar panels and car batteries to save electricity shows the concern of the Dutch for the environment. In the summer of 2018, 148 batteries (new and used) from Nissan Leaf cars were installed at the stadium, which are able to support the lighting of the arena even when disconnected from the general network. And energy savings are enhanced by more than 4 thousand solar panels that power the complex.

And the arena is not just a bowl of the stadium. The ideal emerald lawn is surrounded by a multifunctional building, on the territory of which there are many lodges and halls that are actively used for various events. Overcoming the level of the modern business center on the escalator, you do not stop for a moment to think that this is a football monastery. From the bust of Johan Cruyff on the ground floor and his giant photo a little higher, the gallery continues with numerous photos of other stars of "Ajax" and the national team of the Netherlands - everything breathes the glorious history of Dutch football!

Photo by Oleksandr Hlyvynskyi

Outstanding guests of Amsterdam Arena

Game rooms, as expected, are located at the lowest level (with parking) - for ease of use. Locker rooms are impressively simple: wooden chairs and hooks for the uniform - that's all that is at the service of players! At the same time, there is a feeling of a certain spaciousness in the style of "techno". During the inter-game period, when excursions are actively conducted at the stadium, T-shirts of the most famous football guests of "Amsterdam-Arena" were hung out in the guest locker room, where, in fact, the national team of Ukraine is located before the match and official training.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Francesco Totti, Manuel Neuer, Harry Kane - these and much more players' jerseys can be found here.

Photo by Oleksandr Hlyvynskyi

Looking at this, you are looking forward to when the uniform of the national team of Ukraine, which is about to start its performance at the Euros, will sparkle with the most heart-pleasing blue and yellow colors. And although due to the unprecedented pandemic of the last century, this event was postponed for a year, the feeling of the peculiarity of the moment for the national team of Ukraine does not diminish. The year will pass quickly, and we will definitely chant "Ukraine!" in the arenas of Euro 2020!

For more on Amsterdam and other national team locations, see the UAF video blog "Marshrutamy Zbirnoi"  

Oleksandr Hlyvynskyi, press attaché of the national team of Ukraine