27
January
2021
|
18:05
Europe/Amsterdam

KPN launching partner E_Oranje

KPN has committed to becoming a launching partner of E_Oranje, the pre-selection of the digital Dutch team, part of the Royal Dutch Football Association’s (KNVB) new E_football strategy. The telecom company has been a partner of the KNVB for almost four years and seeks to increase its role in Esports and gaming with this partnership. Together, the KNVB and KPN want to continue to develop E_football in the Netherlands. In October, the KNVB rolled out an E-football strategy aimed at enhancing the experience of football fans and reaching and connecting with as many physical football fans and E_footballers as possible.

The KNVB’s new digital flagship is E_Oranje, with Koen Weijland as national E_coach. This week, ten candidates will compete for a place in the definitive E_Oranje selection during a training camp at the KNVB Campus in Zeist. This selection consists of five E_footballers who play for the Netherlands during international FIFA and UEFA tournaments and in friendly international matches. By joining as an E_football partner at an early stage, KPN obtains a number of exclusive rights to the qualification events and training camps organized by the KNVB. In addition, KPN will have the right to develop an official E-Room with the KNVB, which will serve as the innovative home base of E_Oranje. Of course, the KPN E_Room will have the very best connections via both KPN fiber-optic and 5G.

“By linking KPN to our ambitions at this early stage, we’re making clear that we take the decision to join E-Football seriously,” says Jean-Paul Decossaux, the KNVB’s Commercial Director. “Our goal is to connect the footballer and the football fan to the KNVB, whether it is on the field with the Dutch national team and the Oranje Lionesses, or digitally with E_Oranje. We are pleased that KPN shares this ambition with us and we will work together to make E_football successful in the long term.”

“As a partner of the KNVB and main sponsor of the Eredivisie, KPN has been intensively involved with Dutch football for years,” says Mark Versteegen, KPN’s Sponsorship Director. “We support the sport across the board, from the Eredivisie, the national team and the successful Oranje Lionesses, to local amateur football clubs. With the E_Oranje partnership, KPN is further expanding its presence in the Esports and gaming domain. As main sponsor of the eDivisie and this expansion to E_Oranje, we can reach a large section of the gaming youth. Esports is one of the fastest growing sports communities in the world. With our super-fast and stable fiber-optic network and our ‘best on test’ mobile network, we are there as “the network of the Netherlands” for all gamers.

E_Oranje
E_Oranje is led by national E_coach Koen Weijland – multiple FIFA world champion, five-time FIFA world champion, five-time FIFA Dutch champion, and the first E_footballer to earn a professional contract – will meet for the first time at the end of January to prepare for various matches. The qualifiers for the FIFA eNations Cup will take place on Thursday 18 and Friday March 19 and Thursday 25 and Friday March 26. There, it will become clear who will qualify for the finals of the FIFA eNations Cup, which will take place between Tuesday 18 and Sunday May 23.