Primary school pupils to report on Football Classic

On Saturday 10 February, the Johan Cruijff ArenA will host the Football Classic between Ajax Women and Feyenoord. Main sponsor ABN AMRO is putting the spotlight on this important match with a children’s press conference especially for primary school pupils aged 10 to 12 years old. The young reporters will have a unique opportunity to discover what it is like to be a sports reporter and will also be able to interview the players themselves. With this initiative, ABN AMRO and Ajax are looking to involve a new generation in women’s football, and thereby help create equal opportunities for all.

After the Classic, there will be a special press conference for children at the Johan Cruijff ArenA. The pupils at the conference will have the opportunity to ask various Ajax Women players all sorts of questions. They can then write reports for their school newspapers or create content for their schools’ websites or social media channels. To prepare the young reporters, a sports journalist will give a workshop before the game on how to do interviews. With this initiative, ABN AMRO and Ajax want the new generation to tell the story of the Classic, and thereby show that football is for everyone. Role models such as Sherida Spitse and Chasity Grant are playing an important role here.

“When I was a kid, we knew of hardly any female role models we could look up to. But thanks to those few we could look up to, I was able to nurture the dream of becoming a professional footballer. By giving women’s football the status and visibility it deserves, we can instil a passion for this sport in every kid. The children’s press conference will open doors and help the new generation see women’s football as being right up there with the men’s game,” says Daphne Koster, a former international player and now the manager of women’s football at Ajax.

The equaliser for women’s football

The children’s press conference underscores the mission that Ajax and ABN AMRO share to take women’s football forward. ABN AMRO has been the main sponsor of Ajax’s women’s team since 2015, underlining its commitment to equal opportunities in sport and to the development of women’s football. Over the last ten years, the club has worked with the bank to roll out various initiatives, such as holding an annual Talent Day, creating a Talent Team, and developing a CLA for all Ajax Women. This lets all female players focus entirely on their sporting careers, which is a crucial step in the professionalisation of women’s football. What’s more: the Classic is now being played at the Johan Cruijff ArenA for the second time.

“Through our sponsorships, we are working to accelerate equal opportunities for all. The nearly 10-year partnership with Ajax Women is a great example of this acceleration. In women's football, focus and drive have already produced many positive changes. That’s why we continue to work on growing women’s football further,” says Sander Bestevaar, Head of Sponsoring & Events at ABN AMRO.