AUSTIN, Texas — Austin FC has entered into a multiyear partnership with PSV Eindhoven — the announcement coming as a highlight of a Thursday visit from Queen Máxima of the Netherlands to Q2 Stadium.
The partnership between the nascent Major League Soccer franchise and PSV, a storied club from the Dutch Eredivisie, will allow for an exchange of knowledge and expertise on scouting, education, player development and more.
It also furthers a strengthening bond between Verde and the land of Oranje, which is the homeland of one of Austin FC's minority owners, Marius Haas.
“In a short period of time, and through a relatively unique set of circumstances that formed independent of each other, Austin FC has developed a unique connection to the Netherlands”, Austin FC president Andy Loughnane told The Striker. “The unique connections range from entering into meaningful sponsorship relationships with both Heineken and KLM to entering into a meaningful sporting arrangement with PSV Eindhoven all the way to purchasing Q2 Stadium’s grow lights from a Dutch company.
"And beyond the range of connections with Dutch companies, one of Austin FC’s limited partner owners, Marius Haas, is originally from the Netherlands and Marius was recently named as an honorary consulate to the Netherlands which is quite a distinguishment. And, of course, Danny Hoesen is Dutch and played in the Eredivisie in Holland before his arrival to MLS.”
It’s official! More about the Austin FC-PSV Eindhoven partnership up on the site pic.twitter.com/O4JgpQ5wlf
— The Striker (@TheStrikerNews) September 9, 2022
Last month, players and coaches from the Austin FC Academy traveled to the Netherlands, where PSV Eindhoven hosted Austin FC's under-17 team for a series of training sessions and friendly matches. The partnership will see similar opportunities for both clubs in the future.
And with aspirations to become a top talent producer in MLS, a partnership with PSV — a club that has produced the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ronaldo Nazário, and Arjen Robben — was a no-brainer.
“We’re very excited to partner with a club as well-respected in world football as PSV Eindhoven,” Austin FC sporting director Claudio Reyna said in a statement. “Working together and sharing ideas about player and coaching development is sure to benefit both clubs as we look to continuously improve the sporting side of our clubs through new and innovative ways of improving our soccer methodologies.”
Historic day at @Q2Stadium pic.twitter.com/vudDI4auyj
— Chris Bils (@ChrisBils) September 9, 2022
At this point, there are no immediate plans to exchange players.
PSV Eindhoven, established in 1913, has won 24 Dutch Eridivisie titles on top of claiming two European trophies, including the 1988 European Cup (today known as the UEFA Champions League). The style of play in the Netherlands, building off of the famed Total Football concepts made famous by the Dutch teams of the 1970s, is similar to the positional play system deployed by Austin FC under coach Josh Wolff.
Also on Thursday, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands made Q2 one of her stops during a three-day tour of the United States. The visit was made possible by Haas, the Dutch-born former president and COO of Dell Technologies who was appointed to the Dutch consulate earlier this year and tasked with strengthening economic ties between the Netherlands and the greater Austin area.
