Expectations for the Tournament

15 June 2025

Raymond van Meenen
On Friday afternoon, he is spotted in front of the large banner showing the history of the Marvel Tournament, probably reminiscing old memories. Raymond van Meenen has been attending the Marvel Tournament since 1994. He has been here in various roles, but this year he is here as the manager of referee affairs for professional football at the KNVB, together with his family, to enjoy the tournament again. When briefly asked about his expectations for the tournament, he says:
“It’s very cliché, but with such a strong field of participants, teams so evenly matched, and the beautiful weather, all the ingredients are there for another fantastic tournament.”

Allain Wallyn (head coach of Lille OSC)
Lille OSC is participating in the Marvel Tournament for the first time this year. Coach Allain Wallyn is excited:
“We are grateful to be allowed to play here. We are really looking forward to measuring ourselves against the top teams. We want to perform as well as possible with good football, always relying on our own strengths and playing principles. It’s a great test for our players to compete against these opponents.”

D’Angelo dos Santos (Feyenoord U15)
D’Angelo became Dutch champion last week by beating AJAX on penalties. He is participating in the Marvel Tournament for the second time and speaks enthusiastically and with a big smile about his expectations:
“I’m looking forward to playing against all those great big clubs. There are many opponents we haven’t played against before, so that’s really fun. We will do everything we can to finish as high as possible.”