Sponsor Evening: Proud of the Rots Brothers
13 June 2026You won’t find them more genuine, sincere, or authentic. Brothers Daan, Mats, and Tiem Rots – a living example of “All good things come in threes.” They were the guests of honor and the grand finale of a fantastic sponsor evening kicking off the Marveld Tournament. Local lads, true “Groenlose jongens”, they ended the evening by singing along to Grol’s club anthem – the three musketeers of Grol sealing the night with a song. “One for all, all for one” – a tight-knit trio, charming Grol rogues with Grol in their hearts, confirmed by their loud and unanimous “YES!” when presenter Stef de Bont asked if they would end their football careers together at Grol – the club where Tiem Rots has played in the first team for several seasons, and where Daan and Mats took their first steps on the pitch. It will still be a while before that happens: Daan is now a key player at FC Twente, and Mats just signed with TSG Hoffenheim, currently 5th in the Bundesliga. For this reason, he’s been called “the 16-million-euro man” several times.
Aftermovie Sponsor Evening Grol & Marveld Tournament
During their introductions, they received thunderous applause from the audience three times. Everyone knows each other here. „I’m Mats Rots, and I’ve been a Hoffenheim player for a week now.“ „I’m Tiem, and I play here at the wonderful Grol in the first team.“ „I’m the oldest of the bunch. I’m Daan, I play for FC Twente – the second-most beautiful club in the world.“ The audience took the three brothers even deeper into their hearts as they shared stories about parental love, club love, motherly love, and brotherly love – all spiced with plenty of humor.
The Sound of Groenlo
Among the 600 attendees were mostly local and regional entrepreneurs who enjoyed a highly entertaining evening filled with business and football, humor, and insightful moments. One of the most inspiring speakers was Ynzo van Zanten, the creative mastermind behind Tony’s Chocolonely and co-founder of Innocent Drinks in the Benelux. His sharp quotes had many nodding in agreement, especially when he called it an honor to be present in “the pearl of the Achterhoek” that evening and referred to the many popping sounds in the room – caused by the swing-top bottles of Grolsch beer, born in Groenlo – as “the sound of Groenlo”. „I’ve always focused on the human side of business. When we talk about change, we must also talk about systemic change. We ourselves are the system.“ And: „Not every employer is happy when an employee gets pregnant. We wanted to encourage it, so we introduced a baby bonus: If you have a child while working at Tony’s, you get €1,000 cash in hand. If both parents work at Tony’s, you get €2,000, and if you name your child Tony, you get an extra €1,000. That’s how it’s done.“
Serdar Gözübüyük
The Netherlands’ top referee, Serdar Gözübüyük—who got his start at the Marveld Tournament, a time he fondly remembers—used video clips to take the audience on a journey through his hour-and-a-half-long experience, surrounded by 22 players and tens of thousands of passionate fans, all while the VARs blared in his ear. „I thought it was fantastic to gain experience at tournaments like this. That’s what I always tell aspiring referees.“ When asked if everything he’s been through was worth it to reach his current status, Serdar was honest: “Looking back at all those games, definitely. But when I started out as a 12-year-old boy, I didn’t know anything about social media or the passionate fans in the stadium—or even what happened a week later. I had no idea there was so much more to it. I hope some things will change in the future.” He stays realistic: „I’m grateful for all the great matches I’ve had – but you’re only as good as your last game.“
At the end of the evening, everyone was full of praise for the event. People chatted, toasted, and laughed, and amid the bustle, Mats, Tiem, and Daan Rots were celebrated in their own clubhouse, among their own people, in the living room of SV Grol – their SV Grol!
The musical entertainment was provided by the talented Achterhoek country singer Yara Beeks, who also shined during King’s Day in Doetinchem last year.
