From father to son

From father to son: a special Olympia Talent Cup for Vano from Winterswijk.

For Vano, the upcoming edition of the Olympia Talent Cup will be one he will never forget. The midfielder is joining S.V. Longa’30 as a guest player from Trias during the international youth tournament. Extra special: his father, Paul, used to play for the club himself.

When Vano heard that he had been invited, it came as quite a surprise. “Suddenly you find yourself in a different team,” he says. Fortunately, it soon felt familiar. Together with a few other boys from the region, he joined the Longa’30 squad, and the atmosphere was good right from the first training session. “It is a really nice team,” he says. “The guys are nice and serious about football.”

According to him, the preparation leading up to the tournament makes it even better. They are not just working towards a few matches, but truly towards a shared goal. Training together, getting to know each other better, and growing more and more as a team. “It was already great fun right after the first training,” Vano says enthusiastically. What is he looking forward to the most? He doesn’t have to think about that for long. “Playing matches against big clubs together.” After all, it is the first time he is playing against top international teams. That is impressive, but above all, it generates a lot of enthusiasm. “I’m really looking forward to it.”

For Paul, it is very special to see his son playing in the Longa’30 shirt. He himself played for the club for years and experienced some great periods. “I really had a wonderful time at Longa’30,” Paul says. “So it is extra special to see your son wearing the same shirt now at such a special tournament.” He also sees how much the tournament is already doing for the boys. “They are really looking forward to it together, and that is what makes it so beautiful.”

But ultimately, for Vano, it is mainly about the experience. New opponents, the atmosphere surrounding the tournament, and taking to the field with his team during an international football weekend where so many young talents come together. That is exactly what makes the Olympia Talent Cup so special.