WELCOME REMARKS

Dear Soccer Fans,

As commander of the Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum and patron of the International Small-Pitch Soccer Tournament, it is a great pleasure for me to welcome all participating teams, coaches, supporters and of course our spectators to one of NATO’s largest events of its kind.

It is very impressive that more than 500 players from more than 20 nations will once again participate in this year's event.

Your participation not only underscores the special joy in sports, but the unifying effect that soccer has always promoted across borders, cultures and languages.

In the tournament teams from many NATO nations compete against each other to win the trophy, but in addition the competition also promotes our cohesion, our mutual understanding and joy.

This togetherness is what has made our Alliance so strong and successful for 70 years now. Together we do not only show our strength in football, but also impressively underline that our Alliance stands for diversity, understanding, security, freedom and peace.

In the two tournament days, of course football is in the foreground.

But we also want to create space for social interaction, great team spirit, mutual support and respect, tolerance and sportiness outside the pitch!

I am particularly pleased that former football professionals from the Netherlands and Germany enrich our event this year. With your participation, these great players stand shoulder to shoulder with us and support our common goals.

Together with all of you, I look forward to an exciting and entertaining tournament and wish all teams successful games!

Dear Soccer Fans,

Welcome to the 39th International Small Pitch Soccer Tournament in Brunssum!

Football plays a special role not only in the Netherlands but in almost all our allied nations and of course, in Germany.

It gets us thrilled, give us joy - and sometimes pain- when the teams to which we as fans give our hearts, win or lose.

Our internationally established soccer tournament, to be conducted this year for the 39th time in Brunssum, gives us exactly these emotions here on site.

Apart from our daily routines soccer brings us together in a sporty and fair competition, it strengthens contacts and creates new ones.

In the two tournament days, the main focus is on enjoying the games and on exchanging and mingling with the participants and our guests.

I'm looking forward to it with you, since it's the international diversity and the social interaction that makes our event so special!

In addition, our tournament has always served a charitable purpose. We want to emphasize this social character this year again and help those in need with all achieved surpluses.

With your commitment you can actively support us in achieving this goal.

My thanks go to all participants and helpers for their great commitment, without which this event could not take place.

I would also like to express my special thanks to all the civilian and military superiors who made the participation of the teams possible. Only through this willingness, the spirit of the tournament can be experienced.

I wish you all, as active participants, organisers or spectators a successful, fair, and exciting tournament.

Dear Soccer Fans,

In my capacity as the project officer, I welcome all participants to this year's tournament.

Hardly any other sport concentrates emotions as strongly as soccer does. Success and failure are often only a few seconds apart.

All these emotions are experienced together as a team, in victory or in defeat.

I am delighted that we are all meeting again here in Brunssum to promote and demonstrate not just football skills, but also values that are far more important to us.

Let us, therefore, take this opportunity to do something that deviates from our regular duties and responsibilities but still follows the same goals - maintaining existing contacts, building new ones, promoting mutual understanding, living team spirit, fairness, respect and contributing to the cohesion of our vast NATO family.

I look forward to a successful and fair tournament with respect for our athletic opponents, acceptance of refereeing decisions as well as tolerance and interaction.

I wish you two entertaining days and every team good luck, many goals and injury-free games!

My special thanks and appreciation go to all the supporters, helpers and superiors making this event possible from planning to execution.

It was, is and always will be a team approach!

Once again, welcome to Brunssum!

Yours