ORANGE COUNTY PARTNERS WITH FEYENOORD
ORANGE COUNTY PARTNERS WITH EUROPEAN GIANT FEYENOORD
The 15-time Dutch Eredivisie champions form a first-of-its-kind partnership with 2021 USL Championship title winners for collaboration on player loans, development and scouting
IRVINE, CA (FEBRUARY 22, 2023) – Orange County Soccer Club has agreed a long-term partnership with Dutch Eredivisie giants Feyenoord, which lays out a collaborative and mutually beneficial approach to player loans, development and talent identification—adding value and impacting growth for both teams.
The partnership—the first of its kind between a USL Championship team and a continental European side—will work collaboratively to identify talent and recruit players in the Americas, Africa & Asia, bringing them in first to Southern California ahead of a potential move to The Netherlands.
Feyenoord, historically one of the most successful and celebrated clubs in Europe, will also host select Orange County SC players at its renowned facility in Rotterdam, Netherlands, for the purpose of training, personal development and potential future transactions. The partnership will also allow both clubs to explore loan opportunities, creating a potential pathway for Feyenoord’s players to bolster Orange County SC’s first-team roster.
“We take a lot of pride being recognized as a club that is on the forefront of player development in the U.S. and are excited to partner with Feyenoord, which is a very well-respected club in world football,“ said Oliver Wyss, President of Soccer Operations and General Manager. “This milestone partnership validates our extensive investment into player development and will elevate our already very successful pathway to new levels. Collaborating and learning from Feyenoord’s innovative ways will improve the technical side of our club and set us up for long term success both on the field and in the global transfer market.”
“We are very happy to establish this partnership with Orange County SC,” said Dennis te Kloese, CEO of Feyenoord. “Having been a soccer executive in the United States for a considerable amount of years, I know OCSC and its ambitious approach very well.
“Feyenoord shares Orange County’s drive to improve and we look forward to establishing a healthy cooperation between both clubs, exchanging knowledge on player development, digital innovation and scouting.”
Orange County SC won its first USL Championship title in 2021 and is dedicated to being the leader in professional player development in the United States. The club has forged an enviable reputation within U.S. soccer for developing and progressing young talent, notably with teenage center back Kobi Henry. After becoming one of the first two active USL Championship players to be called up to the full US Men’s National Team, Henry shattered the USL Championship transfer record with a historic move to French Ligue 1 side Stade de Reims in June 2022.
Orange County’s pro pathway model pairs talented young prospects with seasoned professionals. Ahead of the 2023 season, veteran Scotland international striker Marc McNulty has signed with the club.
With 15 Dutch Eredivisie titles, 13 domestic cups and multiple pan-European trophies on its honor roll, Feyenoord is one of Europe’s biggest and most storied soccer clubs. Its youth program is one of the most revered in Europe, producing internationally acclaimed players such as Robin van Persie, Nathan Ake, Stefan de Vrij and Georginio Wijnaldum.
The strategic partnership will allow Feyenoord to benefit from Orange County SC’s league-leading pro player pathway and scouting network, while enabling Orange Country SC to learn from Feyenoord’s decades of experience in training and player personal development.
The Feyenoord deal complements OCSC’s existing partnership with Glasgow Rangers, giving the club a continental European partner to sit alongside its British one.
