From Team VVCS to Ajax: the summer of Graafland

Friday 03 September 2010

From Team VVCS and the FIFPro Tournament to Ajax and the Champions League. It sounds like a fairy tail. And this one really came true for Ronald Graafland.

After last season, Graafland was let go by Vitesse, where his contract had expired. The 31-year old Dutch goalkeeper did not immediately find a new employer, reason for him to call the VVCS in order to register for Team VVCS, for players who are looking for a new contract.

Graafland was a regular at the training sessions from coach Edward Metgod and even played a couple of friendly games with Team VVCS. He was on the list for the FIFPro Tournament, but withdrew himself when a club offered him a trial period.

That trial did not work out, but probably Graafland couldn’t care less at this moment. Ajax knocked on his door, in need of a new goalkeeper.

This week Graafland signed a one-year contract at the club from Amsterdam. Ajax is going to play in the Champions League and will face Real Madrid and AC Milan in Group G.

’Me signing at Ajax... This is something I didn’t dare dream about when my player’s representative Louis Laros advised me to sign up at Team VVCS at the beginning of this summer’, Graafland told with a big smile on his face, just before his first practice at his new club.

’This is great, almost too good to be true.’

Next to Graafland, eight other players that participated in Team VVCS this summer, have found a new club: Eldridge Rojer (FC Emmen, 2nd division), Sjors Verdellen (MVV, 2), Cor Varkevisser (Telstar, 2), Jhon van Beukering (Go Ahead Eagles, 2), Regilio Seedorf (FC Oss, 3), Niek Ripson (RBC Roosendaal, 2), Roel de Graaf (RBC Roosendaal, 2) and Edwin Linssen (AEK Larnaka, Cyprus, 1).

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