Te Kloese: Monterrey’s heat and passion await Oranje

Dennis te Kloese is already in Monterrey as Oranje prepare to face Morocco in the knockout phase of the World Cup. The former Feyenoord director is now CF Monterrey’s new ‘sportpresident’. “It is warm in Mexico. Really warm,” he says. Te Kloese, who officially remains Feyenoord director for a few more days, moved to CF Monterrey this week. Monterrey regularly sees temperatures of 40 degrees or higher, conditions he describes as comparable to the current Dutch summer. “Mexico is a real football country,” he says. “When the national team plays, the whole country stands still. They will be very interested in Netherlands vs Morocco — take that from me. For who they are? The Netherlands always stands out as a football nation. Oranje is popular.” The Mexican public’s reaction to Oranje is shaped by a painful memory: the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, when the Netherlands beat Mexico 2-1 in the Round of 16. Wesley Sneijder equalised in the 88th minute and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored the winner in extra time after a penalty awarded to the Dutch, a decision many in Mexico still dispute. Monterrey sits at altitude but not at an extreme level, Te Kloese notes. “I don’t think the players will have a problem with that,” he says. “They will feel the heat, though — it’s hot here all year round. Thirteen out of twelve months, I sometimes joke.”

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Te Kloese, 51, highlights the emotional connection Mexican fans have with football. “I read that Tijjani Reijnders wanted to play in Monterrey’s beautiful stadium,” he says. “It really is a stunning venue, with mountains framing the pitch.” CF Monterrey’s ties to the Netherlands extend beyond Te Kloese’s arrival. Former Oranje striker Vincent Janssen played for the club under the nickname El Toro, while Merel van Dongen, a former Lionesses international, also represented the side. Héctor Moreno, who previously played for AZ and PSV, is another Dutch-linked figure at the club. Monterrey is home to Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma, the brewery fully acquired by Heineken in 2010. “My family and I are back in my wife’s birth country,” Te Kloese says. “It’s a place where we’ve lived wonderfully for years. Monterrey presents a big but exciting challenge. The club has struggled in recent years on the pitch.”

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Te Kloese’s family has already experienced a Dutch-Mexican blend. “My son was two when we moved to Los Angeles,” he says. “He spent nearly five years in the Netherlands, playing for a club in The Hague. After the match, he ordered chocomel and a kroket with mustard.” “He’ll have to get used to it,” Te Kloese adds. “But believe me, it’s wonderful here. The Dutch supporters travelling for the game will feel the same way.”