Yanmar Hanasaka Stadium, the new name of Almere City FC stadium

The expanded stadium of Almere City FC will, from now on, continue as Yanmar Hanasaka Stadium. With the new name, Almere City FC and owner Yanmar give their long-standing partnership extra meaning and emphasise their shared focus on developing young talent.

The Japanese term Hanasaka translates freely as ‘let it bloom’. The concept is about passing on knowledge, experience, and opportunities to the next generation, so that it can develop further and ultimately come into bloom. This idea aligns with the development Almere City FC pursues as a club: building an environment in which talent can develop and generations strengthen and succeed one another.

Hanasaka also aligns with the ambition of the Netherlands’ youngest professional football club to succeed with as young a squad as possible, preferably composed of youth players who have come through the Ruitenheer Football Academy. Marley Dors is a good example of this. The forward came through Almere City FC’s youth academy and subsequently stepped up to the first team. His development illustrates the idea behind Hanasaka: what is built and passed on today can form the basis for what is possible tomorrow.

The new stadium name therefore represents more than a simple name change. Yanmar Hanasaka Stadium is a place where dreams begin, talent is nurtured, and new successes are celebrated. With the opening of the renovated stadium, a new phase begins for Almere City FC, in which the club continues to build towards the future together with supporters, businesses, social partners and the municipality.

Samir Laoukili, CEO of Yanmar Europe B.V.:

Almere has been our home base in Europe for many years, with the stadium located right next to our head office. Our bond with the club and the city is therefore very tangible. The fact that Hanasaka is now part of the stadium’s name makes visible what that partnership is about for us: giving people the opportunity to develop and move forward together.

John Bes, general director of Almere City F.C.:

The ambition of our club is based on the development of young people. Whether it concerns talents on the pitch, in our office organisation, in the stands or participants in our social programs. Hanasaka is the concept that perfectly captures both the means and the goal, and moreover, underlines the sustainable relationship with Yanmar.