A costly friendly match

The Netherlands national soccer team is being paid 900,000 euros to play a friendly match against China, slated to kick off at 8:00 pm Tuesday at Beijing Workers Stadium.

The star-studded Dutch team, led by Coach Louis van Gaal, in return will bring its iconic players, including Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt, except injured Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart, said the Qilu Evening News.

The Dutch players arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport on Saturday, welcomed by cheers from enthusiastic fans.

Van Persie took over as captain from Sneijder just days ahead of the friendly, with Kuyt appointed as second.

The last encounter between the two teams was a 0-2 defeat for China in 1996. Patrick Kluivert, one of the best-known Dutch footballers in China, played the match and now comes to China as Van Gaal’s assistant coach.