Spakenburg takes early lead against FC Utrecht – Wijnaldum’s return to AS Roma

Spakenburg is completely under the spell of the cup. But for goalkeeper Alessandro Damen, the quarterfinal against the FC Utrecht pros is even more special.

Damen himself also played eight years of professional soccer, with Excelsior, Heracles and ADO Den Haag. But he was considered a real late bloomer, because until the age of 24 he played in the amateurs at De Meern. And that is also the club of Frans van Seumeren, the owner of FC Utrecht. Damen started at De Meern at the age of six and joined the first team there in 2009.

As a child, he already went to Stadion Galgenwaard with his father and grandfather. Tonight, 32 years old now, he plays there himself in front of packed stands.