Santiago Gimenez delighted to secure Feyenoord’s KNVB Cup semi-final spot

Santiago Gimenez spoke of his delight as Feyenoord progress through to the next round of the KNVB Cup after beating fellow Eredivisie side Heerenveen, he told ESPN

The striker’s goal in the 80th-minute was the difference for the league leaders to keep their domestic cup hopes going as they progress through the semi-finals.

Head coach Arne Slot decided to play the final phase against Heerenveen with both Mexican Giménez and Brazilian Danilo briefly late on in the match – a choice that worked out well.

It was Danilo who enabled his Mexican teammate and competitor to score the only goal of the match. 

“Arne is very intelligent. He knows when it’s possible and when it’s not,” Giménez said about Slot’s choice. “It was possible today.”

“We are both strikers. We both come from South America,” Giménez continues. 

“We are very good friends and give our lives for each other on the pitch. It was a great pass.”

“It all went very quickly,” Giménez looks back on his goal. 

“I don’t know what was going on in my head. I only saw the keeper coming, so I had to finish the ball quickly. Cool? At that moment I was very nervous. You know it’s the only chance you have. It was a very difficult match.”

Giménez also saw how the possible upcoming opponent Spakenburg stunted at FC Utrecht the day before. 

The semi-professional side ply their trade in the third-tier of Dutch football known as the Tweede Divisie and currently sit seventh in the division. 

The Argentine-born striker said Spakenburg’s success is the cup shows to quality in football and is motivation to everyone else too. 

“Incredible, huh? This is football. Everything can happen. It’s always positive when things like this happen, because it gives all teams motivation to win the cup.”

GBeNeFN | Tom Phillips

More European Football News