04
April
2022
|
15:43
Europe/Amsterdam

'De Wedstrijd van je Leven' is back

Dream match for amateur team in Olympic Stadium LIVE on ESPN

The popular event 'De Wedstrijd van je Leven' (The Match of Your Life) is back on ESPN. This show, in which an amateur team takes on FC De Rebellen, is supported by KPN (main sponsor of the Eredivisie) and the VriendenLoterij (social partner of the Eredivisie). With this initiative, the three organizations want the winning team to experience the real Eredivisie feeling. All senior teams in Dutch amateur football, men or women, will have the chance to play an unforgettable football match on 27 May, in the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN. 

Fully organized match live on TV
“More than 2,000 Dutch amateur football teams registered for the previous edition. Naturally we aim to exceed that number this year,” says ESPN-host Aletha Leidermeijer. For this edition of “De Wedstrijd van je Leven” the Olympic Stadium awaits the winning amateur team on Friday, May 27. It will play against FC De Rebellen at that historic venue. This team is made up of former top professional players and appears regularly with stars like Glenn Helder, Pascal Bosschaart and Ruben Schaken. The team is coached by Gertjan Verbeek. The match is refereed by four officials including former top-level referee Roelof Luinge. ESPN will use a large number of cameras to show the match live, with Aletha Leidelmeijer, Hans Kraay Jr. and Koert Westerman as the presenters.

Football connects
KPN is fully involved in Dutch football and supports the sport across the board, from the Eredivisie and the national men’s team to the successful Lionesses. “Millions of us go to watch a match every week, come rain or come shine,” says Mark Versteegen, Head of Sponsorships at KPN. “By sponsoring ‘De Wedstrijd van je Leven’ we want to give amateur clubs in the Netherlands the opportunity to experience a genuine Eredivisie feeling.”

VriendenLoterij
The VriendenLoterij has been a social partner of the Eredivisie since 2005. Through this partnership the Lottery helps Eredivisie clubs with social projects and activities that contribute to a strong, healthy world. “Football is a lot more than just sport, football connects,” says Geert Friebel, Head of Marketing & Partners at the VriendenLoterij. “This is the case not only at Eredivisie clubs but also at amateur clubs that play an important social role in their local area. With this match we connect the two worlds to each other.”

Registration now open
From today, all adult teams in Dutch football, both men and women, can register free of charge via wedstrijdvanjeleven.nl. Teams with the most votes and the most original endorsements have a chance of getting a ticket for the final.

About ESPN
ESPN is the home of Dutch club football. The Eredivisie, the Keuken Kampioen Divisie, the TOTO KNVB Cup and the Women’s Pure Energie Eredivisie can be seen live on ESPN, along with international football such as the UEFA Europa League, the UEFA Conference League and MLS, and major American sports such as NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB, College Basketball and College Football. ESPN is available from providers such as Ziggo (421), KPN (14), T-Mobile (150), Online.nl (405), CanalDigitaal (30), Delta (421) and Youfone (21), is available in UHD from several providers and can be watched by many TV viewers without an additional subscription.