Van Damme was the first goalkeeper of Cercle Brugge in the 2015-2016 season. Due to his battle with cancer, he has hardly been in action in recent years. However, the keeper remained part of the selection. Van Damme received a new contract with Cercle Brugge last year. He also fathered a daughter.
His wife Kyana brought the news out via Instagram. “Our dearest darling, Daddy, left last night for his last match, a match that cannot be won anymore. You left us very slowly, yet you did it again in your own way… very strong.”
Van Damme died in the night from Monday to Tuesday. Cercle Brugge, which is in tenth place in the highest Belgian competition, says it is ‘in deep mourning’. “Words are not enough to describe what we feel, even though we knew that things had not gone well for a while. Today is an extremely difficult day in the almost 123-year history of Cercle Brugge. Miguel, your perseverance and strength to (again) going for it, setback after setback, was admirable. You are an example of positivism, perseverance and fighting spirit. A source of inspiration for everyone who fights. Forever in our green-black heart.”
Cercle chairman Vincent Goemaere expresses his condolences on Twitter and says that ‘the sixteenth minute remains symbolic’ for Van Damme. At the Belgian club, the goalkeeper wore the jersey number 16.
