The citizenship court ruling which threatens a 'crisis' for Dutch football

ArgentinaAustraliaBelgiumBrazilCameroonCanadaCosta RicaCroatiaDenmarkEcuadorEnglandFranceGermanyGhanaIranJapanMexicoMoroccoNetherlandsNorthern IrelandPolandPortugalQatarRepublic of IrelandSaudi ArabiaScotlandSenegalSerbiaSouth KoreaSpainSwitzerlandTunisiaUruguayUSMNTUSWNTWalesPodcastsThe citizenship court ruling which threatens a ‘crisis’ for Dutch footballThe Netherlands' rules on dual citizenship unknowingly affects multiple players in the country Monirul Bhuiyan/AFP via Getty Images Share articleThe Dutch Football Association (KNVB) has warned that a court ruling due on Monday could throw the nation’s top soccer league into “chaos”. The case in Utrecht, a city in the centre of the Netherlands, has been brought by NAC Breda — who play in the Eredivisie, the top division of Dutch football — regarding the eligibility of Go Ahead Eagles defender Dean James during a fixture between the sides on March 15, a game Go Ahead won 6-0. NAC highlighted that James, 26, was not eligible to play because he previously accepted an offer to represent Indonesia internationally in March 2025. The Netherlands-born defender acquiring Indonesian citizenship meant he automatically revoked his Dutch nationality and therefore required a work permit to play, despite holding a passport. NAC insist the result should be ruled invalid and the match replayed. The KNVB competition board rejected NAC’s appeal, ruling that the result would stand and not be replayed despite being notified that James was ineligible. In response, NAC have escalated the case to the Utrecht court. Both sides presented their arguments this week, with a ruling set for Monday. NAC argues its appeal relates to just one match, but the KNVB is fearful that the impact of any court ruling could throw Dutch football into chaos. A statement from NAC on April 15 confirmed their request to the KNVB competition board and subsequent appeal to the Utrecht court. The club said it would not be commenting further until the court had come to its decision. According to a report by ESPN.nl, KNVB’s legal case argues that at least 11 players in the Eredivisie would be impacted by the eligibility issue, and they were involved in a minimum of 133 top-flight matches this season. The KNVB argued that replaying one match would set a precedent that all those games would be ruled invalid. “We think that chaos will ensue because so many other clubs have made reservations,” KNVB vice president Mariane van Leeuwen told ESPN.nl this week. KNVB houdt rekening met paspoortchaos 🛂 Marianne van Leeuwen: "Dan zou het kunnen beteken dat de competitie niet uitgespeeld kan worden" 🔗 https://t.co/hvCbS2OQpT pic.twitter.com/akxhLm1k7Y — ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) April 28, 2026 “If NAC wins, those other clubs will also file summary proceedings. That could mean that the competition cannot be completed.” Speaking on NAC’s position, the club’s CEO Remco Oversier told ESPN.nl the case was about “securing the interest of NAC Breda”. The Athletic has approached NAC and the KNVB for comment. Dutch clubs must raise any concerns over a player’s eligibility to the KNVB’s competition board within an eight-day period following a match. NAC fulfilled this requirement for its case. The only other club who have appealed on a similar basis was TOP Oss — of the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutch football. TOP Oss highlighted Nathan Tjoe-A-On, the 24-year-old defender who declared for Indonesia in 2024, playing for Willem II against them on March 13 this year. Willem II won the match 3-1. As with NAC, the KNVB decided that the game would not be replayed. TOP Oss accepted the outcome without further escalation. Indonesia — the world’s fourth most populous nation — has struggled to produce top-level footballers due to an absence of infrastructure, but they have recently begun leaning on the nation’s diaspora, predominantly based in the Netherlands, to improve their fortunes. According to the Director of Indonesian Citizen Protection Judha Nugraha, more than 2.2 million Indonesian citizens live abroad and around 1.7m are in the Netherlands, which ruled Indonesia for over three centuries. Indonesia’s 23-man squad for the March international break included 15 players born in the Netherlands. Indonesia and the Netherlands have rules against dual citizenship that remove the citizenship of other nations. Players who were born in the Netherlands and play club football in the country, but have declared for Indonesia, have, in theory, unknowingly not been allowed to fulfil work commitments without a work permit. It is not just Indonesia, however, that has multiple cases of dual citizenship in the Netherlands sporting sphere. Netherlands-based Suriname internationals Etienne Vaessen (FC Groningen), Tjaronn Chery (NEC Nijmegen), Liam van Gelderen and Jean-Paul Boetius (both RKC Waalwijk) all temporarily were unable to carry out their work duties, such as training in club facilities, until the issue was resolved. The Netherlands is the only EU country that automatically revokes the citizenship of its nationals in the event of gaining dual nationality with a non-EU country. Article 15, paragraph 1, sub a of the Dutch Nationality Act confirms Dutch citizenship is “lost for an adult … by voluntarily acquiring another nationality”. The use of “voluntarily” means that those born into multiple nationalities can retain these citizenships, but — other than through marriage — gaining citizenship elsewhere, such as through declaring to represent a nation through sport, means Dutch citizenship rights are automatically lost. The Dutch government says it “wants to limit dual citizenship as much as possible”. Citizens of Indonesia, the Asian nation which declared independence from the Netherlands in 1949, cannot hold dual citizenship above the age of 18. The situation relating to football was first highlighted on March 20, 2025 by Dutch outlet Voetbal International. The article laid out how players who voluntarily choose to acquire Indonesian nationality, for example, automatically lose their Dutch nationality. In the hearing of the court case, ESPN.nl highlighted that the Voetbal International report was raised by the judge after the KNVB argued there was ignorance regarding the rules throughout the football world. James, the Go Ahead Eagles defender who was the subject of the NAC appeal, had to train on his own until the issue of his right to work in the country was resolved. “It was very strange,” he said to ESPN.nl about his situation. “It started when it came out in the media (the NAC appeal). “(Go Ahead director Jan Willem van Dop) pulled me out of the gym. He said that NAC wanted to file a complaint. I had no idea what was going on. “I didn’t really know what to do, and then I was suspended. That was very weird, it felt a bit like I was going back to the corona period. Back then, I had to train on my own as well. “After conversations with my lawyer, I knew that it could be resolved. Then it just depended on the IND how quickly it would be arranged.” James, who said he still wishes to represent Indonesia, was asked about NAC’s appeal about the result: “I really wasn’t happy about it, let’s leave it at that.” Tim Geypens, the FC Emmen full-back who gained Indonesian citizenship in 2024, is quoted by Voetbal International as saying: “I have lived here for 20 years and suddenly I was in the Netherlands illegally.” Geypens said he “blamed himself” for not doing more research on the topic: “I should have looked into it more closely.” He is not the only player who has reflected on the issue. Luciano Slagveer, the Suriname international striker who plays for TOP Oss, said, as per ESPN: “If it really turns out to be true (that I lost my Dutch passport), then the fault lies with me too. Then I didn’t do enough research.” Many players, however, were simply left confused. NEC midfielder Chery, recalled to ESPN: “I had to stay home for five days because I wasn’t allowed at the club. I guess my family got to see Dad for a change. “My family were asking me, ‘Which passport do you have now, and what are you … are you Dutch or Surinamese?’” If the court rules in the KNVB’s favour, Go Ahead’s 6-0 win over NAC will stand and no further action will be taken. If NAC are successful in their appeal, the result will be declared void and the game will be replayed. The KNVB’s argument that this will bring “chaos” to Dutch football may result in many more appeals over player eligibility, yet these will not have fallen within the eight-day timeframe following the conclusion of a match. NAC are 17th in the 18-team Eredivisie, five points from safety with three matches remaining. Go Ahead are 11th in the standings. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms