The cause
Following their 6-0 Eredivisie loss to Go Ahead Eagles, NAC Breda lodged an appeal with the KNVB, the Dutch FA, alleging that Go Ahead Eagles fielded an ineligible player and that the match should be replayed. This player was Dean James, the Eagles left-back, who received Indonesian nationality in March 2025 and has played 5 games for Pasukan Garuda so far.
Last Tuesday, second-tier side TOP Oss followed NAC's example and lodged an appeal with the KNVB following their 3-1 loss to Willem II. TOP Oss are unsure about the eligibility of Willem II defender and Indonesia international Nathan Tjoe-A-On, who switched citizenship in 2024. Just like NAC, TOP Oss want their game to be replayed.
Under Dutch law, anyone who has acquired another nationality must surrender their Dutch passport, as dual citizenship is not permitted. NAC Breda allege that Dean James is illegally playing under an Indonesian passport and has never received the work or residence permits required of an Indonesian citizen.
As in the Netherlands, Indonesia generally does not allow dual citizenship. Dutch clubs are required to pay a player from a country outside of the European Union at least €600,000 in annual wages - a sum many Dutch clubs can't or don't want to pay.
Go Ahead Eagles director Jan Willem van Dop issued a statement following NAC Breda's allegations, stating that James "signed an employment contract in 2023, presenting a valid Dutch passport" and that the KNVB is now handling the case.
The problems
NAC's appeal has led to a storm of issues for Dutch clubs. During a special meeting on Tuesday, the KNVB informed all clubs of NAC's allegations. The competition board is not planning to have the match replayed, but clubs left the meeting with the understanding that the KNVB siding with NAC looks quite likely.
The KNVB confirmed they are looking into the "complicated" case brought forward by NAC, and while it was only Dean James and the case of Indonesian internationals that were brought to its attention, the investigation will now also look into the eligibility of Surinamese internationals and so-called 'sports passports'. It's also expected that the likes of the Cape Verdean sports passport will be looked into.
The ongoing investigation has reached far beyond the Dutch borders. Suriname is set to play Bolivia in an intercontinental FIFA World Cup play-off in Mexico on Thursday, but the 26-man squad, of which 25 players are Dutch-Surinamese and eight play in the Netherlands, is in turmoil over the issue, and some are busy dealing with their passports, manager Henk ten Cate said on Tuesday.
In the Dutch second division, FC Emmen chose not to play Dutch-Indonesian player Tim Geypens, who switched to Indonesian nationality in 2024 and has appeared in every game for Emmen this season. Manager Menno van Dam confirmed to ESPN that Geypens was left out of the squad out of fear of a penalty or points deduction, and the youngster will not play again until there's more clarity on the situation.
Nico Haak, technical director of FC Emmen, expressed his sympathy for Geypen: "This is completely against his will, his knowledge and his fault. We are dealing here with a talented twenty-year-old who is seeing his whole life fall apart. That is an incredibly distressing situation."
Daniël Beukers, Geypen's teammate and close friend, feels for the 20-year-old midfielder. "It’s not nice to see your mate like this. It’s awful what’s happening to him, just when we’ve finally found our favourite spot here. We’re all feeling for him."
A worst-case scenario shared with affected players is being unable to play in the Eredivisie for several weeks.
The solutions
In an interview with Voetbalprimeur, Tesseltje de Lange, a professor of sociology of law and migration law at the Radboud Universiteit, said that Dutch law clearly states that football players who acquire a different citizenship and relinquish their Dutch passport must be considered non-EU citizens.
"If they are still playing for a Dutch club, this constitutes illegal employment. Those clubs could be fined by the labour inspectorate for this," De Lange said.
In some cases, like Tjaronn Chery's, who switched to Indonesian nationality in 2021, De Lange says that the letter of the law and its execution can be two different things: "There is a reporting obligation, and if you don’t comply with it, the information won’t be updated in the systems."
"What’s more, it’s a fact that both the Labour Inspectorate and the IND (the immigration and naturalisation service) are severely overburdened and understaffed. I can imagine that these agencies have other priorities. Perhaps at the IND they think, ‘Let those lads get on with it; we’re busy with asylum seekers'."
De Lange states that there are three possible solutions for the sports passport issue. Players could relinquish their newly acquired citizenship or clubs could consider these players as non-EU citizens and pay them the required €600,000, but these options aren't feasible on a short-term basis, De Lange says.
The third option is her favourite: "It would be good if the Netherlands amended the law and made an exception for this category of athletes, so that they do not lose their Dutch passports if they start playing for another country. We are waiting for a minister or MP to propose amending the law to sort this out."