May 5 – A Dutch court ruling has prevented chaos in the Eredivisie, siding with the Dutch FA (KNVB) on the ineligibility of players.
The court dismissed a legal challenge by NAC Breda to replay a league fixture because of the ineligibility of an opposition player. Breda contested their 6-0 loss to Go Ahead Eagles last March because, in NAC’s view, defender Dean James was ineligible to play after obtaining Indonesian citizenship in March 2025 in order to represent the country at international level. It meant, according to NAC, that James needed a work permit.
The KNVB refused, however, to green light a replay and the court ruled that the Dutch FA has the power to decide if a match is void and acted with proper care in making its determination. The KNVB argued that James was ineligible on paper, but the club and officials were unaware of the fallout from his switch in national representation.
In the Netherlands dual citizenship is restricted. A non-EU player requires a work permit to play in the Eredivisie.
The KNVB said that if the court had ruled in NAC’s favour more than 100 matches could have been subject to a similar challenge.
In a statement, the Dutch FA said: “It is, of course, never pleasant to face one of our clubs in court. The judge has ruled that the competition board acted carefully and within the applicable rules. We are now all focusing, including NAC Breda, on the continuation of the competition.
“NAC Breda raised an important issue, which we fortunately resolved quickly together through great effort. That is important for now and for the future.”
With two matches remaining, Breda are 17th in the Dutch topflight, six points from safety. In a statement, the club said: “NAC will first study the verdict and discuss it further with its advisors before making any further announcements.”
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at [email protected]