A court in Utrecht has decided against replays in the ongoing ‘Passport-gate’ affair that has gripped the Dutch Eredivisie and second division.
A number of players were found to have played without work permits, having lost their Dutch citizenship after switching to represent former colonies.
Some players avoided further attention as they had children born in the Netherlands, avoiding the need for a work permit.
However, Dean James of Go Ahead Eagles was a prominent example, and NAC Breda requested a replay after he played in a 6-0 victory.
He was one of a handful of examples, with some reports claiming as many as 133 games could be replayed as they featured players without work permits.
The Utrecht court declared that acquiring Indonesian nationality, James did indeed lose his Dutch citizenship, the prosecutor for professional football concluded.
Consequently, the player should have possessed a work permit: he did not have one at the time he played against NAC.
The Dutch football federation, the KNVB, decided the match didn’t need to be replayed, and NAC filed an injunction.
However, the court decided in the KNVB’s favour.
Michiel van Dijk, the lawyer for the KNVB, said: “The competition board had to safeguard the broader interest of the competition, the ability to complete all matches, and integrity.
“The competition board wants to prevent an avalanche of lawsuits. Chaos could ensue. Extending the competition is also not possible.”
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