Article by Romeo Ene – Published on Monday, 04 May 2026, 19:30 / Updated on Monday, 04 May 2026 19:30
On Monday, Dutch justice ruled in favor of the federation in the case filed by NAC Breda, related to the eligibility of players with dual citizenship. The decision ends a case that could provoke a real earthquake in the Eredivisie and in other internal competitions.
A Dutch-born player who chose to represent Indonesia at international level, Dean James was suspected of playing without a valid work permit in the Netherlands.
According to the law, in certain cases, accepting Indonesian citizenship may lead to the loss of Dutch citizenship. That would automatically make him a non-EU player, who needs a work permit to play in the championship.
The Dutch feared that an unfavorable verdict could have led to either the rescheduling or cancellation of 133 matches.
The court made the decision: NAC Breda lost the litigation! The 133 matches will NOT be replayed
NAC Breda, in penultimate place in the Eredivisie, requested in court the replay of the lost game with Go Ahead Eagles, score 0-6, played in March. The Dutch claimed that the opponents used Indonesian international defender Dean James irregularly.
However, the court in Utrecht ruled that NAC Breda's interest in replaying the match cannot prevail over the risk of major consequences for the competitions. The verdict reduces the chances of other clubs following the same path.
The federation warned that, in case of contrary decisions, it would have been impossible to replay all the matches. In the Dutch championships, there are many footballers born in the Netherlands who choose other nationalities, especially to represent teams from former colonies.
PSV, with Dennis Man as the main actor, won the championship this season and will play in the Champions League qualifiers.
Eredivisie standings
