Italy and Serie A are experiencing a difficult moment in terms of refereeing, but other European leagues could also find themselves in really complex situations. In fact: much more complex. Just look at the Netherlands, at what is happening in the Eredivisie and the Eerste Divisie, the local Serie B: for several weeks, the league, the Federation, the clubs, and the players have been dealing with a scandal related to passports, and the dual citizenship of those who take the field. And on the horizon, even though it seems incredible, there is the possibility that as many as 133 matches from the 2025/26 season may need to be replayed. A season that, of course, has not yet concluded. And so the entire football system would end up in chaos.
But let’s go in order: after the international window in March, 25 players who had played with Suriname, Indonesia, and Cape Verde returned to their clubs in the Netherlands. To be precise: these are players who theoretically hold dual nationality, Dutch and that of their national team (as has been the case for a long time and for many athletes). The problem, raised during the popular football podcast De Derde Helft, is that Dutch legislation states that, in some cases, anyone who accepts a passport other than the Dutch one automatically renounces their citizenship. And, consequently, becomes a non-EU citizen and must obtain a sort of “work permit” to continue practicing their profession in the country.
The first case, raised during De Derde Helft, concerned Dean James (a defender born in Leiden, in southern Holland, but naturalized Indonesian) and the Go Ahead Eagles: during the match won 6-0 against NAC Breda, one of the podcast hosts explained that, despite the clear defeat on the field, “NAC could still have won this match.” Precisely due to James’s irregular situation, in fact, the yellow-black club could have filed an appeal and would have won it. So, things went more or less like this.
The regulatory framework is quite clear: acquiring a new passport and renouncing Dutch citizenship, as mentioned, obliges players (and/or their clubs) to apply for a work permit as a non-EU citizen. To obtain it, they must meet several parameters, including a salary of 608,000 euros per year (or 304,000 for Under 21s). Here: this amount is significantly higher than what several players involved in the scandal earn, and therefore these players took the field without having the requirements to do so. Another serious problem concerns the legal competence of the clubs: Marjan Olfers, a professor of sports law interviewed by ESPN, explained that “many clubs have direct and constant contacts with lawyers, but those that are less wealthy prefer to spend money in other areas, certainly not for legal advice.” Even the players themselves have their share of blame: Luciano Slagveer, a forward for TOP Oss (second division) and the Surinamese national team, said that “I should have done more research: if I had known that playing for Suriname would cost me my Dutch citizenship, I would have thought about it a bit more.”
After the first reports to sports justice, some clubs decided to bench the “at-risk” players. As the weeks went by, some of them managed to obtain a temporary visa, perhaps related to the fact that they have a wife or children with Dutch citizenship, but the problem remains. And indeed, the Utrecht Court is discussing the possibility that one of the matches we have already mentioned, that between NAC and Go Ahead Eagles, could be replayed: the first request submitted by NAC to the KNVB (the Dutch Football Federation) was rejected, but the judges could overturn the ruling. And at that point, there would be a precedent that would push many clubs to file the exact same appeal. With a good chance of being accepted. Thus we arrive at the 133 matches that could potentially be repeated. So, in that case, chaos would ensue.