Go Ahead Eagles director Jan Willem van Dop has affirmed that Dean James remains a Dutch citizen amid NAC Breda's protest over his administrative status in the March 15, 2026 Eredivisie match. NAC seeks to have the 6-0 loss declared invalid, claiming James's switch to Indonesian citizenship affects his non-EU player status. Van Dop dismissed the claim as a points-grabbing attempt.
The controversy over Dean James's citizenship, an Indonesian national team defender at Go Ahead Eagles, has intensified after NAC Breda lodged a complaint with the KNVB regarding the week 27 Eredivisie match on March 15, 2026, at De Adelaarshorst in Deventer. Go Ahead Eagles won 6-0, but the visitors contested James's eligibility due to his citizenship change to Indonesian (WNI) in March 2025. NAC argues this classifies him as a non-EU player, requiring a work permit and higher minimum salary for those over 20, per Dutch league rules; non-compliance could invalidate registration and participation. Go Ahead Eagles director Jan Willem van Dop responded firmly, stating he checked official records via Mijn Overheid with James, confirming Dutch citizenship. “I went into Mijn Overheid with Dean James yesterday. All his information is clearly listed there, including his nationality: Netherlands,” van Dop said, quoted by ESPN Nederland. He rejected NAC's protest as baseless and a ploy for league points. “I said the conversation will be very short. Good luck, I understand they will take every opportunity to get more points,” he added. Van Dop noted NAC had previously been fined for a similar non-EU player violation. The case could extend to other Indonesian national team players in the Eredivisie, such as Justin Hubner, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, and Miliano Jonathans, though Maarten Paes is unaffected as he is properly registered. No official KNVB decision has been issued yet.
