Dutch football is facing a complex legal issue regarding the change of nationality of many players, often referred to as "Passportgate".
This not only affects one individual but also involves about 25 players, including both men and women, playing in the professional football system.
The origin of the incident began with a petition from NAC Breda club, requesting the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) to review the playing status of Dean James - a player under contract with Go Ahead Eagles.
The midfielder born in 2000 has transferred to Indonesian nationality under family origin and has played 5 times for the national team of this country. However, choosing to play for Indonesia has legal consequences in the Netherlands.
Sporza newspaper quoted a regulation, when a player voluntarily receives another nationality, they may no longer be considered Dutch citizens during the registration process. This makes them classified as players outside the European Union (EU).
At that time, the requirements for residence and work permits are mandatory if they want to continue playing professionally. The problem is that not every player fully meets these conditions.
From a specific case, the situation quickly spread when more and more players fell into a similar situation, especially those who switched to Indonesian nationality to serve the national team.
Faced with this development, the Dutch Football Federation has issued a temporary measure, requiring players who have not completed legal procedures not to participate in training and competition. Some clubs such as NEC, FC Emmen, Go Ahead Eagles or Heracles Almelo have followed this direction.
The source of Dutch-born players continues to play an important role for the Indonesian national team. This force contributes to helping the team improve their performance in recent times, especially in continental tournaments.
However, issues arising from nationality and labor regulations are becoming new barriers for both players and related teams.
