Eredivisie: NAC Breda Loses Passportgate Case Against KNVB in Utrecht Court

Court backs KNVB, rejects NAC Breda’s push for Eredivisie replay

The judge said NAC’s interest in a replay did not outweigh the KNVB’s need to protect the Eredivisie season’s conclusion, avoiding 133 potential replay.

  

KNVB confirmed James was ineligible but refused sanctions, with the court agreeing the league’s wider interests take priority...

NAC Breda’s legal challenge over the Dean James passport dispute ended in defeat after a Utrecht court ruled against the club in summary proceedings. 

The judge stated that “NAC’s interests in being allowed to reschedule a match do not automatically outweigh the KNVB’s interests in preventing potentially major problems when the Eredivisie season is concluded,” siding with the football association’s earlier decision. 

The KNVB had refused to order a replay, citing “the wider interest of Dutch football,” a stance the court upheld. 

“It is not unreasonable for the league board to give greater weight to the potentially significant consequences for the league, which is nearing its conclusion, than to NAC’s interest in replaying the match,” the judge said.

Legal Action Over Ineligible Player

NAC Breda took the KNVB and Go Ahead Eagles to court following their 6-0 defeat on March 15th, arguing that Dean James was not eligible to play while registered as a Dutch player despite giving up his Dutch passport after becoming an Indonesian national.

KNVB’s Earlier Ruling

In early April the KNVB said it would not sanction Go Ahead Eagles but confirmed that James had been ineligible for the match.

Read Also: Dutch Football in Crisis: Sports Passport Issue Escalates

Risk of League-Wide Replays

NAC Breda called for the 6-0 result to be replayed, a demand that KNVB director Marianne van Leeuwen warned could have created major problems for the Eredivisie. She told ESPN after last week’s preliminary hearing that 133 league games would have been open to replay if the court sided with NAC Breda, since Ajax, Feyenoord, Telstar, FC Volendam, and Heracles Almelo had already signaled plans to pursue similar cases.

Rechter wijst verzoek NAC afhttps://t.co/8VKfpk9u4u#NACpraat

— NAC Breda 💛🖤 (@NACnl) May 4, 2026

NAC Breda did not give a detailed response to Monday's ruling: “An ineligible player took part in that match, after which NAC submitted a request to the national football association to investigate the matter. NAC ultimately sought a judicial review of the league board’s decision not to replay the match against Go Ahead Eagles,” the club said in a statement.

“NAC will now first study the judgment and discuss it further with its advisers before making any further announcements.”