Could 133 Eredivisie matches be replayed? The cris...
Key takeaways
- WHEN TJARONN CHERY gets back home after international duty with Suriname, it's usually a short turnaround -- a hello to the family, hugs to the kids, then back to club duty with NEC Nijmegen.
- "I had to stay home for five days because I wasn't allowed at the club.
- Over the past several weeks, panic has swept across Dutch football.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
WHEN TJARONN CHERY gets back home after international duty with Suriname, it's usually a short turnaround -- a hello to the family, hugs to the kids, then back to club duty with NEC Nijmegen. But in late March, when he returned after Suriname fell short of qualifying for the World Cup, his kids were confused as to why he was sitting around the house a little more than often. He wasn't injured; he was waiting.
"I had to stay home for five days because I wasn't allowed at the club. I guess my family got to see dad for a change," Chery told ESPN Netherlands. "But the kids and wife were asking me, 'What's going on?'"
Over the past several weeks, panic has swept across Dutch football. It has involved a podcast, players being stood down, clubs scrambling for legal advice and information, and the KNVB (the Dutch football association) seeking urgent clarification on whether several players were eligible. About 25 players (including Chery) were implicated in Passportgate, a crisis stemming from confusion about dual nationality and unlike anything the Netherlands has seen before.