Friday, March 12, 2021 at 07:58• Last update: 08:10

Valentijn Driessen finds it incomprehensible that Quincy Promes has been included in the pre-selection of the Dutch national team. In his column for The Telegraph he writes on Friday that according to him it should not be possible for a player who is a suspect in a criminal case to be eligible for the the Dutch selection. In addition, Driessen points to Promes’s lack of playing time in recent months in the service of Ajax, before he made the switch to Spartak Moscow.

“What is Quincy Promes doing in the pre-selection of Oranje?” Driessen opens his column. “Don’t KNVB directors Eric Gudde and Nico-Jan Hoogma keep up with the news? Has national coach Frank de Boer been living under a stone in and against Poland since the last international match on November 18, 2020? ” In December, Promes was arrested as a suspect in a stabbing last summer. He was released after questioning, but he is still a suspect in the case. It is as yet unclear when the case will be brought to court. Earlier this month, it was announced that the victim of the stabbing incident had part of a Promes villa seized.

“With Promes’ election, Gudde and Hoogma allow De Boer attacker Promes to enter the Dutch national team, at the end of this month against Turkey, Latvia and Gibraltar. What moral compass do these three KNVB representatives use? With the selection of Promes, they are running away from their responsibility ”, continues Driessen, who believes it is not possible for a player to represent the Netherlands in the Dutch while he is suspected of a violent crime in the same country. Driessen believes that the KNVB should have made a statement why it is inappropriate to include Promes in the Dutch national team as a football association. “The Dutch national team is a calling card for the whole of the Netherlands and there is no room for a suspect of a stabbing.”

“Gudde, Hoogma and De Boer lack any sense of proportion, decency and civilization. And count on it that lawyer Gerard Spong from Promes will use this selection for the Dutch by the KNVB in the courtroom ”, continues Driessen, who emphasizes that De Boer also has few sporting reasons for including Promes in the pre-selection. “He was out of shape, lost his basic place at Ajax in mid-January and was last in action until Sunday on January 31.” Promes came into action last weekend on behalf of Spartak Moscow against FK Krasnodar (6-1). He was good for a goal and an assist.

That Ajax continued to rely on Promes is fair, according to Driessen, as the attacker was under contract with the team from Amsterdam. Driessen argues that it is undesirable for the KNVB to have a suspect of a violent crime represent the national team. “Although innocent until proven otherwise,” he writes. On Friday, March 19, the national coach will announce his final roster for the World Cup qualifiers against Turkey (March 24), Latvia (March 27) and Gibraltar (March 30). “Promes cannot be there as long as he has not been acquitted. It’s a matter of better half-turned than completely lost. ”