Quincy Promes Seeks to ‘Return to the Netherlands’ to Address Criminal Allegations

Former Dutch national team player Quincy Promes has expressed a desire to return to the Netherlands to face charges in a criminal case, as confirmed by the forward and his legal representative to RTL Boulevard.

The 33-year-old is due to appear in court regarding two criminal matters. Promes, who previously played for Ajax and Spartak Moscow, received an 18-month prison sentence for stabbing his cousin during a family gathering in 2020. Additionally, he is set to serve a six-year sentence for smuggling over a thousand kilograms of cocaine through the port of Antwerp.

On both occasions, Promes was sentenced in absentia while he was playing in Russia. He is currently with second-tier club United FC in the United Arab Emirates and was arrested in March 2024 at the request of the Dutch prosecutor’s office. He was released two months later, despite an extradition request from the Dutch government.

‘People believe I am on the run’

In an interview with RTL Boulevard, Promes, who currently lives in Dubai, stated that he couldn’t leave Russia due to existing contractual commitments. “When I discovered that my case was being addressed in the Netherlands, I was already overseas, which made it challenging for me to decide on traveling back with my contractual obligations,” Promes explained.

“I can’t turn my back on those who support me at this time. That’s just not who I am.”

Promes and his attorney, Cem Polat, intend to request a postponement of the case, as the 50-time cap international aims to return to the Netherlands under conditions he plans to propose. This includes his willingness to attend court hearings and his readiness to travel to and from the Netherlands at the court’s request, “for instance, to provide educational talks for young people,” on the condition that he will not face arrest and can return to United FC.

“I must be honest: I deeply miss the Netherlands, and I wish to come back,” Promes said. “People often claim that I am evading justice, but I have been making efforts to reach out to the authorities for some time now to sort this out.”

“I am eager to take responsibility in the Netherlands and to continue my football career. I can arrange to fly back and forth to the Netherlands when required, and then simply get back to playing football. That’s all I want.”

‘I have respect for the judicial system’

An admission of guilt is notably absent from the proposal with the public prosecutor’s office, as confirmed by Promes and Polat. “I prefer to steer clear of that, as it could lead us into a mire of specifics around guilt and innocence. It’s too soon for that,” Polat stated, advising his client not to comment further: “These are substantive matters that I cannot discuss, following my lawyer’s guidance.”

The proceedings for Quincy Promes will proceed on Tuesday with a preliminary hearing, which will assess the current status of the investigation into his case.