Once celebrated for his flair on the football pitch, former Dutch international Quincy Promes is now set to be behind bars.
The ex-Ajax and Spartak Moscow winger has been extradited to the Netherlands, where he will serve a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence. This comes after his arrest in Dubai last week, following a request from Dutch authorities.
Promes’ troubles stem from serious criminal convictions. In February 2024, a court found him guilty of smuggling over a tonne of cocaine into the Netherlands from Belgium in 2020, sentencing him to six years in prison.
However, this was not his first brush with the law, as he had previously received an 18-month sentence for stabbing his cousin during a family gathering the same year. Despite these sentences, he had until now avoided serving any actual jail time.
ALSO READ:
- Quincy Promes arrested in Dubai over drug smuggling following Dutch extradition request
- Quincy Promes: Dutch player charged for drug trafficking
- Tobi Amusan storms to season-best finish in thrilling Paris Diamond League showdown
- Has football lost the dressing room? Mourinho scandal and Arsenal’s schedule raise big questions
His legal woes took a new turn when Dutch prosecutors confirmed his return to the Netherlands to finally begin his sentence. Though Promes has consistently denied all charges and lodged appeals in both cases, these efforts have so far done little to sway the courts.
Promes’ journey from rising star to convicted felon is as dramatic as it is tragic. His professional career began in 2009 with Dutch side Twente, before making a high-profile move to Russian giants Spartak Moscow.
After four successful seasons there, he transferred to Spain’s Sevilla, although his time in La Liga lasted only a year. He soon returned home to play for Ajax, in a bid to revive his career.
Despite returning to Spartak Moscow for a second spell in 2021, his footballing focus was overshadowed by growing legal troubles. Eventually, in 2024, Promes moved to Dubai United, perhaps in a bid to escape the intensifying scrutiny back home. Yet, this move could not shield him from justice, as his Dubai arrest clearly showed.
On the international stage, Promes earned 50 caps for the Netherlands between 2014 and 2023, scoring seven times. His last appearance for the national side came just a year before his drug trafficking conviction. However, his legacy now lies in ruins, overshadowed by crime rather than football.
It remains uncertain where Promes will serve his prison sentence within the Netherlands.
Tags: Quincy Promes, Netherlands, seven-and-a-half-year, prison sentence, Dubai United, drug smuggling, Spartak Moscow, Ajax.
