NAC Breda has initiated legal action that could potentially jeopardize the completion of the Eredivisie season, with warnings that as many as 133 matches might need to be replayed. The club, currently second-to-last in the table with 25 points, launched this action after a 6-0 defeat by Go Ahead Eagles on March 15.

The core of the issue revolves around Dean James, who played in that match for Go Ahead Eagles. Analyst Rogier Jacobs revealed in a podcast that the defender appeared without the right to play. James had requested a work permit after he began representing Indonesia last year.

Laws in the Netherlands state that Dutch citizenship is automatically lost when someone voluntarily seeks to represent another country. Because many Dutch-born footballers choose to represent Cape Verde, Indonesia, or Suriname, they must apply for and receive a work permit.

Jacobs explained, according to ESPN: "If you are a Dutch footballer with Indonesian roots, you can choose to play for Indonesia. You will get a passport there, but what many players and clubs do not know in some cases is that you will give up your Dutch citizenship. If NAC finds out about this and sues, then this match will end in victory for them." He added that this could become a major issue.

After it was announced that James was ineligible under Dutch law, NAC asked the Dutch Football Association to replay the match. The Dutch Football Association's competition board ruled that the result should not be changed despite James' ineligibility, prompting NAC to appeal.

A lawyer representing the NAC Breda club, Tim Wilms, told the court on Tuesday that the competition board had not adhered to its own regulations. "This issue is not about opinion, but about a simple rule," said Wilms, as reported by Dutch media outlet "De Telegraaf". "The introduction of an ineligible player. Go Ahead has introduced an ineligible player. The standard rule of the Dutch Federation is that the match is replayed, the reason for his ineligibility is irrelevant."

The Dutch Football Association's lawyer, Michiel van Dijk, has warned of the potential consequences of this case, which could have far-reaching implications for the entire Eredivisie.