Kalou: The Arguments Against

Listed below are the arguments against Salomon Kalou being granted Dutch citizenship through accelerated naturalisation. If you don’t know what this is all about, go here for the full story.

• He doesn’t have a drop of Dutch blood in him. He has no Dutch wife, no Dutch children. His only connection to the Netherlands is his employer.
• If he really wants to play for the Oranje he should wait until 2008 when he will be naturalised through residency.
• We would be robbing Ivory Coast of a valuable player.
• The Netherlands has a proud football history and shouldn’t sink to these desperate levels.
• If Kalou goes to the World Cup it means someone Dutch will miss out.
• While players like Davids may be Surinamese, they are also Dutch.
• He may only want the passport to increase his market value, and smooth his path to a top European club.
• The process is artificial. He’ll become a Dutch citizen in order to play for the football team and no other reason.