Controversy Surrounds Milan Smit’s Absence Against OGC Nice

omidbasir- This week, news emerged from Deventer that Milan Smit, under the influence of his agent, would not participate in the match against OGC Nice, despite his transfer to Stoke City not being finalized. The striker’s camp has since responded to these claims.

Director Jan Willem van Dop discussed the situation concerning Smit’s agent, Nikkie Bruinenberg, stating, “He suggested that it might be better for Smit not to play. However, we had already agreed that he would participate. It was evident that outside influences were at play, which I found quite disappointing. The agent’s approach was disrespectful, and while I chose not to confront the issue aggressively, I ultimately became frustrated with the situation.”

“This decision was also in the best interest of Go Ahead,” he added. “It involved a record deal and a ‘life-changing deal’ for Milan, which we did not want to jeopardize. In the end, we received approval on Thursday for him to proceed.”

Bruinenberg emphasized that it is incorrect to state that Smit refused to play at his behest. “I did not prohibit Milan from playing. He is an adult, and we mutually concluded that there was too great a risk of jeopardizing the deal. From the outset, our agreement was that he would go to England as soon as everything was finalized.”