Dutch Football Stars This Week: 5 Off-Pitch Headlines

Forget the goals and the transfer rumours for a minute. Some of the biggest stories about Dutch football stars this week had nothing to do with what happened on the pitch — from a midfielder signing up for classes at Harvard to a striker facing down his own club's ultras. Here are the five off-pitch headlines worth knowing, all from the past few days.

Xavi Simons Is Going Back to School While His Knee Heals

Tottenham and Netherlands midfielder Xavi Simons has enrolled at Harvard Business School while recovering from the serious knee injury that has kept him out since April.

The 23-year-old ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during Tottenham's Premier League win over Wolves on April 25, had surgery in May, and missed the 2026 World Cup with the Netherlands as a result. Rather than just grinding through rehab, Simons confirmed on LinkedIn this month that he had been accepted onto the Crossover Into Business programme — a semester-long online course Harvard runs specifically for professional athletes, which pairs them with MBA students to work through business cases together.

"I'm going back to school," he wrote. "During my recovery, I've been trying to use my time in the best way possible. Football is still my main focus, but I also want to keep learning and improving away from the pitch."

The injury news is encouraging too: after reports in the Netherlands suggested he might not return until February, football.london reported this week that Simons is recovering at speed and has been working on the grass with his boots on for the past two weeks, keeping him on track for a return around late January.

He announced it on LinkedIn rather than Instagram — earlier this week I rounded up what the Dutch stars posted on Instagram this week.

Memphis Depay's Week of Chaos in Brazil

No Dutch footballer is having a rougher week than Memphis Depay. His club Corinthians is in genuine meltdown — 16th in the Brazilian top flight after eight straight defeats, including a 4-1 thrashing by rivals Palmeiras on Sunday — and the anger is being pointed squarely at him.

This week the club appointed Dutch legend Clarence Seedorf as their new manager, replacing the sacked Fernando Diniz, with a contract running to December 2027. Seedorf inherits two former Manchester United players in his squad: Depay and Jesse Lingard.

But it has not saved the forward from the fallout. Depay will miss Seedorf's first match in charge after picking up a suspension in the Palmeiras defeat, booked for lashing out at Vitor Roque off the ball. His season has been a shadow of last year's title-winning form — just one goal and two assists in 23 appearances. On Thursday, the club's main supporter groups met the president in person to demand he be sidelined, while former Corinthians star Craque Neto called Depay the "main culprit" for the club's problems on radio.

New Music and an Honest Interview

Amid all of that, Memphis the musician dropped two new singles this week — "These Days" and "Leven Als Een Prof". Music is clearly his other outlet, and I keep track of new Dutch music releases and tour announcements separately.

He also gave a candid interview this week about his miserable spell at Old Trafford, saying: "It was getting worse every day at Man Utd — but I enjoyed my football again at Atletico." He admitted he'd lost the joy in football at Manchester — a remarkably honest admission from a player who has rebuilt his career several times.

Frenkie de Jong's Comeback — With a Surprise New Role

Good news in Barcelona: Frenkie de Jong is finally back in group training after nearly four months out with the medial collateral ligament tear he suffered at the 2026 World Cup. Hansi Flick has confirmed the plan is for him to play against Real Betis this weekend — though the club is taking it "day by day".

The genuinely surprising part? According to Cadena SER journalist Santi Ovalle, Flick has been testing De Jong at centre-back in training. The idea is that central defence involves fewer repeated twists and sudden stops than midfield, which could help protect a knee treated conservatively (no surgery). It's described as an option rather than a permanent switch — but the 29-year-old has played in defence before for both Ajax and Barcelona. His teammate Pau Cubarsí praised him this week while gently insisting De Jong is "one of the best in the world" in midfield.

The comeback is timed for a huge run of fixtures, with El Clásico against Real Madrid on October 25 looming. The transfer noise has quietened in the meantime: reports this week said Chelsea see De Jong only as a "backup option rather than a primary target", and Manchester United are also said to have moved on — so it looks like Barcelona is his stage for now.

Virgil van Dijk's Emotional Century

It was the proudest week of Virgil van Dijk's international career. The Liverpool captain earned his 100th Netherlands cap in the 2-1 Nations League win over Serbia, walking out with his son and receiving a special jersey before the match. He became just the 11th centurion in Dutch football history — and he already holds the national record for captaining the side, having done so in 83 of his first 99 caps.

"I am very grateful. To the squad, the staff, and the staff members I have worked with in the past," he told NOS after the match. If you want the full story of the night, I covered his 100th cap in detail here.

In a Sky Sports interview this week, Van Dijk spelled out the "bare minimum" he demands from every Liverpool teammate: "hard work, never give up, and be a good human being," with his Liverpool contract running to the end of this season.

And in lighter news, the 35-year-old spent Thursday roasting goalkeeper Freddie Woodman at the training ground over a new haircut, comparing him to Sid from Toy Story. Even after a draining international break, the captain is keeping things fun.

Matthijs de Ligt Finally Returns After 11 Months Out

The quietest but perhaps most welcome story of the week belongs to Matthijs de Ligt. The Manchester United centre-back has been out since November 2025 with a back injury that eventually required surgery — and this week he travelled with the squad to Madrid for the Champions League tie against Atletico.

Manager Michael Carrick confirmed he was "definitely comfortable" giving the Dutchman minutes, with a carefully managed substitute appearance on the cards. "He's had a long journey so we're delighted to have him back," Carrick said. De Ligt has completed a considerable amount of training and even played in a behind-closed-doors friendly against sister club Lausanne-Sport.

It's a small step, but after almost a year away, being back in the travelling party is the signal United fans have been waiting for.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Xavi Simons really enrolled at Harvard?

Yes — but with a caveat. He has been accepted onto the "Crossover Into Business" programme at Harvard Business School, a semester-long online course built for professional athletes. He is not doing a conventional degree; he confirmed the news himself on LinkedIn earlier this month and will complete the course remotely while continuing his knee rehabilitation.

Why are Corinthians fans so angry at Memphis Depay?

Corinthians are 16th after eight straight defeats, sitting level on points with the relegation zone. Depay, one of the club's highest-profile players, has managed just one goal and two assists in 23 appearances this season — a sharp drop from last year's title-winning campaign. On Thursday the club's main supporter groups met the president in person to demand he be dropped, while former player Craque Neto called him the "main culprit" for the crisis.

When will Frenkie de Jong be back playing for Barcelona?

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has said the plan is for De Jong to return against Real Betis on October 17, though the club is being cautious and taking it day by day. His comeback could extend to El Clásico against Real Madrid on October 25 if his recovery continues smoothly.

Is Matthijs de Ligt playing again for Manchester United?

Not quite yet, but he is close. After nearly 11 months out with a back injury that required surgery, De Ligt travelled with the squad to Madrid for the Champions League tie against Atletico, and manager Michael Carrick said he was comfortable giving him minutes. His workload will be carefully managed, so a substitute appearance is the most likely first step back.

About the Author

Sidra Salman is the founder of Dutch Stars Daily, where she writes practical, research-backed guides on Dutch celebrity news and entertainment. Every guide is tested and written in plain English for a US audience.