Dutch national team coach Ronald Koeman has said Memphis Depay’s support of Quincy Promes is ‘not useful’, after the former international was sentenced to six years in prison.
Promes is currrently in prison in Dubai after being arrested by authorities last week at the request of Dutch prosecutors, ahead of his possible extradition.
The 32-year-old was convicted by an Amsterdam court last month for his involvement in smuggling over 1,350 kilos of cocaine.
In addition to his six-year sentence in a Dutch prison, he was also sentenced to one-and-a-half years in jail last year for stabbing his cousin in the leg.
Promes, who lives in Russia and plays for CSKA Moscow, was sentenced in absentia.
Ronald Koeman has advised Memphis Depay after his public support to Quincy Promes
![Depay, right, had been criticised for uploading a photo featuring Promes, left, in January despite the former Dutch international facing criminal charges in the Netherlands](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/19/17/82650375-13215443-image-a-16_1710869598952.jpg)
Depay, right, had been criticised for uploading a photo featuring Promes, left, in January despite the former Dutch international facing criminal charges in the Netherlands
![Quincy Promes was arrested in Dubai last week after he was sentenced to six years in prison last month for his role in smuggling cocaine](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/19/17/82442341-13215443-Quincy_Promes_has_reportedly_been_arrested_in_Dubai_after_he_was-a-14_1710869503857.jpg)
Quincy Promes was arrested in Dubai last week after he was sentenced to six years in prison last month for his role in smuggling cocaine
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Depay had last year offered a message of support to Promes after he scored the winning goal in the Russian Cup final, stating people ‘continue to prejudice you without any criminal offences being proven.’
In January, Depay uploaded a now-deleted photo on social media of him on holiday with Promes and Paul Pogba.
Koeman was asked about Depay’s public show of support for Promes at a press conference ahead of upcoming international friendlies.
The Dutch national team coach revealed technical director Nigel de Jong had spoken to Depay about his posts, while he suggested the forward ‘keep away’ as much as he can.
‘I wouldn’t do it myself. I haven’t talked to Memphis about that myself. Nigel did that,’ Koeman told reporters.
‘You can sometimes make it easier for yourself by not doing things like that. That evokes aversion and criticism. I think you should keep that away from yourself as much as you can.
‘They are friends and it is conceivable that he would do it, but it is a delicate matter of course.’
Depay was also questioned by reporters about his backing from Promes, who previously won 50 caps for the national team.
![Koeman revealed technical director Nigel de Jong has spoken to Depay about his posts](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/19/17/82649035-13215443-image-a-17_1710869683901.jpg)
Koeman revealed technical director Nigel de Jong has spoken to Depay about his posts
![Depay told reporters he 'didn't see the harm' in sharing a photo featuring Promes in January](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/19/17/82649103-13215443-image-a-19_1710869702541.jpg)
Depay told reporters he ‘didn’t see the harm’ in sharing a photo featuring Promes in January
The forward defended his decision to post the photo in January.
‘We are football players and we post a lot of content. At least I do. It was just a photo on holiday, I didn’t see the harm in it. I understand that the outside world views this differently and I take responsibility for that,’ Depay told De Telegraaf.
‘I have friends, when you go out to eat together you don’t know exactly what they do and don’t do. Or that you agree with everything someone does.
‘You don’t know the Quincy Promes I know. I don’t know the Quincy Promes that you know or describe.
‘I don’t know that Quincy, but I don’t come from an easy background. Once people have read my book, they will understand that. I have a brother who was incarcerated for ten years. Quincy is a famous person, but my brother is not. But I never get questions about my brother.
‘I’m also friends with Dani Alves and Benjamin Mendy. I’ve never had any questions about that before.’
Depay added that he will speak to Koeman about the issue privately and insisted he had no issue with Dutch national team boss expressing his opinion.
‘I think it is quite logical that everyone has an opinion and that it is logical for the trainer to answer a question when he receives it. And that he gives his opinion about it. I haven’t discussed that with him personally yet,’ Depay said.
‘The trainer and I have a great relationship, which also extends off the field. Of course I played for him at Barcelona. An opinion is always welcome, especially when he says it.
‘We can talk about it privately, and that is what we will do.’
![Depay revealed he would privately speak to Koeman about the issue and insisted he had no issue with the Dutch national team boss offering his opinion](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/19/17/82649099-13215443-image-a-20_1710869719072.jpg)
Depay revealed he would privately speak to Koeman about the issue and insisted he had no issue with the Dutch national team boss offering his opinion
![The forward, pictured in training with Promes in 2020, claimed people 'don't know the Quincy Promes I know'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/19/17/82650607-13215443-image-a-27_1710870115746.jpg)
The forward, pictured in training with Promes in 2020, claimed people ‘don’t know the Quincy Promes I know’
![Promes, who has 50 international caps for the Netherlands, was convicted by an Amsterdam court last month for his involvement in smuggling over 1,350 kilos of cocaine](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/19/17/82442343-13215443-The_32_year_old_who_has_50_international_caps_for_the_Netherland-a-21_1710869884483.jpg)
Promes, who has 50 international caps for the Netherlands, was convicted by an Amsterdam court last month for his involvement in smuggling over 1,350 kilos of cocaine
Promes and a 32-year-old co-suspect were found guilty of importing, exporting, transporting and possessing cocaine last month.
It was alleged that the cocaine was hidden in a shipment of sea salt from Brazil and was intercepted in Antwerp in January 2020.
Promes, who has also played for Sevilla and Ajax, did not appear at his trials for smuggling cocaine or when he was found guilty of stabbing his cousin in the leg.
Further reports suggested that the former Netherlands international feels ‘he’s untouchable’ – given the fact he avoided attending the court dates.
According to NL Times, prosecutors said: ‘He seems to think he is untouchable in Russia or abroad’.
Dutch officials had initially sought out a nine-year prison sentence for the Spartak Moscow forward, when the case was brought forward last month.
Starting his career at Twente, he had a four-year stint with Spartak between 2014 and 2018 before signing for Spanish club Sevilla.
From there, he spent a season-and-a-half with Ajax before returning to Spartak.