Dutch prosecutors seek jail for Promes over stabbing

The 31-year-old Spartak Moscow forward is alleged to have attacked the victim at a family birthday party in Abacoude, near Amsterdam, in 2020 in what is thought to have been a row over a stolen necklace. Promes, who pleads not guilty, did not attend the opening of the trial in Amsterdam as he is in Russia fulfilling his contractual obligations to his club, his lawyer said.

Prosecutors earlier dropped a charge of attempted murder against Promes, who played for the Dutch national side 50 times up to 2021, saying it could not be proven. "The public prosecution service has demanded two years against a man who is suspected of stabbing his cousin in the knee," Dutch prosecutors said in a statement.

The victim suffered "serious knee injuries" which took months to recover from. "Based on the police investigation, the prosecution suspects the man of aggravated assault," prosecutors said. Prosecutors said the exact motive was unclear "but it may have to do with the theft of jewellery from an aunt - the suspect accused the victim of having something to do with it," prosecutors said.

Witnesses saw Promes "make stabbing movements as the victim tried to fight him off" during the incident in July 2020, prosecutors said. The investigation was triggered later that year by a phone tap from another investigation, which Dutch media said was into an ongoing drug-smuggling case involving Promes.

In one intercepted call with his father, Promes said that it was "lucky that I no longer carry a firearm, because otherwise it would have ended even uglier," prosecutors said. The victim then pressed charges of attempted murder, attempted manslaughter or aggravated assault after failing to reach a compensation deal with Promes.

But prosecutors said there was "insufficient evidence of intent to kill or of premeditation". Lawyers for Promes are due to speak later. Amsterdam-born Promes joined Ajax in 2019 from Sevilla in a 15 million-euro transfer, before going back to Spartak in 2021, where he was named Russia's footballer of the year in 2017 during a previous spell.

Promes has scored seven goals in 50 appearances for the Dutch national team since his debut in 2014. He was part of the Dutch team during the Euro 2021 but has not worn the national jersey since.