From the Stadium to Prison: Rony Stam Faces 7 Years for Drug Trafficking

In a shocking development for football fans, a 7-year prison sentence has been issued against Rony Stam, the former Premier League player, after a Dutch court found him guilty of playing a key role in a massive drug trafficking network worth tens of millions of pounds.

Stam, who spent 3 seasons with Wigan Athletic, and previously won the Dutch league title with FC Twente Enschede in 2010, faced charges of planning to smuggle over two tons of cocaine (724 kilograms), in addition to large quantities of the drug "Ecstasy" and possessing nitrous oxide known as "laughing gas".

The Dutch public prosecutor stated that Stam was a "big name" in the world of organized crime, requesting the court to impose a sentence of up to 13 years, but the judge at the Breda court dropped two of the most serious charges, settling for a 7-year prison sentence.

Stam was also involved with partners from South America in drug smuggling operations and was responsible for laundering £2.2 million, in addition to possessing 18 liters of laughing gas.

During the trial, the former player (41 years old) admitted to participating in the smuggling of 20 kilograms of cocaine from Brazil to Frankfurt for a fee equivalent to the price of one kilogram of the drug, but denied any other involvement and expressed regret for his connection to gang leaders.

Stam's football career saw significant success, as he played 73 matches with Wigan Athletic and was involved with Belgian club Standard Liège before returning to the Netherlands with NAC Breda, where he began his professional career that spanned 14 years.

However, after retiring from football in 2016, he immersed himself in the world of organized crime.

As part of the sentence, Stam was also ordered to repay €1.7 million as illegal profits obtained from his criminal activities.