Ex-Premier League Star Ronnie Stam Faces 13 Years in Prison Over £48M Cocaine Scandal
Former Premier League footballer Ronnie Stam is now at the center of a jaw-dropping drug scandal that could land him behind bars for over a decade.
Stam, known for his time with Wigan Athletic and Dutch side Twente, has been accused of playing a major role in smuggling more than two tons of cocaine from South America into Europe — a haul worth an estimated £48 million on the street.
The 39-year-old appeared in court in Breda, Netherlands, this week alongside his brother Rudi. Prosecutors allege the two were key players in a massive trafficking network that operated between 2020 and 2021.
If convicted, Stam could be sentenced to 13 years in prison and fined up to £1.5 million.
The ex-defender, who won the FA Cup with Wigan in 2013, has been in custody since his arrest in June last year. Dutch police arrested Stam, his brother, girlfriend, and parents during coordinated raids seizing £85,000 in cash, three cars, a yacht, luxury watches, jewelry, and multiple properties.
In court, prosecutors claimed encrypted phone logs and photos directly linked Stam and his brother to large cocaine shipments. Despite this, Stam reportedly insisted that his wealth came solely from his football career and admitted only to helping import 20kg of cocaine into Germany in 2020 denying deeper involvement.
The case has shocked Dutch football fans, especially since Stam also played for NAC Breda, where he began and ended his professional career.
During a previous court appearance, a prosecutor stated:
“This case concerns hundreds of kilos of cocaine each time. I contend that Stam was a major player in the drugs world.”
With the trial ongoing, Ronnie Stam’s legacy has taken a dark and unexpected turn from FA Cup champion to accused cocaine kingpin.
