The criminal case against Quincy Promes begins in Amsterdam on Friday. The 30-year-old footballer, who is now active in Russia, is accused of attempted murder. He is said to have stabbed a cousin in the knee with a knife after a family celebration in Abcoude in July 2020.

It took more than two years for the case, which had been postponed several times, and a lot has happened since then, from a transfer to phone taps to reports of drug trafficking.

What will happen on Friday?

It is a so-called preliminary hearing from 9:00 a.m. to prepare for the material processing of the case. The introductory event was originally planned for March, but was postponed due to the illness of (then) Promes lawyer Gerard Spong.

In a preliminary hearing, the investigative wishes of the public prosecutor’s office, the suspect and his lawyer, such as calling in additional witnesses, are discussed. A date will probably also be set for the processing.

Promes himself will not appear in court in Amsterdam on Friday. He remains in Russia, where he plays – with great success – at Spartak Moscow.

How did it all start?

On July 24, 2020, then-Ajax player Promes was present at a family celebration at a warehouse in Abcoude. After the party, Promes is suspected of stabbing his cousin in the knee after a skirmish.

The seriously injured victim did not report the incident until two months later. Less than a month later, on December 13, 2020, Promes was arrested a day after he played against PEC Zwolle with Ajax and scored. He was initially charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault.

Promes denied any involvement. After two days he was released pending a (possible) trial.

How has Promes’ football career progressed in the meantime?

Two months after the arrest, in February 2021, Promes left Ajax. He moved to Spartak Moscow for a transfer fee of eight million euros. Ajax said there were “several reasons” for the move, “including sporting and financial ones”.

In the summer of 2021, Promes was briefly back in the Netherlands for the European Championships, which took place in Amsterdam, among other places. Promes played his fiftieth and last international match for Orange on June 27, as a substitute in the round of 16 they lost to the Czech Republic.

Two weeks later, it was announced that prosecutors wanted to indict him; in November 2021 the accusation will be formulated: attempted manslaughter.

Why was the accusation made worse later on?

While Promes was causing a sensation in Russia at Spartak Moscow, fragments of phone conversations with his family emerged in March, in which he appears to have confessed to stabbing. This emerges from telephone taps in the criminal file news hour was seen.

Among other things, Promes asks his father why he jumped in front of his nephews: “You saved his life. (…) Otherwise I’ll stab him, don’t you understand?” He also seems to have waited until the party was over: “You can say alcohol, because if I had been that drunk I would have taken it at the beginning of the party. I waited properly.”

A day later, prosecutors upgraded the charges against Promes from attempted manslaughter to attempted murder, making it premeditated.

Why were Promes’ calls intercepted?

There will be more clarity on this in May this year when the sources come in news hour report that the footballer is also suspected of involvement in drug smuggling, money laundering and domestic violence.

These include financing a shipment of four thousand kilos of cocaine (intercepted by police) in Antwerp and smuggling synthetic drugs into Australia.

These allegations will not be dealt with in the trial, which begins on Friday. It’s all about stabbing.

How is Promes doing meanwhile?

Promes is thriving in sports in Russia. Most foreign footballers have left Ukraine since the war, but Promes remains in Moscow and is one of the star players. He has scored 14 goals and provided 14 assists in 16 games this season.

In June, images surfaced on social media of Promes visiting Ghana with friend Memphis Depay and assistant national team manager Edgar Davids.

According to technical director Artem Rebrov, Promes is the leader on the field and the boss in the dressing room. Promes has said he will not leave Spartak Moscow until the club are champions.

What punishment does Promes face?

It may be some time before a verdict is reached and there is currently no word on a possible punishment for Promes. The maximum penalty for attempted murder is 20 years in prison.

If there is a conviction, it remains to be seen whether Promes himself will come to the Netherlands. He is currently in Russia, a country with which the Netherlands has an extradition treaty in principle.

Watch a reconstruction of the Promes fall from Nieuwsuur.