 Kalou said he will join his brother in the Ivorian side |
Striker Salomon Kalou has told a Dutch magazine he has abandoned his quest to play for Holland and will pitch his tent with his native Ivory Coast. "The book [on playing for Holland] is closed," Sportweek quoted Kalou as saying.
"After the World Cup, I'll do what my brother Bonaventure promised: play for Ivory Coast."
Bonaventure, Salomon's elder brother, plays for French side Paris Saint Germain and will be at next month's World Cup with the West African side.
"Everyone knows that I would have liked to have played for the Netherlands at the World Cup in Germany," the younger Kalou told the magazine.
"There's no choice left for me, since I don't expect to remain playing football in the Holland for long. I have to get on with my career."
Despite the backing of Dutch national coach Marco van Basten, Kalou's request for fast-tracked citizenship was rejected by immigration minister Rita Verdonk, who has a reputation for strictly enforcing the country's immigration laws.
Verdonk refused to make an exception for Kalou and insisted he must pass a Dutch language examination before he can be naturalized.
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