Sports · Football · 7 hrs ago
Bas Nijhuis misses fitness test after ankle injury delays return
Dutch referee Bas Nijhuis has had to delay his return to the field after a new ankle injury.
The 49-year-old had been out since January with an Achilles tendon injury and hoped to return last weekend.
He twisted his ankle and could not take the required fitness test before he could officiate again.
The test is required by the KNVB, the Dutch football association, and Nijhuis has not been assigned a match for the coming round.
Journalist Valentijn Driessen said he was concerned about Nijhuis’s physical condition, while presenter Wilfred Genee said Nijhuis can still referee well.
Nijhuis does not want to work as a video assistant referee, so Driessen fears that failing to return to the field could end his refereeing career; no return date has been given.
Bas Nijhuis missed a required fitness test after twisting his ankle, delaying his hoped-for return to refereeing.
The 49-year-old had been sidelined since January by an Achilles tendon injury.
Valentijn Driessen said he was concerned about Nijhuis’s physical condition and his refereeing career.
Wilfred Genee said Nijhuis could still referee well, while Raymond Mens said he still wanted to return.
Driessen said Nijhuis does not want to work as a video assistant referee.
- Who
- Bas Nijhuis, a 49-year-old referee.
- What
- He missed a required fitness test after twisting his ankle, delaying his return to refereeing.
- When
- The reports were published on 29 October 2026; the ankle injury happened that week.
- Where
- The reports discuss his return to refereeing in the Netherlands. A specific location for the injury is not stated.
- Why
- He could not take the test after twisting his ankle; the test was required before he could return to the field.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Nijhuis was sidelined by an Achilles tendon injury.
Nijhuis said he hoped to return to the field the following weekend, subject to passing a KNVB fitness test.
He twisted his ankle and could not take the fitness test.
Nijhuis was not assigned a match for either period.
- Age
- 49
- Earlier injury
- Achilles tendon injury that sidelined him since January
- New injury
- Twisted ankle
- Required step
- KNVB fitness test
- Return status
- No match assigned for the weekend or the upcoming round
3 sources
What people are saying
He says: I sometimes have a weak ankle, so he couldn't do the test.
He can still referee well.
I think he walks with such difficulty these days.
And he still really wants to.