Feyenoord will temporarily leave the Netherlands for a short training camp in Belgium after new arrival Raheem Sterling was unable to receive a work permit in time to train with the club on Dutch soil, İdman.Biz reports.
The England winger, who joined the Rotterdam side on 12 February, was ruled out of the 15 February match against Go Ahead Eagles and has not been allowed to participate in team sessions domestically due to administrative restrictions.
Head coach Robin van Persie said the decision was taken to ensure Sterling can begin reintegration with the squad while paperwork is processed. The forward has not played competitive football for around six months and the club intends to rebuild his fitness gradually.
“We can train abroad. We are doing this for him but we also want to continue developing the team. It’s a chance to spend time together and communicate. He will return to training tomorrow. We will monitor his physical condition weekly. It will take some time, but I think this approach is logical because he hasn’t played for six months,” Van Persie explained.
Dutch clubs have previously faced similar post-Brexit registration complications with British players, with work permit procedures often delaying debuts despite completed transfers.
