Vitesse Arnhem Kicked Out of Professional Football
Vitesse Arnhem, one of Holland’s oldest football clubs, has been thrown out of professional football after losing their final court appeal on Friday.
The Dutch football authorities (KNVB) took away the club’s professional license, and a court backed this decision. Angry fans gathered in the city center and there were fights with some trouble involving journalists.
Why This Happened:
- The club owes around 14 million euros (about $16 million)
- They broke financial rules for years
- They didn’t even have a proper bank account
- They couldn’t show a clear budget
- The football association said they ignored many chances to fix their problems
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Background:
- Vitesse was founded in 1892 (over 130 years old)
- They were already relegated to the second division last year for money problems
- Foreign owners took over – first a Georgian businessman in 2010, then a Russian majority owner in 2018
- Their finances got much worse after sanctions on Russia following the Ukraine war
What Happens Now:
- Their Saturday match has been canceled
- The second division now only has 19 teams instead of 20
- Vitesse must either become an amateur club or shut down completely
- The club says they’re “devastated” and looking at their options
The club was never champions but finished second four times in Dutch football. Local officials called it a “tragedy” and said the city has “lost part of its DNA.”