FC Twente ordered to clean house after financial mismanagement

The KNVB is ordering FC Twente managers who were directly or indirectly involved with financial abuses at the football club to resign. The club should also revert to a proper business model and get their finances in order, according to the recommendations of independent investigator Ben Knuppe. 

Knuppe investigated financial abuses at FC Twente between 2013 and June 2015. The KNVB published his recommendations on how the club is to proceed on Wednesday.

One of the recommendations is that Gerald van den Belt, Hennie Ten Hag, Hein Trebbe and Joop de Winter resign from the club. Joop Munsterman and Aldo van der Laan should also not be allowed to return to any job at FC Twente.

FC Twente should return to a manage model with a professional and strong direction, under the supervision of a supervisory board. The supervisory board should keep "sufficient distance", but completely independently monitor the club's policy. No sponsors, supporters associations or other direct stakeholders must be represented in this body.

The club must also put more effort into working on its financial recovery. FC Twente has until May 1st to hand in its financial reports to the KNVB's licensing committee, who will evaluate the reports.

"This is a harsh but necessary step for FC Twente", Bert van Oostveen, director of professional football at KNVB, commented. "The club has a large and loyal following, is socially involved and extremely popular, but a mess was made of the management these past years. Moreover, board members deliberately withheld financial information which is detrimental. Because of this the club is at the verge of collapse."

Van Oostveen continues that implementing the above measures is no guarantee that the club will survive, but is a good first step. "In short, FC Twente has to work hard in the coming months, and stands before difficult, partly personal decisions. But this is the only way to ensure that the club can come out of the current situation and move forward", he said. "The KNVB will help and support wherever it can, but the club has to do this itself."