Vitesse handed a 21-point deduction for incomplete financial reports

The licensing committee of Dutch football association KNVB has punished Vitesse with a 21-point deduction. The Arnhem football club was given this sanction because they broke the licensing rules on four occasions in the last few months, the association said on Thursday.

The team’s points tally is now on -15 in total. It is not possible to be relegated from the Keuken Kampioen Divisie. Vitesse had already been handed a six-point deduction this season and are now firmly rooted to the bottom spot of the Dutch second division, the Keuken Kampioen Divisie, the sponsored name of the Eerste Divisie. They were relegated to that division last season from the Eredivisie, the country's top league.

The KNVB claims that Vitesse submitted incomplete and late financial reports over a longer period. This concerns the annual accounts of the 2022-2023 season, the forecast, the half-yearly figures, the annual accounts of the past season 2023-2024, and the forecast for the current season.

"For certain offenses, a Professional Football Organization can also receive a fine. Given Vitesse's current financial situation, the Licensing Committee has decided not to impose a fine and, therefore, opt for a points penalty. The club is grateful for this," Vitesse said in a response.

The club has been mired in financial trouble since its Russian owner, Valeriy Oyf, tried to sell the club to the US-based investment company Common Group. However, this takeover was blocked by the KNVB. This then subsequently led to another unsuccessful rescue attempt, this time from Dutch entrepreneur Guus Franke.

"It has been known for several weeks that Vitesse has not been able to meet the requirements of the licensing regulations surrounding its financial documents. This was partly due to the so-called continuity issue, arising from the lengthy takeover process,” the KNVB statement continued.

The KNVB has not ruled out additional punishments for the club. "The penalties now imposed have been imposed for violations committed in the past period. It is not possible to anticipate what may happen next," the licensing committee said.

Vitesse has decided not to appeal the punishment.