Arnhem mayor, Vitesse fans respond to club’s license loss

The Mayor of Arnhem, Ahmed Marcouch, has responded to the news that Vitesse’s appeal to retrieve their professional license was denied on Friday by saying that it is “inconceivable” that the club can’t play in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie this season. “It is a tremendous disappointment for our city, and especially for all Vitesse supporters,” Marcouch said to ANP.

“That Vitesse is no longer being admitted to professional football, after 133 years, is truly inconceivable,” Marcouch continued. “I’ve said before that, as the second-oldest club in professional football, Vitesse is much more than just a stadium or a budget on paper. For many people in Arnhem, it’s a way of life. The club fosters a sense of togetherness and connection. That now threatens to disappear in an instant, and that’s a huge blow.”

Marcouch called it an unprecedented loss for his city. “Now, all that remains for Vitesse is to take the matter to court, as the season starts on August 9. We’ll have to wait and see, but perhaps this could have been avoided by all parties involved. I call on all Vitesse supporters to once again stand behind the club with all their positive energy and to keep hoping for a good outcome.”

Vitesse issues started years ago when the club was owned by Russian businessmen linked to Roman Abramovich, whose financial support came under scrutiny, especially following sanctions after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Attempts to sell the club were blocked by the Dutch football authorities amid concerns over ownership legitimacy. These issues culminated in an 18-point deduction in 2024 for providing false information and withholding vital data, resulting in Vitesse’s relegation from the Eredivisie for the first time in 35 years.

The KNVB cited a pattern of deception, circumvention, and lack of transparency over several years as reasons to revoke the club’s license.

Understandably, the news hit hard for Vitesse’s supporters. The chair of the supporters association, Susanne Wichhart, said that she is “stunned and speechless” after hearing the news.

This situation also occurred for Vitesse last season, but they were given their license back after an appeal. “It feels different this time, it is as if I have fallen into a large hole,” Wichhart said.

Vitesse club legend Theo Janssen told Ziggo Sport that he was not expecting the news to affect him as much as it has. "You do keep it in the back of your mind, and you know it could happen. But I didn’t expect it to hit me this hard." Janssen is currently a pundit and was working at Utrecht’s stadium for their match against FC Sheriff.

Janssen still works for the club in an advisory role. “For those 18,000 people who are always there, for the entire fanbase and all the club’s staff, it feels like the world is falling apart. It’s a huge shock, though I’ve already spoken to people who say: we’re going to fight for it, we still hope the club can be saved,” he said in a message to the Vitesse fans.

The former Vitesse, Ajax, and FC Twente player admitted that the club has been poorly run in the past. “But now there are people who want to do the right thing for the club in a very transparent way: entrepreneurs from the region who want to take over the club, but this is being hindered because things went wrong in the past,” Janssen is referring to the group of local investors called “the sterkhouders” who agreed to take over the club.

Janssen still sees "a few percent chance" that things will turn out well in Arnhem. "But every percent counts."

The province of Gelderland also responded to the news. “We wish the employees, supporters, and other people involved plenty of strength after hearing this news,” said Provincial Executive member Helga Witjes.

Vitesse were set to play their first league match in the second division, the Keuken Kampioen Divisie, away to Almere City next Saturday. The team trained in front of around 20 supporters on Friday after the news. The club does not wish to respond to the news and will decide later in the day whether it will take the case to court.