Amateur clubs push back against KNVB plans to merge Saturday and Sunday leagues

Seven out of 10 amateur clubs feel blindsided by plans from the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) to merge the Saturday and Sunday competitions in most of the higher amateur levels, research by De Telegraaf shows.

Many clubs say they are worried about a lack of volunteers and available facilities, and feel caught off guard by the KNVB, which remains determined to implement the changes in the 2026–2027 season.

The “core weekend football group,” made up of worried amateur clubs, is planning legal action against the KNVB. The clubs argue that the association is disregarding their interests and long-standing traditions. A few weeks ago, it was revealed that the core group had offered the KNVB a “last chance” following three unsuccessful rounds of negotiations.

The clubs are demanding that Sunday teams should not be forced to join “principled Saturday clubs” that refuse to play on Sundays. Many clubs, particularly in the Veluwe and Bollenstreek (the "Bible Belt" regions), have statutes stating they cannot and will not play on Sundays for religious reasons.

The KNVB is pushing for the merger because the number of teams in the Sunday leagues has been declining sharply for years, while Saturday football is thriving. Merging the two competitions would allow the KNVB to organize teams more regionally, cutting travel distances. The association argues that “doing nothing is not an option” to preserve the quality and excitement of the lower leagues.

Clubs worry that the distinctive “Sunday culture,” including the social atmosphere in the clubhouse after games, could disappear. Clubs fear that moving games to Saturday afternoon, when parents are busy with kids' sports, will see a 30–40% drop in bar turnover.

They also anticipate challenges with field scheduling and volunteer support if matches are spread throughout the weekend. Critics see the change as “forced imposition” rather than a natural evolution.

Currently, many volunteers work either Saturday or Sunday. By spreading senior matches across the whole weekend, clubs argue they will need double the amount of groundsmen, referees, and canteen staff, whom they simply do not have.

The KNVB claims regionalizing will create more local derbies. However, clubs argue that if a traditional Sunday derby is moved to Saturday, they lose their unique market share. On Sundays, they are often the only show in town; on Saturdays, they have to compete with the professional division, the Eredivisie, and youth football.

Clubs wishing to adjust their match day before the complete merger can use the KNVB’s “horizontal switch” option, which lets a team move to the corresponding level in the other competition.

In recent years, hundreds of clubs have already used this option to flee the Sunday leagues. This has created a "vicious cycle": as teams leave, the remaining Sunday leagues become smaller and require longer travel times, sometimes 1.5+ hours for an amateur game, which in turn forces more teams to want to switch.

The core weekend football group is looking at the KNVB’s own Articles of Association. They are expected to argue that a change of this magnitude requires a two-thirds majority vote from the Assembly of Members, rather than a top-down decision by the KNVB board. If they can prove the KNVB didn't follow proper democratic protocols, a judge could freeze the 2026–2027 implementation.