"Devastated" Vitesse loses appeal to keep professional license

The KNVB’s appeals committee has barred Vitesse from playing in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie next season. The club’s appeal against the decision of the football association’s independent licensing committee to revoke its professional license is therefore unsuccessful. Vitesse, relegated from the Eredivisie last year, is “devastated” and expects to challenge the loss of its license in civil court. The first league match of the new season was scheduled for August 9 at Almere City FC.

It was reported on Friday afternoon that Vitesse has initiated summary proceedings. The case will be heard next Thursday at 1:30 p.m.

“The appeals committee concludes that there has been a multi-year pattern of deception, circumvention, and undermining of the licensing system, as well as a lack of transparency. In the opinion of the appeals committee, this pattern has proven to be structural, serious, and persistent. The appeals committee, therefore, believes that revocation of the license is justified,” the committee said in a press release. Even after its license was revoked, Vitesse did not meet the requirements for providing information

Earlier this month, Vitesse learned that its license was being revoked, after the KNVB’s licensing committee announced its intention to do so in May. This was partly due to the involvement of foreign owners, who transferred the club to a group of regional entrepreneurs in June.

"Their initiatives – the strategic recovery plan – however, come too late and are also surrounded by uncertainties that cannot be resolved before the start of the 2025/26 season," according to the appeals committee. The committee said it was aware of the "major impact" on supporters and the region, among others. But continuing the license with such serious violations “would unacceptably damage the credibility of the licensing system.”

Vitesse was founded in 1892, making it one of the oldest football clubs in the Netherlands. Last year, the club also lost its license due to various administrative and financial problems. On August 3 last year, the club learned that it had regained its license and, after relegation, would be allowed to play in the first division. Vitesse finished last in that league last season after receiving a 39-point deduction for mismanagement.

Vitesse was “devastated” by the appeals committee’s ruling and expects to challenge the loss of its professional license in civil court, the club said on its website. “Vitesse has done everything in its power to convince first the licensing committee, and then the appeals committee, that the licensing committee’s decision is incorrect and insufficiently considers all the efforts in and for Arnhem,” the club said.

The KNVB regrets that Vitesse’s professional football license has been revoked. “That a professional club loses its license is terrible, not only for the club itself, but also for the fans and Dutch football as a whole,” the KNVB said in a statement on X. “We fully understand that this is painful for Vitesse’s supporters, and this is a very difficult time for them.”

The football association stressed that professional football clubs have jointly established rules with the KNVB to ensure the integrity and continuity of professional football tournaments. “These rules are monitored by the independent licensing committee and the licensing appeals committee. We fully support these bodies, although it is now painfully clear how significant the impact can be if a club does not meet the established requirements,” the KNVB said. “We wish Vitesse supporters strength in the coming period.”