Judge in Vitesse ruling linked to amateur team sponsored by owner; season opener set
The Arnhem Court of Appeal has come under scrutiny after ruling that Vitesse would have its license reinstated on Wednesday. Reports have since emerged that the court’s presiding judge holds a secondary role at local amateur club SML, which is sponsored by one of Vitesse’s current owners, Marwin Melis, Omroep Gelderland reported. The KNVB announced on Friday that Vitesse will play their first league game of the season on September 12 away against Jong AZ.
Melis is part of a group of local businessmen, called the Sterkhouders, who took over Vitesse in January with the aim of bringing stability to the Arnhem football club after years of mismanagement. He regularly attends SML games and sponsors the club.
The presiding judge chairs SML’s Safety and Conduct Committee, which handles reports of misconduct at the amateur club. The judge was one of three deciding on Vitesse’s case and was praised for his thorough questioning of the Dutch Football Association (KNVB).
Melis confirmed that he does not personally know the judge. “I don’t know the man. Besides, I sponsor many more sports clubs in Arnhem and the surrounding region,” he told Omroep Gelderland.
The Arnhem court dismissed concerns over a potential conflict of interest. It emphasized that the judge’s secondary role was fully disclosed and registered. Since the position is unrelated to the Vitesse case and the judge has no personal stake in the sponsors or professional football, the court concluded his participation did not breach standards of judicial independence.
The KNVB has the option to appeal to the Supreme Court but expressed disappointment with the ruling. The court stressed that each case is assessed individually and that the judge’s role at SML did not prevent a proper review of Vitesse’s appeal. It remains unclear whether the KNVB was aware of the secondary role beforehand, which could have justified a recusal request.
The first home game in the GelreDome will be on September 20 against Helmond Sport. This is also the traditional Airborne match, held to commemorate the Battle of Arnhem in 1944. The club plays in specially designed jerseys, and veterans are seated in the stands.
Most clubs in the second division have played four games this season. The KNVB will announce later when the club from Arnhem can make up those matches. For now, the football association has scheduled four of Vitesse’s matches. The club will visit RKC Waalwijk on September 16, and Willem II will be the guest at the GelreDome on September 27. Due to previous sanctions, Vitesse starts the new season with a 12-point deduction.
Vitesse has a week to complete its squad for the game against Jong AZ, which is AZ’s second team. Many players left the club on free transfers in the last few weeks after a preliminary injunction in Utrecht ruled that the KNVB had rightly revoked its professional license due to the systematic circumvention and undermining of the licensing system.
The court of appeal in Arnhem-Leeuwarden gave a different verdict on Wednesday. Three judges ruled that Vitesse had been unfairly blocked from competing in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie this year.
According to Vitesse, many free-agent players have come forward since Wednesday, offering to play for the club from Arnhem. It is unclear whether they can raise the level of the thinned-out squad.
