Central Netherlands Court Upholds Vitesse Arnhem License Revocation

Vitesse Arnhem, one of the Netherlands’ oldest football clubs, lost its final appeal to retain its professional license after the Central Netherlands Court upheld the Dutch Football Association's (KNVB) decision. The KNVB cited long-term financial irregularities, including missing financial oversight and a debt of around 14 million euros, as reasons for revoking the license. The club, which was relegated last year due to these issues and impacted by sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, now faces the possibility of continuing only as an amateur club or ceasing to exist. The ruling led to fan protests and cancellation of their scheduled match, leaving the Dutch second division with one less team. Vitesse expressed devastation and uncertainty about its future, with efforts ongoing to explore options and engage stakeholders to preserve football in Arnhem. The court's decision emphasized that the KNVB had reasonably applied its licensing rules and that the club had repeatedly failed to regularize its affairs.