A tragic downfall for Vitesse, a once promising football club with ties to Chelsea, serves as a cautionary tale in Dutch football
Vitesse Arnhem's Professional Licence Revoked: A Cautionary Tale
After a tumultuous period, Dutch football club Vitesse Arnhem has had its professional licence revoked, marking a significant moment in the club's 133-year history. The decision, made by the Dutch Football Association (KNVB), comes primarily due to the club's "structural evasion of the licensing system" and failure to rectify their financial and organizational affairs following a failed takeover by Coley Parry [1][2][3][4].
The news has been met with tears and unsurprised resignation across the country. Vitesse's situation serves as a warning to the rest of the Netherlands, and potentially Europe and the world, about the potential pitfalls of foreign ownership and the importance of maintaining a club's local connections [5].
In recent years, Vitesse has seen a change in ownership, with Russian owners taking over, but there was an Abramovich link as well, as revealed by the leaked Cyprus Confidential files. However, the recent reports and search results do not explicitly mention Abramovich’s involvement or its impact on Vitesse’s financial situation. The main financial issues appear to be tied to organizational mismanagement and the failed takeover rather than specific foreign ownership consequences [1][2][3][4][5].
Despite this, the general opinion is that it's safer to keep football clubs close to their regions and local communities. Vitesse's story is now an example of how it should not be done [6]. The club's stadium owner, Michael van de Kuit, has indicated that to resolve the licensing problem, Vitesse’s current foundation should be reorganized with an independent board to better manage the club’s shares and oversee the sale process to a new owner. This restructuring might improve their chances of regaining a professional license, but stakeholders must agree to transfer shares to this foundation for the plan to succeed [1].
Vitesse has been remembered as another footballing Icarus, flying too close to the sun and paying the consequences. The club was known for housing many of Chelsea's best youth team players during the 2010s. However, the high-profile takeovers of Dutch football clubs by foreign owners should make Dutch fans sceptical, as there's no clear business reason for such acquisitions [5].
The situation with Vitesse is not unique. ADO Den Haag is currently on a worrying downward spiral after following the foreign ownership route, similar to Vitesse. NAC Breda successfully protested against a City Group takeover due to fears of becoming another Vitesse.
However, there is hope. The Dutch football club Rangers started over in the Scottish fourth division and were promoted to the Scottish Premiership in a few years. If Vitesse can learn from their mistakes and navigate the complex process of rebuilding, they too may have a chance at redemption.
[1] [Source 1] [2] [Source 2] [3] [Source 3] [4] [Source 4] [5] [Source 5] [6] [Source 6]
- The revocation of Vitesse Arnhem's professional license serves as a cautionary tale for managers of sports clubs, particularly in football, about the potential dangers of evading licensing systems and ignoring financial and organizational matters.
- Despite foreign ownership becoming increasingly common in the Premier League and other football leagues around the world, the case of Vitesse Arnhem highlights the importance of maintaining local connections and keeping clubs close to their regions and communities.
- In contrast to clubs like Vitesse, ADO Den Haag and NAC Breda have shown concern about foreign ownership, with NAC Breda successfully protesting against a takeover out of fear of becoming another troubled club.
- If Vitesse can learn from its mistakes and navigate the complex process of rebuilding, it might emulate the story of Dutch football club Rangers, who started over in the fourth division of Scottish football and were promoted to the Premiership in a few years.
