Second oldest Dutch football club shuts down after 133 years of existence

(Patria) - Dutch football club Vitesse Arnhem has definitively lost its professional license, as confirmed by a court in Utrecht.

After 133 years of existence, making it the second oldest club in the Netherlands (founded in 1892, only Sparta Rotterdam is older), it is shutting down as a professional football club.

The court ruled that the licensing commission and the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) correctly followed all regulations and that the decision made was reasonable.

As nos.nl reports, the license was revoked because the association believes the club had been looking for loopholes in the licensing system for years, and years of fraud have finally caught up.

- Vitesse was given chance after chance, but did not take them. The club showed no improvement - said the KNVB lawyer in court two days ago.

Local investors gathered under the name De Sterkhouders took over all shares from the previous owners, and only the approval of the licensing commission was awaited for finalization, but the judge did not relent.

- The fact that Vitesse now claims it can meet the license conditions does not negate the fact that rules were violated in the past. The court considered a dispute concerning violations committed in the past.

Based on those violations, the KNVB commission made the decision to revoke the license, and the court now rules that the Association had the right to make such a decision - said the judge.

"What the future holds for Vitesse is currently unclear. We are exploring all possibilities. In the meantime, the club's management remains in talks with stakeholders to ensure the survival of football in Arnhem," they wrote in an official statement from Vitesse.

Vitesse was a stable top-flight club, but never in its history tasted the joy of winning the Eredivisie. Its greatest success was winning the KNVB Cup, triumphing 2-0 against AZ Alkmaar in the 2017 final.

At that time, they also played in the Europa League for the first time in history, and they were also known as a development point for young Chelsea players. They had a partnership with the London club for many years.