Vitesse and the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) have agreed to set aside their long-running dispute over the withdrawal of the club’s professional licence, and will try to settle the matter with the help of an independent third party.
The identity of that mediator has not been made public, and neither side wants to comment on the process while talks are ongoing. The aim is to avoid a lengthy court battle on the merits of the case.
From licence withdrawal to court rulings
Vitesse lost its licence in July 2025, with the KNVB arguing that the Arnhem club had for years circumvented and undermined the licensing system. A summary court case in Utrecht initially sided with the football association, ruling that its decision was justified.
The club appealed, and in September 2025 it was granted its licence back on a conditional basis. The appeals court found that the decision to withdraw it had been taken too hastily and without sufficient care, and ordered that Vitesse be readmitted to the competitions pending a ruling in the main proceedings the club had launched. The KNVB took the matter to the Supreme Court, but the highest court in the Netherlands upheld the appeals court’s view.
Heavy cost to the club
The period between July and September 2025 proved costly for Vitesse. Many players, including several youth products, left the club on free transfers, as they no longer saw a future for themselves in Arnhem.
With another trip to court unlikely to suit either party, the KNVB and Vitesse have now agreed to seek a solution through mutual consultation, supported by a third party.
Source: nos.nl
