KNVB Faces Backlash from Vitesse Parents Over Transfer Impasse

Parents of Vitesse youth players send open letter to KNVB, demanding clarity on transfer possibilities and expressing concerns about their children's future.

”We therefore call on the KNVB and Vitesse to provide immediate clarity and to facilitate the transfer...”

Parents of Vitesse Youth Players Send Open Letter to KNVB

Concerned parents of Vitesse youth academy players have sent an open letter to the Dutch Football Association (KNVB), expressing their distress and frustration over the uncertainty surrounding their children's future. The parents are worried because Vitesse's professional license was revoked earlier this month due to the club's failure to meet licensing requirements, including financial instability.

Background

Licence Revocation: Vitesse's professional license was revoked due to financial irregularities and failure to meet licensing requirements.

Financial Troubles: The club has been facing financial difficulties, and its future in professional football hangs in the balance.

Parent's Plea: The parents are urging the KNVB and Vitesse to find a solution, emphasizing that every day of delay is detrimental to their children's futurem

Vitesse Arnhem, one of the Netherlands' oldest clubs, has officially lost its professional license after a Dutch civil court upheld the KNVB's decision. The club's financial struggles, including a significant debt and lack of a balanced budget, led to this outcome. With their license revoked, Vitesse will no longer participate in the country's top-tier professional leagues.

What's Next for Vitesse?

Amateur Ranks: The club is expected to continue playing in the amateur ranks, focusing on developing their youth academy.

Prioritizing Youth: Vitesse plans to prioritize its youth program, potentially providing opportunities for young players to grow and develop.

Financial Restructuring: Although a potential investor, Guus Franke, had expressed interest in buying the club, the deal fell through due to lack of approval from the KNVB.

The Circumstances Leading to the Decision

KNVB's Investigation: The KNVB's decision followed an investigation into Vitesse's financial ties to Roman Abramovich, which uncovered indications of the oligarch's control over the club.

Point Deduction: Earlier, the KNVB deducted 18 points from Vitesse for repeated breaches of licensing regulations, ultimately leading to their relegation.

Parents of Vitesse Youth Players Demand Clarity

Parents of Vitesse youth academy players have sent an open letter to the Dutch Football Association (KNVB), expressing their deep concern about the future and well-being of their children. The letter, titled “Our children are being held hostage,” highlights the uncertainty surrounding the youth players' careers due to Vitesse's loss of professional license.

The parents are worried because the KNVB and Vitesse are seemingly at odds over allowing youth players to transfer to other clubs. While Vitesse claims players are free to leave, the KNVB is waiting for Vitesse to take action. This administrative impasse is affecting children as young as 12 or 13, who cannot continue their training or join other clubs due to a closed transfer window.

Key Concerns:

• Transfer Impasse: Youth players are stuck in limbo, unable to join other clubs or continue their development.

• Lack of Clarity: Parents demand immediate clarity on the situation and urge the KNVB and Vitesse to facilitate transfers.

• Impact on Development: The uncertainty is affecting the children's football skills development and their daily lives, causing tension and overshadowing holidays.

Consequences:

School Life Impacted: Some children are forced to transfer to new high schools, disrupting their academic life.

Emotional Distress: Parents feel abandoned and used by organizations that should be taking responsibility.

Uncertainty: Every day of delay is detrimental to the children's future, emphasizing the need for an urgent resolution.

Parents of Vitesse Youth Players Demand Clarity

“We, the parents of Vitesse youth players, are very concerned about our children's future since the revocation of the professional license,” the parents express in an open letter to the KNVB. Despite earlier promises, there is still no agreement on the possibility of transferring to another club, leaving the young players in limbo. The parents are worried about the impact on their children's development and future in football.

Transfer Impasse for Youth Players

Unlike professional players, youth players are no longer allowed to move clubs as their transfer window has closed. They are dependent on exemption from the KNVB, but the association is hesitant to implement this without clarity on Vitesse's potential restart in amateur football and the future of the academy. The KNVB's policy on international transfers requires players under 18 to meet specific conditions, such as:

Player's Parents Move: The player's parents move to the country where the new club is based for reasons unrelated to football.

50km Border Rule: The player's domicile is within 50km of a national border, and the new club is within 100km of the same border.

Exceptional Circumstances: Other exceptional circumstances may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Uncertainty Affecting Young Players

The parents are urging the KNVB to find a solution, emphasizing that every day of delay is detrimental to their children's future. The uncertainty is affecting the children's daily lives, and the parents are seeking immediate clarity on the situation. The KNVB's decision to revoke Vitesse's professional license has led to this impasse, and the parents are hoping for a swift resolution.

"Vitesse claim that players are free to leave, while the KNVB says it is waiting for Vitesse. In practice, this means that children – some as young as 12 or 13 – are stuck in an administrative impasse. They cannot continue their training, while their development is at a standstill every day.”

The parents stress that the uncertainty surrounding Vitesse's situation is having a profound impact on their daily lives, affecting not just their children but entire families. The lack of clarity on transfer possibilities and the future of the youth academy is causing significant distress and disruption.

“There has been tension for weeks, holidays have been overshadowed, and daily life is completely dominated by uncertainty. On top of that, all this also has major consequences for school: some children are forced to transfer to a new high school, while the school year in Arnhem has already started again this week.”

Parents of Vitesse Youth Players Feel Abandoned

The parents of Vitesse youth players are speaking out against the narrative presented in some media outlets, emphasizing that the situation is far more pressing than reported. “We want to distance ourselves from the image created in the media that parents understand this situation or support Vitesse,” they state. “That is not true. We feel abandoned and used by organisations that should be taking responsibility.” The parents feel that they and their children are being left in limbo, with no clear solution in sight.

”We therefore call on the KNVB and Vitesse to provide immediate clarity and to facilitate the transfer of our children. Every day of delay is one day too many.”