Vitesse Arnhem lose last bid to save professional status, angering supporters
The Central Netherlands Court rejected the club's appeal to overturn a decision by the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) to revoke their professional licence.
Dutch media showed images of scuffles in Arnhem city centre as supporters gathered. One journalist was slapped, the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper reported, as anger was directed against media.
The court upheld the KNVB decision after the football association said the club had circumvented and undermined the licensing system for years and had spurned repeated opportunities to regularise their affairs, including debt reported to be around 14 million euros ($16.3 million).
The club, established in 1892, had been sanctioned last year and relegated to the Dutch second division because of financial irregularities, which the KNVB said included the absence of a bank account, the absence of a controlling accountant, and the fact that no conclusive budget could be provided.
Vitesse were the first Dutch club to have foreign owners in 2010 when Georgian businessman Merab Jordania took over the club with Russian Valeriy Oyf becoming majority owner in 2018.
The club's financial fortunes changed drastically after sanctions that followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The decision means Saturday's scheduled match against Almere City has been cancelled and leaves the Dutch second division with 19 clubs.
In a statement, Vitesse said they were 'devastated' by the verdict. 'What the future holds is unclear,' the statement said.
'The club is exploring options and continues to talk to stakeholders to safeguard football in Arnhem.'
Vitesse, who were four-time runners-up in the Dutch league but never won the championship, will be forced to either continue as an amateur club or cease to exist.
The Dutch league has two divisions, but there is no mandatory promotion and relegation between the second tier of the professional competition and the amateur ranks.
'The worst-case scenario has come true," said Arnhem's Alderman for Sports Affairs Bob Roelofs.
"This is a tragedy for the city, for the supporters, for Vitesse. The city has lost a large part of its DNA."
($1 = 0.8581 euros)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
As octopuses dwindle in Spanish waters, suppliers look to imports and farming despite concerns
At a humming factory in the Spanish town of O Carballino, workers sling dozens of limp octopuses into a metal cauldron, wincing as strings of slime splatter their aprons. Nearby, others slice tentacles and pack them into vacuum-sealed bags destined for restaurants and retailers across Europe, Asia and the United States — part of a growing global appetite for an animal that's become increasingly scarce in its native waters. Though O Carballino proudly calls itself Spain's octopus capital — complete with a towering bronze octopus statue, streets lined with the pulperias that offer them up to diners and an annual octopus festival that draws tens of thousands — the century-old factory hasn't sourced a single animal from local waters in 10 years. 'Here in Galicia, octopus has become really, really variable and scarce,' said Carlos Arcos, export manager of Frigorificos Arcos SL. 'If you're industrializing a process like we do, you need to guarantee your customers regularity of supply.' Today, 100% of the company's octopus comes from Mauritania and Morocco. While octopus numbers fluctuate naturally from year to year, scientists and fishers say Spain's long-term trend is downward and surging international demand is only tightening the squeeze. That's prompted some companies to explore farming the animals in tanks to ensure a long-term supply — a prospect that's drawn pushback from animal welfare groups. Pressure forces closure of Spain's octopus fishery This summer, that pressure reached a breaking point. Spain's octopus fishery closed for three months — an unusually long pause meant to give it time to recover. 'The population has only just come back, but once the season opens, we'll destroy it all in two weeks,' said Juan Martínez, a fisherman of more than four decades. Beside him, hundreds of octopus traps sat idle, stacked along the dock in his home port of Cangas. 'This used to be a sustainable industry, but now we've broken an entire ecosystem.' Octopus populations in Galicia also depend heavily on nutrient-rich upwelling — deep ocean water rising to the surface and bringing food for octopuses — said Ángel González, a research professor at the Spanish National Research Council. While upwelling naturally fluctuates, climate change is altering wind patterns, ocean stratification and nutrient delivery, making those cycles less predictable and, in some years, less productive. 'When that weakens due to changing oceanographic and atmospheric conditions, numbers drop regardless of fishing.' In response to growing demand and shrinking wild stocks, some companies in Spain are attempting to farm octopus in captivity — a move they say could ease pressure on the oceans. Grupo Profand is developing a research hatchery in Galicia focused on overcoming the biological challenges of breeding octopus. Meanwhile, seafood giant Nueva Pescanova is pursuing a full-scale industrial farm that would raise up to a million octopuses a year for slaughter. Grupo Profand did not respond to an interview request. A spokesperson for Nueva Pescanova declined to comment. Animal welfare groups say octopus shouldn't be farmed Animal welfare groups have condemned the proposed project as inhumane, citing plans to kill octopuses by submerging them in ice slurry and to confine the often-cannibalistic animals at high densities. They also warn it would pollute nearby waters with discharged waste, worsen overfishing of wild fish used for feed and inflict suffering on one of the ocean's most complex creatures. 'Farming wild animals is cruel, but especially with octopuses given their solitary nature and extremely high intelligence,' said Helena Constela, head of communications at Seaspiracy, a group that advocates against industrial fishing. Keeping them confined together in tanks, she said, is 'basically torture in slow motion.' Michael Sealey, senior policy advisor at Oceana Europe, said aquaculture should focus on species with lower environmental costs, such as oysters and mussels, which require no fish feed. 'We recognize that aquaculture has a role to play in feeding the world,' said Michael Sealey, senior policy advisor at Oceana Europe. 'But we need to prioritize low-impact farming — not systems that rely on feeding wild fish to carnivorous species.' Widespread concerns have already prompted action in the United States. Washington became the first state to ban octopus farming in 2024, followed by California, which also outlawed the sale of farmed octopus. Lawmakers in more than half a dozen other states have proposed similar bans, and a bipartisan federal bill to prohibit both farming and imports of farmed octopus is under consideration in Congress. Though no commercial farms currently operate in the U.S., these preemptive measures reflect mounting unease over projects moving ahead in Europe, Asia and parts of Central and South America — unease fueled in part by the 2020 Oscar-winning documentary 'My Octopus Teacher,' which showcased the animals' intelligence and emotional complexity to millions on Netflix. The arguments in favor of farming 'They have a real brain. They're able to do things other animals cannot,' said González of the Spanish National Research Council. 'But please — don't cross the line. It's an animal, it's an invertebrate. We can't extrapolate these kinds of things. Personality is linked to persons.' González, who is working with Grupo Profand on their research hatchery, believes farming could help restore wild stocks by raising juvenile octopuses in captivity for release back into the sea — an approach animal welfare groups argue could pave the way for industrial-scale farming. Javier Ojeda, national aquaculture representative at APROMAR, Spain's aquaculture business association, said aquatic animals can play a key role in food security and may be more efficient to raise than livestock. ' Octopuses grow extremely fast and efficiently — they're not fighting gravity and they don't spend energy heating their bodies," he said. He acknowledged welfare concerns but argued they should not block scientific progress. 'Farming octopus is something that cannot be stopped,' said Ojeda. 'We've been eating them for a long time. Now we need to try to find best practices.' Follow Annika Hammerschlag on Instagram @ahammergram. ___
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Lidl is selling a range of camping gadgets that are perfect for the hot weather including cool box and chairs
LIDL is selling a range of budget-friendly camping gadgets as Brits soak up the sunny weather. The discount supermarket chain is stocking kids' sleeping bags and chairs, cool boxes and even an air mattress. 4 The new range will be perfect for camping during the end of summer and autumn and getting outdoors to make the last of the year's light. There are 30 items Crivit Camping range that range from air mattresses to cool boxes. And some even have a discount attached to them. For example, the camping cutlery set selling for £9.99 now has 20 per cent with Lidl Plus and is selling for £7.99. The Crivit Aluminium Camping Table normally sells for £24.99, but with the Lidl Plus card is currently selling for £19.99. The air mattress in a double size is selling for £14.99, while sleeping bags are selling for £12.99. A range of four cool bags are selling for £3.99 while backpacks are selling for £14.99. It comes after Crivit released a number of tents and festival gear for summer at Lidl several months ago. The incredible Crivit camping range has everything festival-goers need to set themselves up in the Wilderness, including the 4-Person Blackout Tent – popping up in stores for just £99.00 with Lidl Plus. Crivit was even selling stand up paddleboards at supermarkets. Lidl's $50 Hammock: Summer Comfort That Won't Break the Bank The Crivit All-Round Inflatable SUP is priced at just £99.99, and was available at Lidl stores from Thursday May 29. This bargain bed comes after Lidl have begun selling ice cool gel pillows that are easy to use and would be perfect for keeping cool on those hot car trips. For just £7.99 on the Lidl plus app, shoppers can get their hands on the Silentnight Cooling Gel Pillow Pad. That's more than £12 cheaper than a similar product on Argos, with the low price available until June 7. Described as perfect for restless sleepers and over heaters, the pillow give you instant cooling comfort, so you don't need to flip your pillow during the night. At 60x40cm it covers your entire pillow and simply needs to be slid inside your pillowcase on top of your normal pillow. How to save money on summer essentials SUNNIER days and warmer weather will leave many of us wanting to kit out gardens and outdoor areas. Sun Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to get a great deal on summer essentials… It pays to know how to bag big savings on the likes of hot tubs paddling pools, egg chairs and outside bars. Many retailers have flash sales across entire ranges – often this ties into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends. Sign up to the mailing lists of your favourite brands and you'll be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too. Keep a close eye on the specialbuys at Aldi and middle of Lidl drops which drop a couple of times a week and usually mean great value seasonal items such as beach gear and paddling pools. If you are not in a hurry to buy an item, try adding it to the shopping cart and leaving it for a couple of days. Sometimes big brands will try to tempt you into the sale by offering you a discount. Always check if you can get cashback before paying. It's especially worth using sites such as Topcashback, Quidco and app Jamdoughnut when buying bigger ticket items such as garden furniture as you'll get a nice kickback. 4
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
CALUM CROWE: Scott Brown can't live on reputation forever ... he needs to buck up his ideas before it's too late
When Ayr United's bid to win promotion ended in failure at the end of last season, Scott Brown's criticism of his players was brutal and unsparing. After watching his team blow a first-leg lead and lose to Partick Thistle in the play-offs, the former Celtic captain essentially threw them under a bus.
