Latest news with #FortunaSittard
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fortuna Sittard welcome back familiar face after Armenian excursion
As per Voetbal International, Paul Gladon has come back to play for Fortuna Sittard. The 33-year-old from Haarlem has returned after an Armenian adventure and a cruciate ligament injury. Gladon was loved by supporters, scoring 10 goals in 41 matches for Fortuna. He previously played for FC Emmen, Willem II, FC Groningen, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Heracles Almelo and Sparta Rotterdam. He left the Netherlands in the summer of 2023 and spent time in Armenia with Noah, winning the country's Premier League. Advertisement In early February, it became clear that Gladon was aiming for a return to Fortuna. Speaking in a press release, he revealed his delight at returning 'home'. 'My family and I have always felt very much at home here. For us, it really feels like coming home. I have also continued to follow the club from Armenia, and I look forward to being part of the team again next season.' GBeNeFN | Max Bradfield
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Eredivisie End of Season Review: Fortuna Sittard
Finish position: 11th Overview: It was an up and down season for Fortuna Sittard this season. After a decent start, 2025 brought a horrific run of form that ultimately cost them a place in the European play-offs. However, even if they had qualified, they would not have participated after failing to gain a UEFA License. It was another mid table finish for Fortuna Sittard, who finished 10th last year and 13th the season before. Fans will hope that any licensing problems will not be signs of wider issues and can be sorted out ahead of next season with a view to pushing for a play-off finish. However, it is another season in the Eredivisie and that remains the minimum expectation for the side. Advertisement Player of the season: Mattijs Branderhorst After limited appearances of FC Utrecht during the 2023/2024 campaign, Mattijs Branderhorst joined Fortuna Sittard on loan and has gone on to become a key player for the side. He made 93 saves this season with a save percentage of 70.5% according to FotMob, which contributed to 10 clean sheets. He was also statistically the best goalkeepers in the league at dealing with crosses, with 55 high claims, more than any other goalkeeper in the Eredivisie. With a contract up in 2026, Fortuna Sittard should explore the option of bringing him back next season. Young player of the season: Ryan Fosso Fosso joined Fortuna Sittard in the summer from Swiss side FC Vaduz. While not jumping off the page in terms of performances Fosso has had a solid first season in the Eredivisie. The 22-year-old central midfielder played 32 games in all competitions, grabbing one goal and an assist. For a side that has not used many U23 players this season, Fosso has been the one young player to play consistent minutes. Fosso has one year left on his contract at the club, so next season could be a big chance for him to earn a new deal or attract interest from elsewhere. Advertisement Summer needs: Fortuna Sittard only managed a measly 37 goals in 34 games. Their top scorer was Kristoffer Peterson with just seven goals. The side tried to address the issue in January with the signing of Bojan Radulovic on loan from Huddersfield Town, but he could only manage one goal in 11 games. With Kaj Sierhuis having missed most of the season, it was obvious that they had been too reliant on him after his 12 goals last season. Another striker and someone else who can create for the striker would be worthwhile, as the side only managed an xG of 41.9 this season, less than RKC Waalwijk who were relegated. Grade: B GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The sad demise of Fortuna Sittard Women: ‘I hope the players find new clubs'
Three years ago, Fortuna Sittard entered the women's game to much fanfare. The club owner, Atilla Aytekin, boldly stated the aim within three years was to qualify for the Champions League, the club hiring the former Netherlands head coach Roger Reijners and signing talismanic Belgian forward Tessa Wullaert to spearhead their dream. They came close, remarkably finishing third in their first season having gone straight into the Eredivisie, but three years on the club has now just played its final game as a professional outfit, rather than preparing for European football. Related: Lyon Women change name and get training base 'better than most men's centres' The reason? The all-too-familiar financial burden on the club. 'We started quite big,' admits Bo Breukers, who has been in charge of the women's department for the past three years. 'Our new minority owners wanted to change things across the club and had three pillars to invest. Two already existed at a high level, the men's team and the academy, so they wanted to invest and create a women's team. 'We had a pretty big budget, started to make plans, start from the top with the first team and reach as high as possible, then work down to the youth teams. That's why we wanted results from day one, brought in Roger and Tessa, but we had some impressive players throughout the squad.' The team's primary sponsor, Principion, agreed to a three-year budget, giving time for Breukers and the club to source further sponsors and outside investment along the way, but it never came, and three years on the dream has ended. The last game was a 2-0 defeat by ADO Den Haag on Friday night, which meant they finished eighth in the league. 'We knew from the beginning we had a sponsor for three years; the objective was to find the sponsors to help the team stand on its own two feet, but it has been difficult to find … let's say it the easy way, money. As a club, we have had a lot of challenges on the financial side, that's why the board has decided to stop.' Just one year ago, the team reached the KNVB Cup final for the first time, with Wullaert the Eredvisie's top scorer, but as the situation tightened, both she and Reijners moved on, with the team gradually sliding down the table ever since. Jitze Vos, a longtime supporter of the women's team and also a previous intern at the club during its first season, was at the club's final game in The Hague on Friday night. 'I had a strange feeling the whole day,' he said. 'And when the final whistle blew, I literally thought, 'Shit, this is it.' It was the end of three years, from doing my internship with the team to reaching the cup final. 'I could see how emotional the players were, and it really got to me. I hope all of them find great new clubs. I'll definitely keep following some of them, because once a Fortunees, always a Fortunees.' The formal announcement was made little over a month ago, and while Vos admitted it was a 'shock' to find out, he also wasn't totally surprised. 'I was at work when I heard the news,' he recalled. 'Suddenly, I started getting messages from people and friends. I was really disappointed, but the reality of it hadn't fully hit me at that point.' He added: 'I actually saw it coming a bit though. Last summer, the budget for the women's side was cut in half. Back then, I already had a feeling they might stop, but they continued for another season, thankfully. 'When the decision finally became official, I had mixed emotions. On the one hand, it's really sad for the girls and for women's football in Limburg. On the other hand, it just didn't bring in much for the club. There wasn't much promotion around the women's team – compared to the men, who got a lot more attention. Strangely enough, it was only in the final game that they suddenly started promoting the women's team more heavily.' Breukers is honest in admitting he feels the same and takes some personal responsibility for not prioritising building a bigger fanbase over the past three seasons, to create sustainable income outside the club's primary sponsors. 'You see there was a huge growth from 2017 when the Netherlands won the Euros, now it's steadied a bit which is normal, I think. People stand behind the national team, but to watch clubs there's a lot less. [Around] 450 watch us in a 12,000 stadium, that's terrible, you cannot live on that. That's one example of how tough it was. I didn't expect 6,000 people, but I expected more. 'We have to be critical of ourselves too. We built a really good structure, we were competitive the first two seasons, gave girls the opportunity to play professional football. Everything around it, from food to training to medical, it was really professional. 'At that level, we invested a lot of money, time and knowledge. But looking back now we should have grown slower, invest more on bringing people in, the sales, commercial, marketing, communication. There hasn't been enough time put in to find those people, so we have to be critical of ourselves and me of myself for that.' Breukers does admit he believed the sport would 'grow faster' off the back of national team success, adding that the Netherlands is far from replicating the successful TV deals and sponsorship deals seen in the likes of England via Sky Sports and Barclays, hoping the existing deal which runs all the way to 2030 will take into account the women's teams and leagues more prominently when it is renegotiated. For now, they will work with a local amateur club to develop their coaches and players, give them chance to use their stadium, and see where it takes them, meaning Fortuna will be involved with women's football at a much lower level. For Vos, he hopes clubs don't see Fortuna as the rule, but the exception. 'More clubs should invest in women's football because girls should also be allowed to dream of becoming professionals, just like the boys. And hopefully one day, the salaries will be equal too – that's what equality should look like.' If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email This is an extract from our free weekly email, Moving the Goalposts. To get the full edition, . Moving the Goalposts is back in to its twice-weekly format, delivered to your inboxes every Tuesday and Thursday. Comments on this piece are premoderated to ensure discussion remains on topics raised by the writer. Please be aware there may be a short delay in comments appearing on the site.
The Guardian
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
The sad demise of Fortuna Sittard Women: ‘I hope the players find new clubs'
Three years ago, Fortuna Sittard entered the women's game to much fanfare. The club owner, Atilla Aytekin, boldly stated the aim within three years was to qualify for the Champions League, the club hiring the former Netherlands head coach Roger Reijners and signing talismanic Belgian forward Tessa Wullaert to spearhead their dream. They came close, remarkably finishing third in their first season having gone straight into the Eredivisie, but three years on the club has now just played its final game as a professional outfit, rather than preparing for European football. The reason? The all-too familiar financial burden on the club. 'We started quite big,' admits Bo Breukers, who has been in charge of the women's department for the past three years. 'Our new minority owners wanted to change things across the club and had three pillars to invest. Two already existed at a high level, the men's team and the academy, so they wanted to invest and create a women's team. 'We had a pretty big budget, started to make plans, start from the top with the first team and reach as high as possible, then work down to the youth teams. That's why we wanted results from day one, brought in Roger and Tessa, but we had some impressive players throughout the squad.' The team's primary sponsor, Principion, agreed to a three-year budget, giving time for Breukers and the club to source further sponsors and outside investment along the way, but it never came, and three years on the dream has ended. The last game was a 2-0 defeat to ADO Den Haag on Friday night, which meant they finished eighth in the league. 'We knew from the beginning we had a sponsor for three years; the objective was to find the sponsors to help the team stand on its own two feet, but it has been difficult to find … let's say it the easy way, money. As a club, we have had a lot of challenges on the financial side, that's why the board has decided to stop.' Just one year ago, the team reached the KNVB Cup final for the first time, with Wullaert the Eredvisie's top scorer, but as the situation tightened, both she and Reijners moved on, with the team gradually sliding down the table ever since. Jitze Vos, a long-time supporter of the women's team and also a previous intern at the club during its first season, was at the club's final game in The Hague on Friday night. 'I had a strange feeling the whole day,' he said. 'And when the final whistle blew, I literally thought, 'Shit, this is it.' It was the end of three years, from doing my internship with the team to reaching the cup final. 'I could see how emotional the players were, and it really got to me. I hope all of them find great new clubs. I'll definitely keep following some of them, because once a Fortunees, always a Fortunees.' The formal announcement was made little over a month ago, and while Vos admitted it was a 'shock' to find out, he also wasn't totally surprised. 'I was at work when I heard the news,' he recalled. 'Suddenly, I started getting messages from people and friends. I was really disappointed, but the reality of it hadn't fully hit me at that point.' He added: 'I actually saw it coming a bit though. Last summer, the budget for the women's side was cut in half. Back then, I already had a feeling they might stop, but they continued for another season, thankfully. 'When the decision finally became official, I had mixed emotions. On the one hand, it's really sad for the girls and for women's football in Limburg. On the other hand, it just didn't bring in much for the club. There wasn't much promotion around the women's team – compared to the men, who got a lot more attention. Strangely enough, it was only in the final game that they suddenly started promoting the women's team more heavily.' Breukers is honest in admitting he feels the same and takes some personal responsibility for not prioritising building a bigger fanbase over the past three seasons, to create sustainable income outside the club's primary sponsors. 'You see there was a huge growth from 2017 when the Netherlands won the Euros, now it's steadied a bit which is normal, I think. People stand behind the national team, but to watch clubs there's a lot less. [Around] 450 watch us in a 12,000 stadium, that's terrible, you cannot live on that. That's one example of how tough it was. I didn't expect 6,000 people, but I expected more. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion 'We have to be critical of ourselves too. We built a really good structure, we were competitive the first two seasons, gave girls the opportunity to play professional football. Everything around it, from food to training to medical, it was really professional. 'At that level, we invested a lot of money, time, and knowledge, but looking back now we should have grown slower, invest more on bringing people in, the sales, commercial, marketing, communication. There hasn't been enough time put in to find those people, so we have to be critical of ourselves and me of myself for that.' Breukers does admit he believed the sport would 'grow faster' off the back of national team success, adding that the Netherlands is far from replicating the successful TV deals and sponsorship deals seen in the likes of England via Sky Sports and Barclays, hoping the existing deal which runs all the way to 2030 will take into account the women's teams and leagues more prominently when it is renegotiated. For now, they will work with a local amateur club to develop their coaches and players, give them chance to use their stadium, and see where it takes them, meaning Fortuna will be involved with women's football at a much lower level. For Vos, he hopes clubs don't see Fortuna as the rule, but the exception. 'More clubs should invest in women's football because girls should also be allowed to dream of becoming professionals, just like the boys. And hopefully one day, the salaries will be equal too – that's what equality should look like.' If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email This is an extract from our free weekly email, Moving the Goalposts. To get the full edition, visit this page and follow the instructions. Moving the Goalposts is back in to its twice-weekly format, delivered to your inboxes every Tuesday and Thursday.
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Missing paperwork dashes Dutch club's European dreams
Dutch club Fortuna Sittard's dreams of playing European football next season have been dashed because of missing sit ninth in the Eredevisie with two games left - a position that would earn them a play-off place for a spot in the Uefa Conference the club do not have the required Uefa licence after failing to apply before the 8 April deadline, and therefore would be ineligible to participate in European competition next term."At that time, the club did not meet all the requirements, including the submission of an external auditor's report in accordance with Uefa rules," the club said."This ruled out participation in the play-offs for European football in advance."Fortuna have not played in Europe since the 1998 Intertoto Cup - a tournament that offered backdoor entry to the Uefa Cup."It is disappointing that we cannot reward a great sporting season," Fortuna general manager Martijn Merks said. "However, we think it is important to be transparent. We are currently busy preparing for the new Eredivisie season and in the meantime we are continuing to build on the future sustainability of the club. "We expect to be able to meet the licensing requirements in the new season without any problems."
