The summary judgment that Vitesse has filed against the KNVB to get the professional license back, serves Thursday. The summary judgment will take place at 1:30 PM in the court of Utrecht, a spokesman tells NU.nl.
The summary judgment will take place two days before the initially scheduled competition start of Vitesse in the Kitchen Champion Division. The KNVB has already removed that match, Vitesse would visit the relegated Almere City, from the program.
“It is expected that the judge will rule before the match,” says the spokesman for the Utrecht court. Further details have not yet been announced. It is not yet clear who will represent Vitesse at the hearing.
For Vitesse, going to court is the last chance to play professional football this season. The licensing committee of the KNVB withdrew the club’s professional license last month. Vitesse appealed, but was defeated on Thursday by the appeals committee of the football association.
“The appeals committee concludes that there is a multi-year pattern of deception, circumvention and undermining of the licensing system and a lack of transparency,” the committee stated. This pattern has proven to be structural, serious and persistent in the opinion of the appeals committee.”
If Vitesse loses the summary judgment, the second oldest professional club in the Netherlands (since 1892) will disappear from professional football for good. It is not yet clear whether the Arnhemmers will then make a fresh start in amateur football. In that case, the Keuken Kampioen Divisie will continue with nineteen teams.