General manager Timo Braasch is confident that Vitesse will continue to exist. The German had already expected the KNVB to want to withdraw the professional license of the Keuken Kampioen Divisie club.
The KNVB licensing committee suspects that American investor Coley Parry has been involved with Vitesse again since the foreign takeover in January, while this is explicitly prohibited. Vitesse has been given the opportunity to prove otherwise in recent months, but has consistently submitted incomplete documents to the association.
“We expected the licensing committee’s response earlier. But it is what it is,” Braasch said on Vitesse’s YouTube channel on Friday. “We are glad that we have been given a chance to talk about it and resolve all outstanding issues.”
“The content of the letter is mainly about the past. About 2022 to 2024 and why that period created distrust towards the licensing committee. That is the main reason why we are in the situation we are in now. That is what it is largely about.”
Vitesse has been invited by the licensing committee to share its views at a hearing, which is scheduled for early June. “Ultimately, it clearly looks like a bad day in the news, but I think it’s a good opportunity for us to finally wrap it up,” Braasch said. “We will sit down with the licensing committee to discuss all outstanding points and potential additional questions. And hopefully resolve everything for good.”
“Furthermore, we are currently continuing with our plans: attracting a main sponsor, ensuring that the bank and accountant are in order, and ensuring that the budget is correct, so that we have arranged everything to ensure that we can play football.”