Since 1998, Vitesse has played at the GelreDome, a 21,000-capacity stadium with a retractable pitch, the first of its kind globally. Before that, they used Monnikenhuize (1915–1950, and the Nieuw-Monnikenhuize (1950–1997) and ).
Known for yellow and black stripes, Vitesse features a pre-match ritual with an eagle named Hertog flying over the crowd.
Vitesse has always had strong youth academy, producing talents like Roy Makaay, Phillip Cocu, and Wilfried Bony, and has been a stepping stone for players like Nemanja Matić, Mason Mount, and Martin Ødegaard, with the latter having decent loan spells there.
Vitesse’s best league finish was third place in the 1997–98 Eredivisie season, with 85 goals scored, led by Nikos Machlas, who won the European Golden Boot with 34 goals.
The club won the Dutch Cup in 2017, their first major trophy in 125 years, defeating AZ 2–0 with goals from Ricky van Wolfswinkel. They were runners-up in 1912, 1927, 1990, and 2021.
European Competitions: Vitesse has competed in the UEFA Cup/Europa League multiple times, with their biggest European win a 4–0 victory over Dundee United in 1990. They also reached the Europa Conference League round of 16 in 2022.
Before 1954, Dutch titles were decided by regional play-offs. Vitesse reached the national championship final six times (1898, 1899, 1903, 1913, 1914, 1915) but never won. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, it seems.
Since 2018, Russian oligarch Valeriy Oyf has owned Vitesse, but after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, he announced plans to sell due to EU sanctions. Allegations of ties to Roman Abramovich, who reportedly funnelled over €117m into Vitesse, prompted investigations by the KNVB and Dutch authorities. A proposed takeover by the American Common Group was not approved due to transparency issues.
With debts around €14m, Vitesse faced severe financial turmoil. Fans and former players raised €500k to help, but the club’s future remained uncertain.
Despite their recent success in the Dutch Cup and appearances in European competiton, In April 2024, Vitesse was relegated from the Eredivisie after 35 years due to an 18-point deduction—the largest in Dutch football history—for breaching licensing regulations, including providing incorrect financial information and failing to meet transparency requirements. This left them with -1 points going into the new season in 2024-25.
The club nearly didnt conpete in the Eerste Divisie when on June 2024, the KNVB revoked Vitesse’s professional license effective July 9, 2024, due to ongoing financial issues, including failure to provide a balanced budget, maintain a bank account, or secure an auditing accountant. Vitesse appealed but faced potential bankruptcy if unsuccessful. The clubs appeal was successful, and they did indeed compete in the Eerste Divisie, finishing rock bottom due to their enormous points deduction.
At the end of the 24/25 season, Vitesse's professional license was revoked by the KNVB for previous incidents and financial issues. It has left the fans wondering what will happen in the immediate future, however their are talks of the club competing in the amateur leagues and building themselves back up, or maybe a Phoenix club being founded. Whatever the outcome, it is quite sad to see another football club with a rich history, becoming a Forgotten Football Club.
#GoneButNeverForgotten