Dutch side handed huge points deduction that leaves them on -1 in the table

Dutch Eredivisie side Vitesse Arnhem have been given a huge 18-point deduction that leaves them with minus one point in the league table.

On Friday, the Dutch football association revealed that they have deducted 18 points from Vitesse, which officially confirms the club’s relegation after an investigation by the Guardian and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ).

As reported by The Guardian investigation found that there were financial ties between Vitesse and Russian billionaire and former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

KNVB, the governing body of Dutch football declared the deduction after Vitesse failed to meet the licensing requirements.

On the back of the deduction, Vitesse are left with a points tally of -1, which means they will be playing in the second tier of Dutch football next season.

Edwin Reijntjes, CEO of Vitesse said: “Although this is a dark day for everything and everyone who cares about Vitesse, this is the harsh reality. After all, such a punishment was inevitable. On the other hand – and I really want to make this clear to everyone – we are extremely happy with the opportunity that is being offered to us to retain our license. This too was hanging by a thread.”

Getty

Despite the possibility of appealing against the decision, Vitesse have said that they will instead focus on retaining their football license.

A statement from the KNVB read: “The Arnhem club receives this punishment because it has repeatedly failed to meet the requirements of the licensing regulations over a longer period of time.

“The amount of the sanction is based on the exceptional seriousness and extent of the violations of the licensing system. This includes providing incorrect information that was important for the forensic investigation into possible violations of sanctions legislation, and withholding information important for the assessment of Vitesse’s continuity.”

Vitesse’s next scheduled match is due to take place on April 28 against Fortuna Sittard.