The KNVB's Appeals Committee released their judgment over Vitesse on Thursday evening. The Arnhem club will not get their professional license back after it was revoked in June. The Appeals Committee said "there has been a pattern of deception, circumvention and undermining of the licensing system over several years, as well as a lack of transparency."
In a statement on the club website, Vitesse said they were "defeated" by the KNVB's effective death sentence.
"The club have worked intensively in recent months on recovery, transparency and future-proofing. Vitesse has done everything in its power to convince first the licensing committee and then the appeals committee that the licensing committee's decision is incorrect and does not take sufficient account of all the efforts made in and for Arnhem."
Vitesse provided the example of the club's intended supervisory board, the club's board, the takeover consortium called the 'Sterkhouders', and the foundation behind Vitesse's professional dealings, a strategic restructuring plan was drawn up.
Civil court
Despite everything, however, Vitesse was condemned to the earlier verdict, meaning the 133-year-old club might soon dissolve. The club are preparing to go to court over the decision.
"Vitesse has just been informed and has not yet had the opportunity to study the decision of the appeals committee. It will do so in the coming days," the club continued.
"For the time being, it is expected that Vitesse will submit the decision of the appeals committee to the civil court. In any proceedings, the court will assess whether the decision to revoke the licence was made in a careful, reasonable and fair manner and whether the procedure was followed correctly."
Only an emergency hearing would allow Vitesse to play their first league match in the Dutch second tier next week. However, lawyers have already said the chances of Vitesse winning the case would be highly unlikely.