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| Vitesse
balance the books |
04 July 2001
|
| At
the last minute a group formed to help the Arnhemmers out of their
financial problems, "The Friends of Vitesse", have been able to
inject 9.08 million Euros into the club -allowing the Dutch FA (KNVB)
to offer them a licence for next season. The largest part of the money
comes from three men already closely involved in the running of the club -
Jan Snellenburg, Cor Guijt and Herman Veenendaal. It means that Vitesse
can pay off a considerable sum they've built up in past debts and this,
combined with the fact that they'll be paying 2.72 million Euros less
rent for the Gelredome stadium next year, has closed the finacial gap they
still had in their budget. |
| Vitesse
still in financial problems |
30 June 2001
|
| Vitesse
are still trying desperately to balance their books in order to get their
licence from the Dutch FA (KNVB) for next season. They had a budget of
22.69 million Euros last season which will be at least 4.54 million
less for the coming season and are currently still 3.18 - 3.63
million Euros short. The closing date for the presentation to the KNVB of
the new budget is July 1st (a deadline they can't meet) and chairman Jos
Vaessen will be meeting the Dutch FA this coming week to talk over the
club's problem. If they could only sell Victor Sikora their problem would
be solved, unfortunately there is no buyer for the striker at the moment
or for any of the other players on the for-sale list - Orlando Trustfull,
Marian Zeman and Dragoslav Jevric. |
| Jimmy
van Fessem signs for Vitesse |
05 June 2001
|
| Willem
II's reserve goalie Jimmy van Fessem has signed a contract for 3 years
with Vitesse. The Belgian keeper Gert de Vlieger has taken over the no.1
spot with the Tricolores and Jimmy has spent too much time, for his
liking, on the bench. In Arnhem he replaces the departing (not gone yet
but it won't be long) Dragoslav Jevric (off to Besiktas) and will have to
compete against Edwin Zoetebier for the regular place (not an easy task). |
| Vitesse's
Theo Janssen gets Oranje callup |
02 June 2001
|
| Theo
Janssen, Vitesse's 19 year-old midfielder who played for the Dutch under
21s against Estland yesterday evening , has been called up by Louis van
Gaal for tonight's World Cup qualifier against Estland. He's going to fill
in the midfield slot left empty by the absence of the 'banned' Edgar
Davids and the injured Mark van Bommel. |
| Vitesse
still fighting back |
01 June 2001
|
| After
all the commotion at the Gelredome during this season (see the ' Van Hooijdonk
story' and the 'Aalbers affair') Vitesse are still sorting out their
finances as they await their license for next season. Their books don't
balance yet (projected earnings for next season from sponsoring, ticket
sales and tv-rights are 18.5 million Euros while expenditures are
between 20.42 and 21,78 million) and it will be another 2 years before they do, according to
chairman Jos Vaessen. At the moment, he says, they are trying to persuade
'temporary sponsor' Atag to sign a longer term contract and the club expect to boost their earnings via new
sponsors, increased season ticket sales to be able to pay off all debts and start to show a healthy
profit. The fact that they've missed out on European football next
season is also a bit of a blow but UEFA Cup football brings in relatively
little compared to getting into the Champions League. Their rent for use
of the Gelredome costs between 4.08 million and 4.54 million Euros
per year, making it the most expensive bill to be paid after players'
wages. There was talk of Victor Sikora going to another club but, although
they could do with the money, Vitesse needs its good players as much as
anyone else and would much rather the talented striker remains where he
is. The Aalbers affair has taken up too much of the club's time and energy
this last season and the former supremo is currently making a come back
after weeks of silence and is fighting to repair his damaged reputation. I
think we'll be hearing more from both sides during the summer and the
coming season. |
| Dragoslav
Jevric tries out for Besiktas |
22 May 2001
|
| Vitesse's
reserve goalie Dragoslav Jevric is trying out for Turkish club Besiktas
this week. The 26 year-old's contract expires in 2005 but he's been
relegated to the bench since Edwin Zoetebier's arrival in Arnhem and is
now looking for a new club. |
| Vitesse
poach the points 1 - 2 against Ajax |
17 May 2001
|
| The
fight is on for 3rd position in the Ere Divisie now that PSV are
Champions and Feyenoord have recovered just in the nick of time to secure
2nd place. Vitesse have not been doing well of late and Ajax have slipped
up in the last few games - so they both have something to prove tonight
and those 3 points would sure come in handy too. The visitors chose a
defensive posture and hoped for a counter while Ajax made no impression
whatsoever in a poor 1st half. Ajax's defence was its usual weak and
shaky self but it still took until just before the halftime whistle before
Matthew Amoah put
the visitors ahead. Ajax put on a better performance after break,
substituting Richard Knopper and Daniel Cruz for, respectively, Wamberto
and Richard Witschge. The result was a Shota Arveladze equalizer in the 52nd minute.
Unfortunately they lost interest in their new found zest for life and
handed the initiative back to the Arnhemmers, who took control of
the remaining 20 minutes of play. The winning goal came from 17 year-old
substitute Jhonny (no, it's not a typing error) van Beukering in the 75th minute. Victory means Vitesse climb into 5th place on
equal points with Utrecht in 6th while the Amsterdammers, also on
55, stay a whisker ahead on goal average. If Ajax want that 3rd, and
Champions League qualifying spot, they are going to have to change their
spots!!! |
| Vitesse
prepare for Ajax - missing players |
14 May 2001
|
| Vitesse
are preparing for Thursday's trip to the Amsterdam Arena - they are going
to miss Bob Peeters (bruised ankle), Didier Mertel (out for the remainder
of the season), Carlos Forets (achilles injury) while Marc van Hintum and
Viktor Sikora are suspended after yellow cards in the match against
Heerenveen. |
| Vitese
have no more use for Trustfull |
14 May 2001
|
| Orlando
Trustfull is no longer needed at Vitesse - the ex-international returned
to 1st team action this season as a substitute after a long absence
through injury but has not shown the motivation Ronald Koeman
expects. |
| Heerenveen
and Vitesse in goalless draw |
12 May 2001
|
| Heerenveen
are 9th, a point behind Willem II and 2 ahead of NAC - they would love to
claim the best ranking for the summer's Intertoto tournament which could
get them back into Europe next season after this season's appetizer. Vitesse
have suffered from the well documented 'Aalbers affair' and have lost a
lot of steam since Christmas. The match ended goalless,
Heerenveen stay where they are and Vitesse give up their spot to RKC (who
won at De Graafschap). and are now in 6th place. |
| Vitesse
and Roda share points 1 - 1 |
05 May 2001
|
| A
very important match for both teams in their fight to secure European
football next season. Roda are 11 games without defeat (since February
11th) while Vitesse have been having a rough ride since the winter-break.
The Arnhemmers had the best chances in the 1st half -
Victor
Sikora could have put them ahead in the 2nd minute and Michel Kreek
missed a penalty (for Ger Senden's hands-ball) halfway through the
1st half. It was symptomatic of the Vitesse attack's inability to
convert chances (a comparison...Bob Peeters, bought from Roda, has only
put away 9 this season while Yannis Anastasiou has scored 18 for the
Limburgers). Sikora did find the back of the net in the 51st minute
with a great shot but the
lead was shortlived as Tom Soetaers
equalized in the 60th. Roda went for the win but a lack of accuracy and
the woodwork put an end to their chances. Vitesse climb ahead of Utrecht to 5th and Roda are
now 3rd, one point ahead of Ajax. |
| Koeman
stays with Vitesse |
01 May 2001
|
| Vitesse
in 5th after 2 - 1 against De Graafschap |
28 Apr 2001
|
| Vitesse
could pull ahead of RKC into 5th if they win this one while 15th placed De
Graafschap need the points to get clear of the relegation zone and, after
their surprise defeat of Feyenoord on the 15th and last week's 4 - 0
thrashing of Twente, they might provide an upset. The visitors pulled
everything back in defence and left all the initiative to the Arnhemmers -
Matthew Amoahd the score for Ronald Koeman's team in the 16th. It looked as if
there would be a quick equalizer but Fuch's freekick hit the bar and
10 minutes later Zoetebier saved another attempt to find the net. After
the break De Graafschap pushed Vitesse back in defence and, when Tumba was
unceremoniously brought down, it looked as though they would level the
score from the spot but Referee Luinge tought otherwise. John van der
Brom equalized with a goal against his old team in the 66th (he
was hired out earlier this season). Bob Peeters scored the
match-winner in the 74th and Zoetebier (who was celebrating his 250th
professional appearance in style) saved a couple of Van der Brom goal
bound shots to give the Arnhemmers their first home win since December
13th. Trainer Koeman will be glad of the 3 points and the 5th place as he talks
to the club about his future this coming week- will he stay or
will he go? |
| Ajax
- Vitesse to be played on May 17th |
27 Apr 2001
|
| The
postponed Ajax - Vitesse match of April 21st will now be played on
May 17th....kickoff 20:45. |
| Koeman
decision on May 4th |
20 Apr 2001
|
| Ronald
Koeman will be announcing his decision regarding his future at Vitesse on
May 4th. Chairman Jos Vaessens expects that the trainer will continue on
till the end of his current contract (which runs out in 2002). The former
international is not asking for anything extraordinary in terms of the
squad and new players - his main demand, that Gert Claessens be bought by
the club, has been met and no surprises are expected. |
| Ajax
- Vitesse postponed |
18 Apr 2001
|
| This
coming Saturday's match between Ajax and Vitesse has been postponed. The
'foot and mouth' epidemic which has hit Holland's farming areas means that
there will be insufficient railway police available to 'chaperone' the
away supporters visiting the Amsterdam Arena and so, for reasons of public
safety, the match will have to take place at a later date. |
| Vitesse
and PSV in goalless draw |
15 Apr 2001
|
| PSV
are more or less assured of the league title with their 10 point lead over
Feyenoord and have secured themselves a place in the Cup Final with their
defeat of Heerenveen last Wednesday. Vitesse
went out to Twente on Thursday in a penalty shoot-out which left them
with a hangover to shift today. Both teams seemed more interested in not
losing than actually winning which meant a poor 90 minutes entertainment
for the crowd. Trainer Ronald Koeman had chosen to make a few changes to
the Vitesse lineup which meant less firepower upfront. The match was
played out predominantly in midfield, PSV failed yet again to impress and
seem to be conserving their energy. The home team's defence kept Ruud van
Nistelrooy and Mateja Kezman at bay - the most exciting moment was when
Adil Ramzi's shot passed Edwin Zoetebier only to hit the post. Despite
plenty of 2nd half substitutions on both sides in an attempt to liven
things up the match fizzled out without a goal on the board. |
| Ajax
- Vitesse match moved to April 21st |
12 Apr 2001
|
| Louis
van Gaal's request that the date of the Ajax - Vitesse match be changed
because of the upcoming World Cup qualifier against Cyprus on April 25th
means that the match will now take place on Saturday April 21st at 14.30. |
| Twente
in Cup Final after penalty shoot out against Vitesse |
12 Apr 2001
|
| Tonight's
semi-final contrasted the rather physical style of Twente, making good use
of the wings and crosses, with the more elegant Vitesse, moving forward
through the centre - the potential reward for the winner is European
football next season. Both teams were in serious mood and committed to
winning as the game got off in high tempo with plenty of early chances on
both sides and a fair dose of dodgy tackles and short fuses -
Peeters and Claessens, and Booth and De Witte had the best earlyngs,
respectively, for Vitesse and Twente during an action-packed 1st half.
There could have been a couple of goals scored on both sides but the
finishing lacked sharpness - Peeters and Vennegoor of Hesselink
missed the last chances for their teams just before halftime. The 2nd half
started in the same hard working fashion, Vitesse launched a series of
attacks and threatened to score - Twente's goalie Sander Boschker had
plenty to do and he did it to perfection under pressure. The Arnhemmers
looked more in control of the play and their opponents created fewerngs than in the 1st 45 minutes. Peters was replaced by Mbamba in the
70th. Tempers flared as the frustrations of the lack of goals set in -
there was a lot of honour, extra European matches and extra income at
stake (not that the players necessarily had that on their mind). Both
goalkeepers performed well during the 90 minutes (one reason why noone had
scored) and sudden-death extra-time was looking inevitable. After a quick
breather Fortes broke free down the left to give Mbamba the first chance
of extra-time, followed by a Claessens header that went wide and Mbamba
again with a close call a couple of minutes later. In the 2nd extra 15
minutes the tiredness set in along with the long, hopeful balls -
penalties were looming large. Scott Booth's substitute Heubach shot, which
went just over, was the last thrill - penalties would decide the victor.
Kreek, Vennegoor, Diarra, they all go in but De Witte makes the 1st
mistake - a complete miss, followed by Mbamba's which hiot the post, Van
der Leegte's goes in, Van Hintum's misses, Heubach's hits the back of the
net - it was now down to Van de Schaaf to give Vitesse their last chance
with Polak getting the chance to put Twente in the final and Europe
......iiiiiiiiiiiitttttttsssss Twente!!!!!!!. |
| Benfica
pay Vitesse for P-Air |
11 Apr 2001
|
| Benfica
have transferred 5,8 million Euros to Vitesse's thirsty bank account.
It's not the full sum agreed to but chairman Vaessen said it was better
than having to spend lots more money in legal fees over the next 2 - 3
years in order to get the whole 7,5 million Euros back from the
Portugese. |
| Vitesse
lay claim to Benfica earnings |
10 Apr 2001
|
| In
the continuing battle by Vitesse to prise free the money still owed them
by Benfica for Pierre van Hooijdonk's transfer last summer, the club have
gone to the courts again to lay claim to any future earnings the Portugese
may receive from player transfers to England , Italy and Spain. They've
also been able to arrange that any future Champions League earnings will
go to them instead of going south to Portugal. The chairmen of both clubs
are planning to meet to discuss an amicable solution to the long-running
dispute in the course of this week. |
| Vitesse
frustrated by Willem II 1 - 2 |
07 Apr 2001
|
| Vitesse
had been making a come back in their last 3 games after their
post-winter-break-dip but failed to continue the good work tonight. Willem
II gave them a lesson in ball control and an over-my-dead-body attitude
which the Arnhemmers sadly missed. In a 1st half of
fast and attractive football Mario
Bombarda put the visitors ahead in the 18th minute. The Gelredome crowd
was treated to a taste of the class which has generated so much foreign
interest in Victor Sikora when he hit a tremendous distance strike in the 29th
to pull Vitesse
level. However, Denny Landzaat put Willem II ahead again in the 31st - halftime score 1 - 2.
In the 2nd half the home side tried harder to put the visitors under pressure
but their attempts came to nothing as the play often descended into some
ugly tackles. Tempers flared at times - Willem II's Kew Jaliens
was sent off in the 65th after getting his 2nd yellow card, leaving them with ten men to fight out the last
25 minutes and his teammate Raymond Victoria also saw red in the 90th
minute. |
| Koeman
wants to keep Claessens |
07 Apr 2001
|
| Vitesse
trainer Ronald Koeman has given Belgian left half Gert Claessens the
thumbs up and recommended that the club keep him. He's currently on loan
to the Arnhemmers from Real Oviedo who want to know by April 15th whether
Vitesse want to make use of the option to buy him - it looks as though
he'll be snapped up for the 770,000 going price. The 29 year-old has
made a good impression, scoring the winning goal in the quarter final of
the Amstel Cup against Ajax and finding the back of the net 4 times in the
league before taking up residence on the bench after the return from
injury of Frenchman Didier Martel. |
| Anderlecht
want Vitesse's Bob Peeters |
04 Apr 2001
|
| Anderlecht
are going to try and buy Vitesse's Bob Peeters as a replacement for Jan
Koller who's off to English First Division side Fulham. The Czech top
scorer has been sold for 15,13 million Euros and the Belgian club will
be wanting to spend a sizeable chunk of that money to buy themselves a new
goalgetter. Vitesse have huge money problems and could well decide to part
with Peeters, even though he's already proved his ability to score for the
Arnhemmers since making the move from Roda JC last August for 6,37
million Euros. |
| Koeman
not bound for Barcelona |
30 Mar 2001
|
| Barηa
chairman Joan Gaspart has put an end to the speculation that Ronald Koeman
could be Barcelona bound. The Vitesse trainer lacks sufficient experience to make him
a serious candidate and, in any case, Serra Ferrer will be staying on if
the team win the Spanish title and the UEFA Cup. If he doesn't deliver the
goods then it's more likely that Valencia trainer Hector Cuper (who's
already agreed in principle) will take over. |
| Merger
Vitesse and Gelredome unlikely |
29 Mar 2001
|
| The
proposed merger between the Gelredome and Vitesse, as we wrote
earlier,
looks unlikely to happen - at least not in the short term. The idea was
part of the club's package of measures aimed at guaranteeing Vitesse's
longterm financial survival. However, the Gelredome's director Paul van
Sledrecht says it's out of the question - a poorly thought out idea with
little chance of success ("a typical example of football club
opportunism). Looks like chairman Jos Vaessen has spoken out of turn (and
done some considerable jumping of the gun) in announcing the merger. |
| Vitesse
choose between 3 new sponsors |
28 Mar 2001
|
| Within
a week of NUON cutting all ties with the club Vitesse have three new names
to choose from to put on the squad's shirts for the rest of this season.
NUON have already paid the club next season's contribution of 3,63
million Euros, closing the current financial gap and leaving the club free
to look for a new shirt sponsor for next season as well. |
| Koeman
to discuss Vitesse future in April |
27 Mar 2001
|
| Ronald
Koeman is going to be having serious talks next month with Vitesse about
the future of the club and the possibilitiesto him as trainer for
next season. The time has come for him to know what the next 12 months
have in store now that club sponsor NUON are cutting their ties to the
club and making the way free for a new shirt sponsor. All the commotion of
the last year have taken its toll on the team's performance, they've
slipped from a pre-Christmas 3rd to their current 6th place, and the
former Barcelona and Dutch international will be wanting to know if he's
going to be provided with the finances to make a success of next season.
Obviously it's crossed his mind more than once that it might be better to
leave but the relationship he's built up with the players has kept him
going and he would like to finish his contract. He's denied all the
rumours concerning a possible move to Barcelona, saying there's been no
contact whatsoever between him and the Spanish club, and he has no
intentions of moving. |
| NUON
no longer on Vitesse shirts |
24 Mar 2001
|
| Energy
giant NUON have decided to make the way free for a new shirt sponsor at
Vitesse. They are removing their name from the squad's shirts and will end
the relationship with the club in July next year when their current
contract runs out. All NUON representatives on the club's board are also
being pulled out now that a plan has been put together by outside
management specialists. Their advice is to merge the club with the
Gelredome, providing a financially healthier situation for the future.
Heading the new 'team' is Amsterdam's former Public Prosecutor Hans
Vrakking who will be working hard to attract new sponsors. |
| Vitesse
chairman Vaessen to quit? |
23 Mar 2001
|
| Vitesse
chairman Jos Vaessen is threatening to quit in April - his decision is the
result of the criticisms of the fans since he replaced deposed supremo
Karel Aalbers and the continuing negative publicity surrounding him and
the club. He joined the Arnhemmers in May last year, inheriting a club in
financial crisis, since when Vitesse have seen their debt problems
increase via the Pierre van Hooijdonk transfer debacle and been involved
in a titanic struggle by Aalbers to get back into
power. |
| Wisgerhof
stays with NEC |
17 Mar 2001
|
| Vitesse's
Peter Wisgerhof is to remain on loan at NEC next season. Both clubs have
agreed to terms and will talk to the 21 year-old defender about his future
next week. It looks as though he is willing to spend another season at NEC
and then wants to make the move back to Vitesse. |
| NUON
want out |
16 Mar 2001
|
| Vitesse
sponsor energy-giant NUON have had enough and want out of their
relationship with the club a.s.a.p. - which means before their contract
with the club runs out at the end of next season. The huge amount of
negative publicity surrounding the club is not the marketing strategy they
could have hoped for when they decided to go into the 'business' of
football and invested 3,8 million Euros annually in the club. It is,
however, indicative of the things that can go wrong when business and
sport are mixed in the wrong proportions and for the wrong reasons. |
| Zongo
out for 9-12 months |
13 Mar 2001
|
| Exploratory
surgery has revealed that Vitesse striker Mamadou Zongo's knee injury is
serious enough to keep him out for the next 9-12 months. He'll have to be
operated on again next week to repair the damage and a long period of
recovery awaits him. |
| Vitesse's
top man partly responsible for financial malaise |
12 Mar 2001
|
| The
chairman of Vitesse's board of governors, property man Mr.C.Guijt, is
apparently involved, according to Dutch daily the Volkskrant, in a dodgy
deal with Benfica. The affair is the latest development in the long
running saga of the financial malaise/scandals to have hit the club. This
'deal' involves the transfer of Pierre van Hooijdonk and the topman's
desire to obtain the rights to a building project at the Portugese club.
Former Benfica chairman Azevedo agreed to the deal but has since been
arrested for fraud. A report by top accountants Deloitte and Touche
(brought in to investigate the club's finances) has brought the
story to light. It seems that there was little or no legal supervision of
the deal, no VAT (BTW) tax involved (?), and (while Mr.Guijt normally
should be supervising these kind of financial transactions for the
Arnhemmers in his role on the board) was done pretty much behind the backs
of colleagues back at the Gelredome!!??!! This revelation is yet another
blow for the club and will undoubtedly bring aftershocks in its wake - it
becomes clearer by the minute that Vitesse can kiss the transfer fee
they've been waiting for goodbye! |
| Utrecht
and Vitesse in goalless draw |
11 Mar 2001
|
| Vitesse
are now 8 matches without a win and have dropped to 6th place after this
draw at Nieuw Gaalgenwaard stadium while Utrecht are now undefeated in 10
games. Both teams seemed satisfied with 'un point' which meant the fans
were the losers today. Didier Martel got booed every time he touched the
ball by his former following which hardly improved the atmosphere. Another
match to forget this one with bad play on both sides and squandered
chances. Bob Peeters and Igor Gluscevic were close before the break - in
the 2nd half Dejan Stefanovich threatened with a header and Patrick
Zwaanswijk's shot was parried by Edwin Zoetebier close to time. |
| Exploratory
surgery for Zongo |
10 Mar 2001
|
| Vitesse's
Mamadou Zongo goes into hospital on Tuesday for exploratory surgery on his
knee. The Burkina Faso player was injured during last month's match
against Twente and rest, on its own, has proved ineffective in curing the
problem. An MRI scan has already revealed torn ligaments plus
overstretched and irritated ligaments. It remains unclear, however, just
how long his absence from active service at Vitesse will be. |
| Vitesse
get financial injection - at a price |
10 Mar 2001
|
| Vitesse
have been lent 4,54 million Euros by Mr. Dick Wessels (the man behind
Reggeborgh Investments) to tide them over and fill the financial gap left
by the money still not received from Benfica for Pierre van Hooijdonk's
transfer. The loan has come at a price - namely 13% interest!! The club
could find themselves in problems again at the end of the season. The FIOD
investigation into the club's financial affairs under former supremo Karel
Aalbers continues and sponsor NUON is also 'suspect' after it became
public knowledge that topman Swelheim had paid
40,840 Euros to an 'informant' Mr.Klap (who's left the country for
the delights of Thailand). Dick Wessels is also actively involved in FC
Twente along with his brother and so you see how one powerful businessman
is replaced by another. |
| Vitesse
make financial cuts |
08 Mar 2001
|
| Vitesse
have announced financial cuts for next season - their budget will drop
from 26,7 million Euros to 18,1 million Euros. The savings are made
possible by the fact that players such as Van Hooijdonk, Van den Brom,
Grozdic and Reuser have been sold (less wages) and shouldn't have any
dramatic consequences for the team/club according to chairman Jos
Vaessens. Former supremo Karel
Aalbers has let it be known via spokesman Hein Rood that this comes as no
surprise and was something they had been fearing - the end of Vitesse as
top club!! |
| Sikora
banned for 3 matches |
07 Mar 2001
|
| Vitesse's
Victor Sikora has been handed out a 3 match suspension by the KNVB for a
red card (he lashed out with his foot at Urvin Lee) in the match against
AZ on February 7th. |
| Vitesse
and Feyenoord in 0 - 0 deadlock |
04 Mar 2001
|
| Feyenoord
failed to profit from PSV's draw against Roda yesterday and are 4 points
adrift of the leaders. Both of today's
teams are experiencing form problems at the moment and are trying to
recover the momentum lost since the season restarted - Feyenoord missing
suspended Kalou, injured Kornejev and Van Wonderen, while Vitesse
haven't won a match since December 13th and trainer
Ronald Koeman is still trying to find a player combination that will groove. The
visitors' Jon Dahl Tomasson came close to scoring after 10 minutes, picking up Patrick
Pauuwe's pass, his ball passed goalie Edwin Zoetebier only to be cleared
off the line by Ruud Knol. After a nervous first half hour Vitesse started
to fight back - Mbamba missed early in the 2nd half, and Bob Peeters and Gert Claessens came close but lacked accuracy. The match remained tense as both teams probed
for those oh-so-vital top-of-the-table points - David Connolly 'scored'
early in the 2nd half but had it dissallowed and Vitesse had a Sikora goal
dissallowed in the 70th minute for an earlier infringement. It stayed 0 - 0. Vitesse climb
from yesterday's 6th place into 4th position, nosing ahead of RKC and Roda
in 6th and 5th places. |
| Aalbers
freed - NUON pays for "evidence" |
03 Mar 2001
|
| Former
Vitesse supremo Karel Aalbers has been released from custody in Holland
after being denied his freedom for the last two weeks. He's been in
custody in connection with the ongoing investigation into financial
irregularities at the club during his 'reign'. In the meantime Vitesse
sponsor NUON has admitted it had paid Aalbers' successor at his old
company AEC, a certain Mr. Harold Klap (the name says it all), the
princely sum of 40,840 Euros for "incriminating docements".
This "evidence" has been passed on to the FIOD, the criminal
branch of the Dutch Tax authorities. It will be curious to see what role
these documents will play in this investigation and gives a nice example
of the honourable(?) nature of doing business with certain people. I start
to get the feeling some of the mud is going to stick to more than one person in
this affair. |
| Menno
Willems signs for Grimsby |
02 Mar 2001
|
| He's
had a good long think about it but Menno Willems has finally put his
signature to a contract for 2½ years with English First Division side
Grimsby Town. The 24 (this weekend) year-old left back has been on
loan since last November, had second thoughts about staying with the
club because he wasn't seeing enough action, but has now burned his bridge
to Holland (he was signed to Vitesse and had played for Ajax and Den
Bosch). |
| Theo
Janssen gets Oranje call-up |
28 Feb 2001
|
| Vitesse's
Theo Janssen, fresh from scoring a goal in Jong Oranje's 2 - 2 draw in the
friendly against De Graafschap on Tuesday, has been added at the last
minute to the Dutch squad for this evening's match against Turkey. The 19
year-old midfielder has became a regular feature at Vitesse this season
and will get his first full cap if he sees some action tonight. |
| Twente
beat Vitesse 2 - 1 |
24 Feb 2001
|
| Twente dominated the 1st half with flowing football
and could have been several goals up before halftime - Zoetebier had just
managed to push Scott Booth's header away, Sjaak Polak's corner found Jan
Vennegoor of Hesselink waiting to put away his 12th of the season (after only 4 minutes
play), while Cairo missed minutes later. Vitesse seem to
have lost their self belief and look powerless to do anything about it.
Trainer Koeman knows it's all in the mind and tried out a couple of 2nd
half substitutions but without much success,
Didier Martel (back after a long absence) was off again after 7 minutes
with a head wound, and the game looked over once Ellery Cairo made it 2 - 0
in the 67th.
Vitesse had made 3 substitutions when Mahamadou Zongo left injured,
reducing them to 10 men - Twente's Fouzi El Brazi
being sent off (after only 7 minutes on pitch) evened things out again for Vitesse in numbers.
only they didn't have the fight left to turn things around, although Gert Claessens got a
consolation goal in the 85th. Vitesse are now 6 games without a win and
are fighting it out for 4th place with Ajax. |
| NUON
finds financial backers |
24 Feb 2001
|
| Vitesse
sponsor NUON has found the first financial backer ready to inject capital
into the ailing club in return for shares. A company dealing in property
development and construction has offered to put up 15,000 Euros for 45%
of the shares and the energy giant is negotiating a deal with a media and
marketing concern for another 45% share's worth of investment. Such large
investors will undoubtedly want to have a say in the running of the club
in the future. |
| NEC
want to sign Vitesse's Wisgerhof |
22 Feb 2001
|
| NEC
want to extend their loan of Vitesse's defender Peter Wisgerhof for
another season, with an option to buy. The club had already expressed
interest in a transfer but were put off by Vitesse's asking price. Perhaps
now that it's clear the Arnhemmers are in a financial crisis there may be
a room for some bargaining. |
| Aalbers
stays in custody for another 10 days |
21 Feb 2001
|
| Former
Vitesse supremo
Karel Aalbers is to remain in custody for another 10 days the courts
decided today. He was arrested on suspicion of embezzlement, tax fraud
and giving false written declarations while running the club. |
| Vitesse
ask KNVB and FIFA to put pressure on Benfica |
21 Feb 2001
|
| Vitesse
chairman Jos Vaessen has asked the Dutch FA (KNVB) and FIFA to intervene
on the club's behalf to try and get Benfica to cough up the money they've
still not paid for Pierre van Hooijdonk's transfer last
summer. Everyone at the club is sick of waiting for the fee to be paid,
after all the promises that have been made, while watching P-Air score in
match after match. |
| Aalbers
under arrest |
15 Feb 2001
|
| The
former Vitesse supremo Karel Aalbers has been arrested and is being
questioned by Dutch tax fraud investigators FIOD. He is suspected of tax
fraud, giving false written declarations and embezzlement. There were
raids on adresses in Holland (Nikos Machlas received a knock-on-the-door), and abroad, in the search for evidence and
Sport Promotion, the organisation looking after several of the players
whose transfers look to have have been part of Aalbers 'criminal'
activities, have also been paid a visit. The transfers of Ferdi Vierklau and
Roy Makaay to Tenerife in 1997, of Niklos Machlas from OFI Crete to
Vitesse in 1996 and Vitesse to Ajax in 1999, and Pierre van Hooijdonk's
from Nottingham Forest to Vitesse in 1999 and from Vitesse to Benfica in
2000 are all 'suspect'. The investigation is being run by the Dutch Public
Prosecutor's office so prosecutions look highly likely. |
| RKC
give Vitesse a beating 3 - 0 |
11 Feb 2001
|
| RKC
scored in the 10th minute through Iwan Redan, John van Loenhout got a
2nd in the 58th followed by Rick Hoogendorp's 3rd for the Waalwijkers who
are now only 5 points behind Vitesse (33 points from 20 games) and
dreaming of Europe. Vitesse are going through a bad patch with only 1
point from the 3 games played since the winter break. |
| Vitesse
through to semi-finals after 2 - 1 against
AZ |
07 Feb 2001
|
| Vitesse
were clearly superior in the first half and the two goals, by Mamadou
Zongo in the 15th and Victor Sikora in the 38th were a reflection of the
better football they played and the pressure exerted on the visitors. AZ
fought back after Kenneth Perez's goal in the 54th minute had given them
hope but, even when Vitesse were reduced to 10 men after Sikora's red
card, they couldn't quite convert their efforts into goals. |
| Aalbers
faces tax investigation |
05 Feb 2001
|
| The
aftershock of the collapse of negotiations between Karel Aalbers and
Vitesse is the news that Dutch tax investigators are to put his financial
affairs, while he was chairman, under the microscope. They seem to have
discovered evidence that 'Our Karel' siphoned off money, made from
transfers (such as those of Pierre van Hooijdonk, Roy Makaay, Ferdi
Vierklau, Nikos Machlas and Sander Westerveld) and other financial
transactions, and channelled it through the Virgin Islands and Cyprus into
private bank accounts. If this turns out to be true there will be hell to
pay for the former Vitesse supremo and the club. |
| Vitesse
fight for draw against NEC 2 - 2 |
04 Feb 2001
|
| Things
are not what they were in the Gelredome - the 2nd home defeat of the last
week threatened for a while - could this be a signal that the power struggle between the club,
sponsor NUON and ex-supremo Karel Aalbers are finally taking their toll in
terms of the psychological condition of the team and trainer?? Thank
goodness they've just brought in fresh Belgian blood Gert Claessens who's
proved to be an excellent addition to the squad. Bob Peeters put Vitesse ahead in
the 11th minute but Gjorgi Hristov had a swift reply in the 12th. The
Gelderland derby had NEC rather overenthousiastic - leading to a red card
sending off for Piet collens in the 25th minute. NEC more than held their own,
despite the loss of a pair of defensive feet, held on tenaciously until Jack de
Gier even gave them hope of an away win in the 75th 1-2. But there he was again,
Mr. Claessens with an equalizer in the 85th minute, and not a moment too
soon. They stay 3rd on 38 points from 20 games, Ajax breathing in their neck on
36 with a game in hand. Check out David Icke's article on the influence of mental training in modern
sport, and the lack thereof in football: http://www.football365.com/content/features/icke/fw_ike_478731.htm
. |
|
| Aalbers'
sponsor pulls out - NUON talks off |
02 Feb 2001
|
| The
proposed talks between Karel Aalbers and Vitesse sponsor NUON are off. The
mysterious 'sponsor' that 'Our Karel' had found willing to invest in the
club and get them out of their difficulties has called it a day. NUON had
set a deadline of 18.00 by which time they wanted to know the name of the
investor. It came and went and then Mr. Aalbers announced that the
'sponsor' had pulled out. Both sides have blamed each other for the
collapse of negotiations which have taken weeks to get to this frustrating
point of no return. Or is it really the end - the outside world has
seen so many deadlines, stories, conditions, preconditions, ultimatums,
accusations and counter-accusations that it's practically impossible to
decipher the true meaning of the events we've witnessed. Personally, I
can't imagine that the last word has been spoken - undoubtedly we'll hear
more in the coming weeks until the final solution to the club's
misfortunes has been 'found'. We'll keep you posted! |
| Vitesse
lose to NAC 2 - 4 |
31 Jan 2001
|
| The
home team were missing Ruud Knol, needing a small chest operation to
correct a heart problem that had caused problems in the training camp,
while NAC had even more problems - Alfred Schreuder, captain and
game-maker is out for some weeks along with other injured players
Cristiano and Nebosja Gudelj. Vitesse
were undefeated at home since December 4th 1999 and began the game with that confidence builder in
their minds- but it went horribly wrong. Shocks went through the Gelredome as NAC hit through goals by Regilio Simons
in the 3rd, a shot which bounced off several legs before rolling into the
net, and Glen Salmon, faced only with Edwin Zoetebier, who coolly scored in the 10th minute.
Theo Janssen will be
kicking himself after seeing his spot-shot saved by Gabor Babos in the 18th minute but Vitesse's
hero of their Cup match against Ajax last week, new Belgian signing, Gert
Claessens got one on the scoreboard for them in the 28th. NAC were in the
mood though and able to make full use of the weak Vitesse defence as Earnest Stewart scored a 3rd in the 38th.
Despite bringing on an extra attacker on (Fortes for Kreek) Vitesse's
attacks mostly looked weaker than Nac's counters - Simons added his
second of the match in the 54th to make it 1-4. Babos saved shots by Zongo
and Bob Peeters and it was late in the 2nd half before Claessens scored his, and
Vitesse's second in the 81st
minute but it was too late to save any points for the home team. |
| Aalbers
- NUON meeting looks on |
31 Jan 2001
|
| The
former Vitesse boss Karel Aalbers has met
the first two preconditions set by the club's current sponsor, energy
company NUON, before a meeting can take place to try and sort out the
mess at the club. He has released assets seized earlier and halted any claims
for damages for the break of confidentiality he'd accused the club
of late last year. Aalbers has set his own conditions and they are -
that the potential sponsor he has been talking about these last weeks
wants NUON to agree to secrecy before any negotiations get going,
and they want an assurance that the energy giant is serious in its
intentions. We'll soon find out. |
| NUON
ready to talk to Aalbers |
30 Jan 2001
|
| Surprisingly,
NUON have decided to talk to former Vitesse
supremo Karel Aalbers. The preconditions for talks to begin are the same
as those laid down by the club in its dealings with "Our
Karel" - all assets previously seized to be released, the name of
the "sponsor" with the "investment" to be made known
to NUON, proof that the money is actually waiting to be injected. He has
until Wednesday to come up with the goods. |
| Vitesse
say Adios! Aalbers |
27 Jan 2001
|
| Vitesse's
board of directors decided yesterday to cancel the meeting planned to take
place today with Karel Aalbers, former chairman claiming to have a sponsor
in the wings ready to come up with a cool 45,38 million Euros to pay
off current sponsor NUON and still have plenty leftover to invest. It
seems the club is finally tired of waiting and has decided that the time
has come to put an end to the "negotiations", make a break with
the past weeks' uncertainty and get on with the business of running the
club. Aalbers is supposedly going back to talk to NUON, but that's already
been tried - it's unlikely he'll get a different response this time. We've
undoubtedly not heard the last! |
| Ajax
lose to killer goal against Vitesse 2-1 |
26 Jan 2001
|
| The
Amsterdammers started off in confident fashion with chances for Rafael
van der Vaart and Machlas. The early Ajax assaults left Vitesse slightly
off balance but they started to launch their own counters and move
forward more threateningly. All of a sudden Tomΰs Galasek caught Edwin
Zoetebier completely by surprise from 30 metres out with a shot which
sailed into the top left hand corner of the net. Peeters had a chance
soon after but the ball didn't connect with his head the way he would
have liked. The Amsterdammers' tempo dropped for the next spell and
Vitesse were able to put more moves together. Cornelisse was at the
centre of some controversy when he looked to have brought down Wamberto
in the area and a minute later seemed to use his upperarm to control the
ball in the box - both times he was given the benefit of the doubt by
the referee. Apart from one incident of confusion and fear at the back
Ajax's defence looked solid, a huge improvement compared to the early
part of the season with Tom Sier and Ed de Cler in control. In the
closing minutes of the half Wamberto hit a great ball just over and
Peeters got his head (jsut) to another high ball and then it was
halftime. The pitch was by now looking in bad shape with loose clods
showing how 'fresh' the pitch was, every sliding action ploughing
the turf - what would be sowed in these furrows? Fortunately for us the
answer was enjoyable good spirited football - in the 1st half perhaps a
little ragged at times but it promised to be a cracking 2nd half. |
| Ruud
Knol undergoes small chest operation |
25 Jan 2001
|
| Vitesse's
18 year-old Ruud Knol is have a small chest operation to cure the cause of
heart palpitations he experienced during the team's training camp in
Marbella. He should be able to resume training within a few days of
leaving hospital. |
| Vitesse
give Aalbers last chance |
25 Jan 2001
|
| Vitesse
held a press conference this afternoon to correct yesterday's story that
the club had made a demand of Karel Aalbers (former boss) as a
precondition for Saturday's planned face to face. The club had,
apparently, said that the 45 million Euros on offer by a mysterious
prospective sponsor should be deposited on a neutral bank account before
Saturday's meeting could take place. Current chairman Jos Vaessen could
barely control his anger as he explained to assembled journalists that
there was no truth in this story whatsoever. The season was about to
restart for Vitesse and everyone wanted to get back to what it's
supposedly all about - football! This is really the last chance for
Aalbers to come up with the goods it seems. We'll know by the end of this
weekend ! |
| Koeman
also strong candidate for Barcelona job |
25 Jan 2001
|
| The
former Barcelona striker, and currently coach at Vitesse, Ronald Koeman is
rumoured to be a strong contender for the job of trainer at Barcelona. It
is expected that Llorenη Serra Ferrer will return to his old job as
technical director when this season draws to an end. There have been
stories circulating linking NEC coach Johan Neeskens and AS Roma coach
Fabio Capella to the soon to be empty chair. The Italian is unlikely to be
able to leave Rome and Koeman has increased his already popular image with
Barca supporters by stating that he could never work for rivals Real
Madrid and that his heart lies with the club and the city where he did so
well as a player (he scored with one of his famous freekicks in 1992's
European Cup 1 final to deliver Barcelona the trophy). |
| Vitesse
and Aalbers face to face on Saturday |
24 Jan 2001
|
| The
face to face meeting between Vitesse and former boss Karel Aalbers looks
as though it may finally take place this coming Saturday. The board have
finally decided unanimously to a meeting with 'our Karel' as long he
unfreezes all assets seized by him via the courts. |
| Vitesse's
Mbamba out for 6 weeks |
24 Jan 2001
|
| Vitesse's
18 year-old striker Emile Mbamba is out of action for the coming 6 weeks
after being operated on a torn meniscus. The young African from Cameroon
was injured in the recent friendly against Hertha BSC. |
| NUON
turn down Aalbers offer to talk |
20 Jan 2001
|
| Vitesse
sponsor NUON have turned down ex-chairman Karel Aalbers's offer to start
direct talks with him - he'd offered to take on the debt owed the company
by his old club (nothing new in that). The energy giant's directors have decided not to talk to
either him or his lawyer. What next? What else - they've said that he
should start talking to the obvious negotiating partner - Vitesse! What a
surprise! The interpretation of events differs, depending on which report
you read, which side you listen to, and who you want to believe the most.
Hopefully they'll finally get together and put an end to the power
struggle which is giving the club so much bad publicity. |
| Aalbers
in contact with Vitesse sponsor NUON |
19 Jan 2001
|
| The
former Vitesse boss Karel Aalbers has written to the club's current main
sponsor NUON to suggest he take over the company's role and the debt
currently owed them by the club (27.23 million Euros) in return for
the same 'rights' as NUON currently enjoy at Vitesse. If, and when, he
receives a positive response Aalbers hopes to increase pressure on the
club totalks with him. Vitesse have so far categorically refused to
do so until he unfreezes the assets he seized via the courts. |
| Vitesse
to miss Mbamba after knee injury |
18 Jan 2001
|
| Vitesse's
18 year-old striker from Cameroon Emile Mbamba has injured his right knee
in the friendly against Hertha BSC and is being admitted today to
Amsterdam's AMC Hospital for treatment. |
| Aalbers
ready to talk to Vitesse?!? |
17 Jan 2001
|
| The
cat and mouse game being played by former Vitesse boss Karel Aalbers took
another turn yesterday when his former 'right hand' Hein Rood announced
that 'our Karel' is ready to accept the club's preconditions forng
talks. If you didn't already know, they are: 1. that he 'kiss and tell' on
who exactly the mysterious sponsor is with all the money that's going to
help the club out of their financial problems and 2. that he unfreeze the
club's assets he seized in December. Have you noticed that up till now he
always lets someone else do the talking for him as far as these 'public'
announcements are concerned. |
| Vitesse
struggle in 3 - 3 draw against Brugge |
14 Jan 2001
|
| In
a friendly against Brugge in Marbella Vitesse struggled to a 3-3 draw, The
Belgian team looked as though they were heading for a 3-1 victory but gave
the lead away in the closing stages. |
| Vitesse
still prepared to talk to Aalbers |
10 Jan 2001
|
| Vitesse's
chairman Jos Vaessen has stated in a press conference that he is still
willing to enter into proper negotiations with the former boss Karel
Aalbers. Everyone at the club is tired of the bad publicity the current
power struggle is giving them in the media and would like simple
clarification of the facts. Who is the mysterious sponsor, what are the
guarantees concerning the money to be injected and what are the
consequences for the club? Aalbers was going to unfreeze the assets he had
seized, but hasn't, and keeps chopping and changing deadlines and
preconditions. It's not helping in any way whatsoever and everyone would
be grateful for an end to the affair. The current main sponsor NUON is
only interested in getting its investment returned and simply wants to
remain shirt sponsor, having no interest in getting shares in the club.
All the bad publicity is hampering their own attempts to find other
investors. |
| Benfica
promise to pay Vitesse P-air's transfer fee |
11 Jan 2001
|
| The
Portugese club Benfica have a new board of directors who have promised to
pay Vitesse the money still outstanding for the transfer of Pierre van
Hooijdonk last summer. The first instalment is due to be paid shortly with
the rest to follow in the next few months (with interest?). |
| Koeman
to stay until contract ends |
08 Jan 2001
|
| The
Vitesse coach Ronald Koeman was yesterday in reverse as he made clear that
he intends to see out his existing contract with the club, which runs for
another 18 months. In a weekend outburst he had declared he was sick of
all the disruption caused by the machinations at Vitesse (involving
ex-boss Karel Aalbers and sponsor NUON) and was preparing to leave in June
at the close of this season. Now he's slept on his remarks he has changed
his tune, expressing satisfaction with the team's performances over the
last year or so (since the troubles at the club began) and thinks a 3rd
place is the best they can expect this season (especially on the evidence
of their games against Nos.1 and 2 Feyenoord and PSV). In a friendly
against amateur team Arnhemse Boys on Saturday they won 6-0 with 2 goals
from Matthew Amoah, 1 each from Mbamba, Bob Peeters and Dejan Stefanovic
and an own goal by Tim Gerritsen (commiserations Tim). |
| Koeman
wants to leave Vitesse in June |
06 Jan 2001
|
| The
current crisis at Vitesse is proving too much to bear for Ronald Koeman
who is sick to death of it. Despite taking the club to the top of the
Dutch Premier division he is fed up and wants out. It could take him
back to Barcelona in a new look at the Spanish club which could partner
him with Bernd Schuster. Joan Gaspert supposedly wants to see a 'young
and dynamic' coaching strategy introduced at the end of the season with
Koeman sharing the honours as vice-coach with Schuster. Another story
says he's to be assistant to Llorenc Serra Ferrer and be groomed for the
coach's job. Yet another story has him heading to Spain as coach at the
end of the season. Take your pick! |
| NUON
pushing ahead with own rescue formula |
6 Jan 2001
|
| Vitesse
main sponsor NUON is to accelerate negotiations it has already begun with
other sponsor-candidates in an attempt to secure the club's financial
future. Success will, of course, minimize the chance that Vitesse's former
boss Karel Aalbers' plan will be accepted by Vitesse's board. This could
be the last round in the fight for control of the club. |
| Pothuizen
on loan to Twente |
06 Jan 2001
|
| Vitesse
defender Patrick Pothuizen is to go on loan to Twente for the rest of the
season. This makes him the 2nd player to leave Arnhem in recent days, John
van Brom being the other (he's gone to De Graafschap). Do you get the idea
Vitesse need some money? |
| Aalbers
sues Rocky |
06 Jan 2001
|
| The
latest twist (or should that be turn) in the Aalbers - Vitesse soap is
that the former chairman of the club is to sue Rocky Tuanakotta, the
so-called European representative of American multinational Wal-Mart,
named as the 'sponsor' backing Aalbers' bid for control of Vitesse. The
police have been informed of the libel/slander charges which are heading
Rocky's way. Wal-Mart's pr-man Gomez has confirmed what Aalbers claims to
have been saying all along, namely that he has no relationship with the
Americans, and also added that his company have had no contact with
Mr.Tuanakotta either. The plot thickens - was this just 'over
enthousiasm' on Rocky's part or is there more to come? |
| Aalbers
unfreezes Vitesse's assets |
06 Jan 2001
|
| The
former Vitesse chairman Karel Aalbers has agreed to unfreeze the Vitesse
assets he had seized via the courts early in December. This has
always been his former club's primary precondition forng talks over
the rescue bid Aalbers claims to have up his sleeve. Vitesse had also
requested that his plan be given the legal 'once over' to check its
feasibility and Aalbers has now also agreed to this second precondition.
'Our Karel' (as he is affectionately known) hinted that the mysterious
'sponsor' he has in mind is a Dutch company with interests in property and
property development. The club have said that the information they have
been faxed concerning this latest move differs from what the press has
been told. A reaction can be expected after the weekend has given them
time to look into the details. In the meantime coach Ronald Koeman is sick
and tired of the 'soap' and will be glad when the show's over. |
| Vitesse
'sponsor' press conference a farce |
05 Jan 2001
|
| The
hastily announced press conference, which should have shed light on the
mysterious sponsor Karel Aalbers has up his sleeve to save Vitesse's
bacon, turned out to be a farcical affair. The European representative of
the American company Wal-Mart, Rokky Tuanakotta, invited a large group of
journalists to the Sheraton Hotel at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport only to
inform them that 3 representatives of a Wal-Mart subsidiary (who were
supposedly going to spill the beans, or at least some of them) were
already on their way to Madrid. He couldn't provide any information worth
having, complained about his treatment by the Americans as well as the
fact that Vitesse weren't taking him seriously either, poor man. So now
everyone is still in the dark! Is there a sponsor, is there really a
serious bid or is this just a stunt by Mr.Aalbers? Any offers? |
| Menno
Willems signs with Grimsby Town |
05 Jan 2001
|
| The
young 23 year-old Vitesse defender Menno Willems, already on loan to the
English club, has signed a contract with Grimsby Town. |
| Death
threat in battle over Vitesse's future |
04 Jan 2001
|
| The
wife of one of Vitesse sponsor NUON's directors has received a death
threat, giving another nasty twist to the struggle for control of the
club. The houses of other leading NUON employees are to receive police
protection, while Karel Aalbers's lawyer has said that the former chairman
has been trying to intervene and calm the heated emotions of some of the
club's fans who remain faithful to "our Karel" as he is known. |
| Aalbers
Vitesse takeover bid a pipedream? |
04 Jan 2001
|
| The
takeover bid announced by Karel Aalbers may well turn out to be a
nonstarter. It appears that the multinational sponsor, who Aalbers has
said will put up the juicy 50 million club saving Euros, is an American
supermarket chain Wal-Mart. Their PR-man Josι Gomez denies any knowledge
of the 'plan' and the company's European representative Rocky Tuanakotta
will be holding a press conference today to clear the air. He is
reportedly annoyed with all the mud slinging between Aalbers and Vitesse's
chairman Jos Vaessen and says he's had no contact whatsoever with Aalbers
over the 'plan'. The plot thickens - especially now that Dutch tax fraud
investigators FIOD claim to be in possession of evidence of Aalbers
'wrongdoings' - the transfers of Roy Makaay and Ferdi Vierklau to Tenerife
and Nikos Machlas to Ajax seem to be tainted! |
| Van
der Brom on loan to De Graafschap |
04 Jan 2001
|
| The
Vitesse and former international John van der Brom is to be lent to De
Graafschap for the coming 18 months. He has not been able to secure a 1st
team place under Ronald Koeman but he will return to the club in
Arnhem as part of the technical staff. The former Ajax and Istanbulspor
player will hopefully use his talents to improve De Graafschap's
disappointing ranking - they are 13th with 13 points from 18 games. |
| No
move as yet for Diarra to Juventus |
03 Jan 2001
|
| The
transfer grapevine has continued to transmit confusing messages over the
holiday period. Latest 'victim' is Mahamadou Diarra, Vitesse's 19 year-old
Malian international midfielder, who has been linked to Juventus. Vitesse
are denying that Juventus have made any approaches as yet but the Italian
giants' manager Carlo Ancelotti may be about to make a substantial offer.
If it comes, such an offer may be difficult to turn down in the light of
the Dutch club's current financial problems. |
| Fans
support Aalbers |
27 Dec 2000
|
| The
fans at Vitesse are still loyal to former chairman Karel Aalbers and
support him in his plan to take the club back from his former partner Tob
Swelheim and main sponsor NUON. 75 fans were reported outside the
Gelredome stadium on Boxing Day (the 26th December/Tweede Kerstdag)
carrying banners proclaiming their undying support for Aalbers and the
club. Unfortunately, others had decided to get their message across by
stoning the house of NUON director Mr.P.Knoers. The next few weeks
will be a bitter start to the New Year for Vitesse. |
| Aalbers
in Vitesse takeover bid - Koeman threatens exit |
23 Dec 2000
|
| The
former Vitesse chairman Karel Aalbers has found a Dutch multinational who
is willing to put up a once only payment of 45 million Euros to enable a
takeover of the club with Mr. Aalbers at the helm. There is an
international food company prepared to put its name on the first team
shirts and other companies interested in signing sponsoring contracts, if
the deal goes through and if Aalbers is running the show. The announcement at
a press conference yesterday brings to a head the personal duel between
himself and former friend and business partner Tob Swelheim, current chairman,
and the man held responsible by Aalbers for the corrupting influence of
sponsor NUON (Dutch energy giant). NUON have rejected this 'surprise'
offer (Aalbers said on Dutch TV last night that it's been on the table for
some days already) and it looks like we're about to start the New Year
with a titanic struggle for one of Holland's top clubs. Only a few days
ago we were being treated to warnings that Vitesse was in serious
financial difficulties and would have to sell some players. Not having
received the money Benfica still owe them for Pierre van Hooijdonk, and
having to come up with the rest of the money the club owes Roda JC for Bob
Peeters really put the squeeze on. This new offer, says Aalbers,
would solve all the club's money problems in one go and turn Vitesse into
the second richest club in Holland after Ajax. Ronald
Koeman is quoted by Dutch public broadcaster, the NOS, as being
enthusiastic, so it could have a chance - tense days
ahead - I'm off to enjoy Christmas! |
| Feyenoord
stay top after beating Vitesse |
21 Dec 2000
|
| The
Rotterdammers remain unbeaten at home and top of the Premier division
after tonight's (rather undeserved) victory. During the last 18 years
whichever team has been division leaders at the halfway stage has ended up
winning the title. This must give Feyenoord hope of becoming champions,
although there are still question marks about their consistency of
performance. Tonight they were missing rather too many players for their
own good - Jon Dahl Tomasson, Ulrich van Gobbel, Steve Laybutt, Christian
Gyan and new star David Connolly were injured and Kees van Wonderen,
Patrick Pauuwe, Igor Kornejev and Paul Bosvelt were fielded but not fit.
The visitors also missed a player or two - they were without Didier
Martel, Louis Maros, Dejan Stefanovic and Patrick Pothuizen. Certainly Vitesse deserved better
than they got and showed all the signs of
securing a very useful away win in the Kuip. Only the goals, the goals,
where were they? They had the better of Feyenoord in the 1st half and good
chances to score to boot, only they wouldn't go in (Matthew Amoah had the
best ng but his header bounced off the underside of the bar onto the
pitch). Trainer Ronald Koeman was irritated that his team had not been
able to grab the opportunity before them. Especially theng goal by
Kalou, in the 72nd minute, was a sore point - receiving the ball, after a
nice one two with Kornejev, surrounded by Vitesse defenders but still
allowed to score through goalie Edwin Zoetebier's legs! Kalou rubbed it in
6 minutes later, passing to Bosvelt in the penalty area who was free to
blast it home for the match winner. Latest addition to the squad, Johan
Elmander was able to feel the turf of the Kuip for the last few
minutes of the game to a loud welcome from the fans. Bert van Marwijk was relieved to
escape defeat and add another 3 points to his collection. |
| NAC
in drab draw with Vitesse 1 - 1 |
16 Dec 2000
|
| The
match was a bit of a drab affair. The home side showed had most of the
early initiatives and most of the action - there were a couple of
missed chances on both sides. NAC went ahead in the 50th minute after
Earnest Stewart's pass found 19 year-old Brazilian striker Cristiano
waiting to put it away as Edwin Zoetebier looked on. Vitesse came back
quickly, Mahamadou's pass giving Sikora an invitation to show his speed,
beating Nebosja Gudelj to hit a diagonal shot past a beaten Gαbor Babos
in the 57th. The remainder of the game was not great football and
Vitesse will have to do better if they are to hold their own against Feyenoord
on Wednesday. |
|
| Vitesse
win in injury time against AZ 3 - 2 |
14 Dec 2000
|
| The
Arnhem club held onto their unbeaten home record with an injury time goal
by 18 year-old Emile Mbamba, a beautiful curling ball which sailed past
Henk Timmer. Vitesse took an early lead with a Bob Peeters goal in the
12th minute. AZ's Robin Nelisse put away two 2nd half goals in the 70th
and 76th minutes to give them hope of a welcome away win. A burst of
Arnhem fire in the last ten minutes put an end to such thoughts - first
Mahamadou Diarra in the 81st and then the young Cameroon's goal in the
90th sealed victory for Vitesse. |
| Vitesse
and Heerenveen share the points 0 - 0 |
10 Dec 2000
|
| The
major part of the match was a dull affair. It took an hour before Vitesse
looked as though they were really interested in winning 3
points. Heerenveen's Dennis de Nooijer got a red card in the 65th minute
to help them along but it was to no avail. Vitesse's Dejan Stefanovic
decided he too wanted to see the dressing room before his teammates. Marc
van Hintum got his 2nd yellow and joined them a quarter of an hour before
the final whistle but Heerenveen were unable to profit from their
superiority in numbers and so Vitesse remain for more than a year unbeaten
in the Gelredome. |
| Aalbers
freezes Vitesse's assets in legal battle |
07 Dec 2000
|
| The
former Vitesse chairman Karel Aalbers has taken legal steps to freeze
Vitesse's assets as a reprisal for the release of a private accountants
report to Dutch Tax authorities. This drastic move has been forced on him,
according to his lawyer, because there was an agreement with Cor Guijt,
chairman of the board of directors at the club, not to go public with the
report. Now that the report has been "leaked", and it is still
unclear whether Mr. Guijt has done this as a private individual or in his
capacity as chairman, the only course of action leftwas to hit the
club instead of taking action against him personally. |
| Vitesse's
Trustfull out of action for the season |
01 Dec 2000
|
| Ronald
Koeman has confirmed that ex-Sheffield Wednesday player Orlando Trustfull
(out of action through injury since the summer) will not be seen in the
Gelredome for the rest of the season. He's mentally and physically unfit,
currently undergoing treatment in Amsterdam, but will hopefully be back
next season. |
| NUON
unhappy with Vitesse's Formula One move |
01 Dec 2000
|
| The
utilities giant NUON is unhappy with Vitesse's desire to allow its club
strip and emblem to be used in the special Formula One races we reported
on earlier this week. It conflicts with the company's wish to promote an
environmentally friendly image and they have threatened to pull out of
their sponsoring deal with the club. In the light of the 30 million Euros
the club owes NUON they will be definitely thinking twice before signing
any binding contracts with the racing world. |
| Vitesse
win court case against Benfica |
29 Nov 2000
|
| Vitesse
have won their court case against Benfica over the nonpayment of the fee
still outstanding for Pierre van Hooijdonk's transfer. The judge has also
awarded them costs and the interest on the money concerned, which they
badly need to pay off a loan from utilities giant NUON. Although they may
lay claim to Benfica's assets they will undoubtedly wait until a crisis,
last chance meeting with the Benfica top on December 9th before taking
such drastic action. After all we're all gentlemen aren't we? |
| Vitesse
back on top after 2 - 3 win at Roda |
29 Nov 2000
|
| The
Arnhemmers are back in the no.1 slot after this away win over Roda. It was
Nygaard who had the first chance of the match after Anastasiou's pass
found him with only Zoetebier between him and the goal but his attempt
went over. Roda continued to exert pressure without result while Vitesse
calmly waited for anng. It came when a mistake by Bas Roorda left
Sikora with a 25 meter shot which he blasted in 0-1. Vitesse soaked up the
Roda attacks (mostly smallngs from corners and the odd distance
shot) in the rest of the half without difficulty while doing little to
increase their lead. The 2nd half began in similar fashion - Zongo got a
2nd for the visitors after 8 minutes. Roda fans finally had something to
cheer about in the 60th when Eric van der Luer's pass was headed in for a
winner by Anastasiou. Within a minute Soetaers had a perfect opportunity
to draw level but Zoetebier made a great save. Kreek made it 1-3 for
Vitesse in the 70th and Anastasiou gave Roda a last glimmer of hope in the
87th of at least levelling the match but it was too late. Roda had the
chances but were lacking in the finishing department, Vitesse boxed clever
and made better use of the opportunities when they arose. |
| Aalbers
to sue Vitesse |
28 Nov 2000
|
| The
former Vitesse chairman Karel Aalbers, who is at the centre of a tax
investigation being conducted into finances at the club during his reign,
has threatened to sue the club for a not inconsiderable amount of money.
He claims that handing over the accountants report to tax investigators
constitutes a breach of the contract he had with Vitesse. There was a
secrecy clause included in an agreement with the club to prevent the
information contained in the report becoming public. |
| Koeman
demotes goalie Jevric |
23 Nov 2000
|
| Vitesse's
goalie Dragoslav Jevric has been dropped from the 1st team squad due to a
'lack of motivation'. Edwin Zoetebier has taken his regular place and the
1st team's second choice in goal is now Sjoerd Rensen. Jevric, whose
contract runs out in 2005, will only get back his place back if he shows a
marked improvement in attitude. |
| Vitesse
faces investigation over alleged tax fraud |
23 Nov 2000
|
| Vitesse
are to be subjected to an investiagtion into possible tax frauds which are
alleged to have taken place under former chairman Karel Aalbers. The club
had called in a firm of accountants KPMG to look into club finances and
they, in turn, had brought in tax investigators FIOD. Although the board
of governors had a 'gentleman's agreement' with Aalbers not to go public
they have apparently leaked KMPG's findings to the Dutch government's tax
investigators. |
| Vitesse
wants money from Benfica |
21 Nov 2000
|
| The
Portugese club Benfica were conspicuously unrepresented during the court
hearing in Holland dealing with the non-payment to Vitesse of the transfer fee for Pierre van Hooijdonk's sale last Summer.
Benfica now want to renegotiate the deal in the light of P-Air's age and
disappointing performance so far. It has, of course, nothing
to do with the fact that they want to buy Brazilian Mario Jardel from
Turkish side Galasataray and want to do a swap-deal using P-Air as part of
the package. Jardel has only just made the move to Turkey from FC Porto
for 34 million Euros! Depending on who you believe, either Vitesse
are ready to cooperate in helping the deal go through (and seeing at
least some of their money) or they know nothing about it and simply want to see
the original fee of 18 million Euros asked for P-Air on their bank
account. |
| Vitesse
back on top after 2 - 1 win over RBC |
19 Nov 2000
|
| A
15 minute spell of good football was enough to secure victory for the club
from Arnhem - Vitesse took 50 minutes to awake from their slumber.
Mahamadou Diarra and Mamadou Zongo scored within 3 minutes of each other
(51st and 54th) to give the home team a 2 goal lead. Up till then RBC had
offered brave resistance and would have deserved being a goal up at half
time. Henk Vos, Gijs Cales and Damien Hertog were all denied goals by
Edwin Zoetebier's good keeping. Ronald Koeman's
team obviously got a dressing room lecture at half time. That and a couple
of substitutions made all the difference. Remco van der Schaaf was
replaced by Matthew Amoah and Carlos Fortes by Emile Mbamba (in his debut
and looking threatening). Vitesse's 2 goals in quick succession put an end
to RBC's hopes, although substitute Van Helmond's last minute goal was
offering at least some small consolation. |
| Didier
Martel out of action |
18 Nov 2000
|
| The
Vitesse striker Didier Martel will be out of action until after the Winter
break. He is having problems recovering from a foot injury and has only
made a few appearances for the club since his arrival from Utrecht. |
| Vitesse
take Benfica to court |
16 Nov 2000
|
| Pierre
van Hooijdonk's old club Vitesse are off to court to get the money still
owed them by Portugese club Benfica for Pierre's transfer. They want the
7.5 million Euros still owed them to pay off a loan the club received from
utilities giant NUON. The club needs the money desperately to pay NUON 25%
of the 30 million it owes the company and to pay Bob Peeters transfer fee
of 2 million. They have waited long enough! |
| Vitesse
FC Groningen 2 - 2 |
12 Nov 2000
|
| Vitesse
are back at the top of the table despite only drawing with Groningen.
Feyenoord's first defeat of the season has flipped them back into
the no.1 spot. They were faced by a defensive Groningen who had only 2 men
up front - Hoekstra and top scorer Drent. Vitesse had some opportunities
to go ahead in an attractive 1st 45 minutes but it were the visitors who
scored twice in rapid succession - Martin Drent in the 30th and
Kurt Elshot 3 minutes later. In the 2nd half Vitesse came back quickly through
goals by Victor Sikora in the 49th and Matthew Amoah in the 56th. As the
match wore on the home side improved continually and the last 15 minutes
were dangerous ones for Groningen as Vitesse piled on the pressure -
Sikora, Amoah, Peters, Van der Brom and Fortes all had a chance to put one
away. Groningen's no.2 goalie Egbert Darwinkel put in a great performance
to help Groningen to their draw. |
| Vitesse
out after 1 - 1 draw with Inter Milan |
10 Nov 2000
|
| Vitesse
looked at times as if they were going to win this match and showed no fear
in the face of the Italian stallions. They played an excellent 1st half,
trainer Ronald Koeman had made sure they were mentally and physically
prepared for the confrontation. The only difference with the lineup in
Milan was Van der Schaaf's replacement by Mahamadou Diarra. It turned out
to be a shrewd choice as the elusive Diarra caused all kinds of problems
for Milan, as did Viktor Sikora. Unexpectedly the home side took control
of the midfield. However, Inter had the 1st chance to score, only
Zoetebier's skill stopping Hakan Sukur's effort. Bob
Peeters missed one too but in the 15th minute put his team a goal up.
Milan had several chances in the 1st half to score but keeper Zoetebier
proved his worth again and again (as he did throughout the entire match).
Inter seemed unworried by being one goal down, relying on the individual
qualities of their players while Vitesse looked unruffled in defence.
Milan created the best chances of the 2nd half, Zoetebier stopping
Christian Vieri and Alvaro Recoba's shots. As time wore on it began to
look as if Vitesse might go to the ball after all. Unfortunately, 10
minutes before the whistle (and before the carriage had a chance to arrive
and turn into a pumpkin), Simic struck the fatal blow for Inter. Vitesse
made a last push to score in the last 10 minutes but it was not to be.
They can look back with justified pride on a valiant effort. |
| Vitesse
win away at De Graafschap 2 - 1 |
05 Nov 2000
|
| Despite
making it more difficult than necessary the team from Arnhem were far too
strong for the home team in the 1st half. Bob Peters got both their goals,
the one a pass from Amoah and the other a ball from Tim Cornelissen,
headed in. The 2nd half was far tougher for Vitesse as De Graafschap piled
on the pressure, Eric Viscaal's run giving Martijn van Meerdink the chance
to score in the 54th minute. The home side were too sloppy in their
finishing to take advantage of Vitesse's 2nd half vulnerability and the
visitors were allowed to go home with the points. |
| PSV
bring Vitesse back to earth 2 - 0 |
02 Nov 2000
|
| The
Dutch champions beat table toppers Vitesse, thanks to 2 goals from Jonas Kolkka, in a
match which didn't live up to expectations. The current league leaders
started as though they meant business but even when Kolkka had put PSV
ahead after 10 minutes they did little else but launch counter attacks.
PSV's goalie Ronald Waterreus had practically nothing to do all evening -
a limp celebration of his 250th league appearance. Maybe Vitesse had
used up all their fire in last week's thriller against Ajax. The 4-3-3
formation Ronald Koeman thought appropriate on paper didn't generate
attacking football on the pitch. In contrast PSV looked sharp and immediately
put their opponents under pressure - it wasn't long before Kolkka scored
the first goal. Unfortunately for everyone, after that goal the pace went
out of the game - Vitesse looked uninterested in a fight and PSV were
seemingly content to coast along. The spectating value dropped so low that
the 2nd half was a fault-filled show. Vitesse's men were not functioning
as they should, the wingers Sikora and Fortes had no wings and the long
balls which were sent to Bob Peters up front were not enough to get him past
Youri Nikiforov's defending powers. Despite various substitutions the
match remained a boring affair with a quick thrill at the end when the
Dane Dennis Rommedahl streaked past three defenders to see his shot
stopped by Edwin Zoetebier giving Kolkka the chance to slam in the rebound
for his second. Net result - PSV climb to within 4 points of Vitesse who
are back on earth. |
| Vitesse
stand firm against Inter Milan 0 - 0 |
26 Oct 2000
|
| Vitesse
return home with a draw against the Italian side. They
started the match (only 9,000 spectators!) with one less forward and one
more defender than in the Dutch Premier League. Both Vitesse and Inter
began cautiously. Hakun Sakur in particular was kept under control by the
Vitesse defence. He had the first opportunity to score in the 8th minute
but was denied by the excellent goalkeeping of 24 year old Edwin
Zoetebier. Amoah had the bestng chance for Vitesse but Inter's
goalie Sebastien Frey was also on form. The match was not the exciting
duel that it could have been and in the 2nd half Vitesse smothered any
Inter attacks. Although Inter's trainer brought on Dutchman Clarence
Seedorf (to loud whistles from the Vitesse fans) it didn't improve things
for the Italians. In the last 15 minutes Vitesse were suddenly aware that
they had a chance to go home with an away win and started to pile on the
pressure. Mamadou Zongo and Bob Peeters caused all kinds of problems for
Inter's defence in and around the penalty area and peeters almost got
their goal. This stirred the Italians into action but Vitesse held on till
the final whistle and can be satisfied with a professional performance. |
| Vitesse
without Martel and Zongo against Inter Milan |
24 Oct 2000
|
| The
team from Arnhem will miss Didier Martel (injured ankle) and Mamadou Zongo
(in Mali for personal reasons) in the coming confrontation with Inter
Milan. Fortunately, Carlos Fortes and Marc van Hintum will be fit again to
travel to Italy for the match. |
| Vitesse
in cool 0 - 2 win over AZ |
22 Oct 2000
|
| The
team from the city of Arnhem travelled well today and gave AZ their first
home defeat of the season. Vitesse play a 4-3-3 system, home and away, and
this consistency in style and attitude has created stability within the
team. They were able to put their opponents under plenty of pressure,
although trainer Ronald Koeman felt they could have made more of their
counter attacks. It was Amoah who headed in their first goal just before
halftime (43rd), from teammate Janssen's well struck corner. In the second
half AZ played better and put Vitesse on the defensive. They became
increasingly became more desperate to score, took more risks, and were
caught out in the 88th minute by Sikora (substituting for Carlos Fortes
who left the pitch with a bleeding head wound after a midair collision
with teammate Zongo) who scored Vitesse's 2nd goal. Vitesse are being
tipped as possible Champions but Koeman remains unmoved by the prospect,
knowing full well that the road is still long. |
| Vitesse
stay on top with 3-2 v. Ajax |
15 Oct 2000
|
| Vitesse
snatched victory from Ajax in a packed Gelredome Stadium today. The score
wasd in the 8th minute for Vitesse by Victor Sekora who raced into
the penalty area after receiving a pass from the left wing. The rest of
the 1st half was mediocre, Vitesse's goal didn't inspire them or
Ajax to better things. Still, Machlas (back after injury) sneaked in a
header after 33 minutes to level the score (it was a great dissapointment
to see him leave the pitch after being injured in a tough tackle by
Amoah). The 2nd half was much more exciting - in The 53rd minute there was
a moment of controversy when Cedric van der Gun was brought to the ground
by Vitesse's goalie Edwin Zoetebier. Christian Civu scored from the spot
to put Ajax ahead. 8 minutes later Janssen levelled the score for Vitesse
from a blistering free kick worthy of trainer Ronald Koeman in his
glory days (Janssen had also been training with Pierre van Hooijdonk).
This was the killer blow for Ajax who lost confidence and allowed Vitesse
to dominate from then on and Amoah was able to scramble another ball into
goal in the 79th minute. |
| Vitesse
lose 2 - 1 against Maccabi |
28 Sep 2000
|
| Vitesse
lost tonight but go through to the second round of the UEFA cup thanks to
their 3 - 0 home result against the Israeli side Maccabi Haifa. In a
mediocre match where there was little to choose between the two teams
Vitesse had enough chances but were too sloppy to do anything with them
and the Israelis moved well enough but were also unable to finish. Finally
Avishay scored from the penalty spot in the 69th minute for them and Attar
made it 2 - 0 in the 88th minute of the match by which time it was too
late for them to pose a serious threat to Ronald Koeman's team who even
managed to snatch a goal back in the dying seconds (90th minute) thanks to
Amoah.. |
| Vitesse
too much for Fortuna 4 - 1 |
24 Sep 2000
|
| Vitesse,
the Division One leaders, were more than Fortuna could handle.They
were unable to contain the club from Arnhem who were able to launch
attacks at will, getting their first goal after 20 minutes and 3 more
before the half time whistle. Fortuna came out a changed side for the
second half, firing on all cylinders and surprising Vitesse, who had
decided to cruise through the rest of the match (perhaps with the coming
UEFA Cup return match against Maccabi in their minds). Roest finally got one back
for Fortuna in the 50th minute but it was insufficient to turn the tide
for his team. They were unable to show real ideas, relying too much on the
hopeful long ball and without a game shaper to get attacks/moves going. |
| Vitesse
win first leg UEFA Cup 3 - 0 |
15 Sep 2000
|
| Vitesse
won their first leg UEFA Cup match last night against Israelian side
Maccabi Haifa. Playing at home to a 12,500 crowd, Vitesse encountered
more opposition than they had expected. This was reflected in the
final 3-0 score only being achieved after two Maccabi Haifa players were
sent off. Vitesse trainer Ronald Koeman who expressed earlier this week
that Maccabi Haifa is no longer a team that can be easily rolled up,
found himself having to use up all his substitutes before the start of
the second half in order to correct the unbalance in his team. Within
one minute of replacing Carlos Fortes for Viktor Sikora, Vitesse
scored their first goal and after replacing the defenders Patrick
Pothuizen for Remco van der Schaaf and ,Mahamadou Diarra for Theo
Jansse the leaks in Vitesse's defence seemed to dissapear.
After the match Koeman stated that he was very pleased with the 3 - 0
result and Vitesse's performance. |
| Grozdic
leaves Vitesse |
01 Sep 2000
|
| Nean
Grozdic is leaving Vitesse for the French club Lens after coming to play
for the Arnhem based club last year. He has signed a contract for 4
years. |
| Vitesse
sign Bob Peeters |
13 Aug 2000 |
| Roda
JC's Belgian forward Bob Peeters signed a contract this weekend with
Vitesse. The 26 year old player, who cost Vitesse 6.8 million Euros,
will be replacing Pierre van Hooidonk who moved to Benfica this summer.
The physically strong player was contracted after Vitesse's attempt to buy
Erik Meijer (Liverpool) failed. |
| |
|
