Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem have been given an 18-point deduction due to licensing issues on Friday and will be relegated from the Eredivisie.
The KNVB, the governing body of Dutch football, imposed the deduction after investigators found that the club persistently fell short of meeting the requirements of licensing regulations over an extended period.
Furthermore, according to The Guardian, the licensing committee concluded that there were ‘indications’ that former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich had controlled – or still controlled – Vitesse.
In 2022, Abramovich was disqualified from running the Premier League club by its board after sanctions were imposed by the European Union over his role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
As a result, the KNVB are now aware of the ‘risks’ that sanctions have been violated, as the continue to investigate any ties between Vitesse and Abramovich.
Dutch side Vitesse have been given an 18-point deduction due to licensing issues on Friday
The licensing committee concluded that there were ‘indications’ that former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich (picture) had controlled – or still controlled – Eredivisie side Vitesse
The businessman was also punished in the UK and had his assets frozen in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Abramovich was also forced to sell London’s Chelsea football club after being sanctioned by the UK Government for what it called his enabling of Vladimir Putin’s ‘brutal and barbaric invasion’ of Ukraine.
Vitesse and their Russian owners have had longstanding ties to Chelsea which Abramovich owned for nearly 20 years.
The Dutch side were already at risk of relegation after a less than impressive season but have now been confirmed to be relegated following the points deduction.
Vitesse’s points tally has now dropped to -1 as a result as the sanction and has thus condemned them to their first year in the Dutch second division in 35 years.
Vitesse said they would not appeal as it could jeopardise their current license.
‘Although this is a dark day for everything and everyone who cares about Vitesse, this is the harsh reality,’ interim general manager Edwin Reijntjes said.
Last year, Abramovich lost his legal bid to overturn sanctions imposed by the European Union
Vitesse have been condemned them to their first year in the Dutch second division in 35 years
‘On the other hand, and I really want to make this clear to everyone, we are extremely happy with the opportunity offered to us to retain our license. This was also hanging by a thread.’
Meanwhile, the KNVB explained: ‘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 were promoted to the Eredivisie in the 1989 but have never won the league title. Their sole major trophy came in 2017 when they lifted the Dutch Cup.
The EU sanctions against Abramovich were announced after an investigation revealed evidence about alleged corrupt deals that made the businessman’s fortune.
According to the BBC in 2022, Abramovich made billions after buying an oil company from the Russian government in a rigged auction in 1995.
Abramovich was forced to sell Chelsea football club after being sanctioned by the government
The broadcaster said he paid around £196 million for Sibneft, before selling it back to the Russian government for £10.2 billion in 2005.
A separate investigation in 2023 also found that Abramovich transferred a secret stake in a Russian media giant to two of Vladimir Putin‘s close friends.
This was according to leaked documents seen by investigative journalists.
The report, based on leaked documents, stated that the £26million deal in 2010 is the ‘clearest paper trail yet’ linking Abramovich, 57, and the Russian president financially.
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