For a definition of the word "vitesse", see the Wiktionary entry vitesse. Stichting Betaald Voetbal Vitesse is a Dutch football club from Arnhem, which was founded on May 14, 1892. The idea of conceiving a football team stemmed from the club's early roots as a cricket club.
Vitesse has had considerable success in the Eredivisie but it has never been considered a close competitor of the top three clubs of Netherlands football, namely PSV, Feyenoord, and Ajax. Yet Vitesse once attracted big name signings into its ranks including Roy Makaay, Marc van Hintum, Sander Westerveld, Victor Sikora, Pierre van Hooijdonk, Mahamadou Diarra and Philip Cocu.
In the 1980s, the club was threatened with bankruptcy, the solution to which was to form a new administrative board to govern both the professionals and the amateur sides. This is because, up to the 1980s, the club had incorporated both its professional and its amateur players into its club structure.
The club has regularly finished in the Eredivisie top five positions and featured in the UEFA Cup competition. However, since 2003, the club has fallen on tough times and has since failed to reach its previous heights. The club could have gone bankrupt again had it not been for the timely intervention of the Arnhem city council who bought the Gelredome and created a financial rescue package to salvage the club.
Its home in the city of Arnhem is the unique Gelredome stadium built in 1998, featuring a retractable roof and a convertible pitch that can be retracted when unused during concerts or other events held at the stadium. Its capacity is 26,600. The average league attendance in recent years was just below 20,000.
Current squad
Reserve squad
Out on loan
Vitesse-managers since 1914
Club officials
Honours
Team Achievements
- Champion Gelderse Competitie NVB: 2x (1895, 1896)
- Champion Eerste Klasse Oost: 7x (1897, 1898, 1903, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1953)
- Champion Tweede Klasse Oost: 5x (1923, 1941, 1944, 1946, 1950)
- KNVB Beker finalist: 3x (1912, 1927, 1990)
- Champion Eerste Divisie: 2x (1977, 1989)
- Champion Tweede Divisie: 1x (1966)
- Also promoted to Eredivisie: 1x (1971)
- UEFA Cup: 9x participation (36 matches): (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002)
Individual Achievements
Vitesse in Europe
- Group = group game
- 1R = first round
- 2R = second round
- 3R = third round
- 1/8 = 1/8 final
| Season |
Competition |
Round |
Country |
Club |
Score |
Goalscorers Vitesse |
| 1978/79 |
Intertoto Cup |
Groep |
 |
Hellas Verona |
2-1, 0-2 |
Bursac, Hofs / (-) |
|
|
Groep |
 |
RWDM |
0-5, 0-2 |
(-) / (-) |
|
|
Groep |
 |
Troyes AC |
5-3, 2-1 |
Bleijenberg (2), Heezen, Mulderij, Bosveld / |
| 1990/91 |
UEFA Cup |
1R |
 |
Derry City FC |
1-0, 0-0 |
Loeffen / (-) |
|
|
2R |
 |
Dundee United |
1-0, 4-0 |
Eijer / Latuheru (2), Van den Brom, Eijer |
|
|
1/8 |
 |
Sporting CP |
0-2, 1-2 |
(-) / Van Arum |
| 1992/93 |
UEFA Cup |
1R |
|
Derry City FC |
3-0, 2-1 |
Van den Brom (2), Van Arum / Straal, Laamers |
|
|
2R |
|
KV Mechelen |
1-0, 1-0 |
Van den Brom / Cocu |
|
|
1/8 |
 |
Real Madrid |
0-1, 0-1 |
(-) / (-) |
| 1993/94 |
UEFA Cup |
1R |
 |
Norwich City |
0-3, 0-0 |
(-) / (-) |
| 1994/95 |
UEFA Cup |
1R |
|
AC Parma |
1-0, 0-2 |
Gillhaus / (-) |
| 1997/98 |
UEFA Cup |
1R |
|
SC Braga |
2-1, 0-2 |
Curovic, Trustfull / (-) |
| 1998/99 |
UEFA Cup |
1R |
 |
AEK Athens |
3-0, 3-3 |
Laros, Perovic, Machlas / Machlas (2), Reuser |
|
|
2R |
|
Girondins de Bordeaux |
0-1, 1-2 |
(-) / Jochemsen |
| 1999/00 |
UEFA Cup |
1R |
|
SC Beira-Mar |
2-1, 0-0 |
Van Hooijdonk, Grozdic / (-) |
|
|
2R |
|
RC Lens |
1-4, 1-1 |
Van Hooijdonk / Kreek |
| 2000/01 |
UEFA Cup |
1R |
 |
Maccabi Haifa FC |
3-0, 1-2 |
Martel, Peeters, Amoah / Amoah |
|
|
2R |
|
Internazionale |
0-0, 1-1 |
(-) / Peeters |
| 2002/03 |
UEFA Cup |
1R |
 |
FC Rapid Bucuresti |
1-1, 1-0 |
Peeters / Peeters |
|
|
2R |
 |
Werder Bremen |
2-1, 3-3 |
Amoah, Verlaat (e.d.) / Levchenko, Claessens, Mbamba |
|
|
3R |
|
Liverpool FC |
0-1, 0-1 |
(-) / (-) |
Clubrecords
- Highest transfer fee paid: Bob Peeters from Roda JC for € 6.4 million, 2000
- Highest transfer fee received: Nikos Machlas to Ajax for € 8.6 million, 1999
- Record League win: 0-17 v Victoria, Gelderse Competitie NVB, 11-11-1894
- Record Eredivisie win: 1-7 v Fortuna Sittard, 27-09-1997
- Record Eerste Divisie win: 7-0 v FC Wageningen, 30-08-1970
- Record European win: 0-4 v Dundee United FC, UEFA Cup Second Round, 07-11-1990
- Record home win: 14-0 v Victoria, Gelderse Competitie NVB, 20-01-1895
- Record away win: 0-17 v Victoria, Gelderse Competitie NVB, 11-11-1894
- Record home Eredivisie win: 6-0 v FC Volendam, 08-04-1998
- Record away Eredivisie win: 1-7 v Fortuna Sittard, 27-09-1997
- Record defeat: 12-1 v AFC Ajax, Eredivisie, 19-05-1972
- Record tournament defeat: 0-7 v PSV, KNVB Beker, Fourth Round, 04-05-1969
- Highest ranking: 3rd in Eredivisie, 1997/1998
- Longest unbeaten run (League): 22, from 08-01-1967 till 17-09-1967 in Eerste divisie
- Most League goals all-time by player : 155 - Jan Dommering
- Most League goals in a season by player: 34 - Nikos Machlas, Eredivisie, 1997/1998
- Most goals scored in a match: 9 - Nico Westdijk v De Treffers, Tweede Klasse C Oost, 19-10-1941
- Most League goals scored in a season: 85, Eredivisie, 1997/1998
- Most League goals conceded in a season: 74, Eredivisie, 1971/1972
- Most hat-tricks scored (League): 12 - Jan Dommering
- Fewest League goals scored in a season: 22, Eredivisie, 1971/1972
- Fewest League goals conceded in a season: 20, Eerste Divisie, 1988/1989
- Fastest own goal: 19 seconds - Purrel Fränkel v FC Twente, Eredivisie, 03-10-2003
- Most top scorer of Vitesse: John van den Brom, 5 times
- Most international caps for the Netherlands national football team as a Vitesse player: Just Göbel, 22
Statistics
Eredivisie
| Matches played |
791 |
| Matches won |
300 |
| Matches lost |
258 |
| Matches drawn |
233 |
| Points (twopoints-system) |
833 |
| Goals for |
1159 |
| Goal against |
1098 |
| Seasons |
24 |
| Best ranking |
3 (1997/1998) |
| Worst ranking |
18 (1971/1972) |
As of 02-11-2008
|
|
Eerste Divisie
| Matches played |
852 |
| Matches won |
379 |
| Matches lost |
258 |
| Matches drawn |
215 |
| Points (twopoints-system) |
973 |
| Goals for |
1450 |
| Goals against |
1192 |
| Seasons |
25 |
| Beste ranking |
1 (1976/1977, 1988/1989) |
| Worst ranking |
17 (1984/1985) |
|
Club topscorers by season
|
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