Despite sporting success, Fortuna Sittard no longer has any money for women’s team after three seasons

When Supporter Bobo Linssen recently heard that the female Eredivisie team of Fortuna Sittard stops after three seasons, he became « almost as green as the turf » in the stadium. The club says it is no longer able to bring it up financially. On Silent Saturday, the 65-year-old veteran is ready in his wheelchair in his wheelchair for the first game since the announcement of the news, at home against the TELSTAR.

« Female football players are much more fanatic and not as small as the men, » says Linssen, dressed in a brown fleece vest with a command pin. « There is also not as much trammelant as with the gentlemen. Today I am the biggest hooligan, haha. » The loyal supporter is absolutely unhappy about the financial decision of the club management. But « there is far too little enthusiasm, » he admits.

12,000 spectators fit in the Fortuna stadium. Due to the approaching end of the women’s team, spectators can watch this second-to-last home game for free, at two in the afternoon. Normally a ticket costs five euros for the women. Despite the generosity, many Sittardenaren are looking for other entertainment. Only the lower part of the main stand, just behind the dug-outs, is occupied.

Champions League

In 2021, the club from Sittard came for 20 percent of Atilla Aytekin and Umut Akpinar, the founders of the listed Gamebedrijf Azerion from Schiphol-Rijk. The lenders expressed the wish to set up a fully -fledged women’s team in addition to the men, which did not lower in facilities. In other words, play in the same stadium, eat hot food at the club and high -quality fitness equipment to train.

In the 2022/23 season the time has come. Fortuna may join the Eredivisie, just like Telstar. In the first season, the two lenders invest one million in the women’s team, more than half a ton above the average budget, reports the NOS. Moreover, Azerion becomes the name sponsor of the highest women’s competition for three years. The women of Fortuna have to finish in the top two within that period and thus qualify for the Champions League, is the ambition.

Clubs such as FC Groningen and NAC Breda opt for the long term. Most of the attention goes to youth education, in the hope that an Eredivisie-worthy team can eventually be formed with predominantly own talents. At Fortuna they put the first women’s team above their own youth teams. For example, the club attracts the expensive Belgian top striker Tessa Wullaert. The strategy immediately provides sporting success. In the debut season, Fortuna ends in three of the twelve.

Market manipulation

Incorrect Aytekin and his companion make it known in the same season that they want to expand their Fortuna sharing package from 20 to 65 percent. But in March 2023, the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) will start an investigation into possible market manipulation in the Azerion share. The acquisition is challenging, so that Fortuna reaches financial problems due to expensive (male) contract players. Since 2023, Voetbalbond KNVB has been monitoring forganized Fortuna accounting. Aytekin does not want any questions from NRC to answer. The AFM investigation was stopped last March.

Prior to the 2023/24 season, the budget for the women is halved, although Fortuna itself does not want to mention the precise amounts. Eredivisie top scorer Wullaert, among others, leaves for Inter Milan. Nevertheless, the women finish in fourth place and reach the cup final.

The investment of Aytekin and Akpinar in the women’s team was guaranteed for three years, but would decrease, Manager Women’s Football Bo Breukers explains in the boardroom, which offers a view of the field. There is a signed shirt of the Oranjeleeuwinnen on the wall. Breukers put together the players group every year. After three seasons, Fortuna no longer wanted to be dependent on one lender for the women, he says.

The news fell cold on our roof, but nevertheless the energy was good

“We spoke with capital people from the business community about sponsorship, with the municipality and province about subsidies and with other clubs about partnerships. 99 out of 100 our plans found good and upcoming« , Says Breukers. » But when it was about money, we were unable to get the parties. They still wanted to wait and see how women’s football would develop. « 

According to Breukers, there was ultimately too little time to catch extra lenders who thought it was worth the investment socially. And who understood that the Fortuna women can only generate money in the long term. « In the coming years it is impossible to get money from women’s football at Fortuna. »

Lean

It is no secret that professional clubs who have to cut back usually the first to stop women’s football, says Breukers. Earlier, fellow countrymen VVV-Venlo and Roda JC also stopped with the women’s branch. « Our small club runs on men’s football, so we cannot cut very much at other posts, otherwise we go bankrupt. The number of mandatory female contract players will increase from eight to twelve next season. That would be a huge cost increase for Fortuna. Our owners did not want that. »

Despite fate, the Fortuna women (place seven) on the field have little trouble with Telstar. Once it almost comes to an upset, but a admonishing « girls! » of the arbitrator is sufficient. The club from Velsen is rolled up 5-0.

The upcoming cancellation did nothing with the motivation, says the Venray midfielder Amber van Heeswijk (24) afterwards in the players’ home. « The news fell cold on our roof, but nevertheless the energy was good in the past two weeks. We wanted to show what we are worth and we think, I did. The result was still on the lean side considering the game. »

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