SBV Vitesse

History

Vitesse, founded in 1892, is the second oldest professional football club still in professional football in the Netherlands, after Sparta Rotterdam who were formed in 1888. The roots of Vitesse actually pre-date Sparta by a year as in 1887, a club with the name "Arnhemsche cricket- en voetbalvereeniging Vitesse" was formed by a group of high school students who played their sport on the Rijnkade, overlooking the River Rhine in the city centre. Reluctant to choose a Latin or English name for the club as they felt those languages were too elitist, they picked the French word Vitesse, meaning "speed".

In 1891 the club disbanded as they were no longer able to find anywhere suitable to play cricket after a velodrome was built on their usual playing field in the Klarenbeek Park. The following year a group of wealthy students resurrected the sports club, this time with the name AVC (Arnhemse Voetbal en Cricketclub) Vitesse. In the summer they played cricket and in the winter football. At the end of 1892, Vitesse played its first real football match, and in 1894 Vitesse disbanded the cricket branch. In 1895 and 1896 Vitesse became champions of the Gelderland competition. From the foundation of the Netherlands national football championship in 1898 until 1954, the title was decided by play-offs by a handful of clubs who had previously won their regional league. Vitesse lost the final of the national championship six times (1898, 1899, 1903, 1913, 1914 and 1915).

In 1912, Vitesse reached the final of the Dutch Cup Tournament for the first time. Vitesse lost the final with 0–2 from HFC Haarlem. In this period Vitesse had top players, likes Willem Hesselink and Just Göbel. These players were also active in the Netherlands national team. In 1914 John William Sutcliffe became the first foreign trainer.

During World War II, Vitesse did not play-official matches because playing football in the open air was forbidden. During the Battle of Arnhem, the residents of the city were forcibly evicted from their homes, allowing the Germans to turn the north bank of the Rhine into a heavily defended line. Residents were not allowed to return home without a permit and most did not return until after the war. The football field and clubhouse was completely destroyed. The damage was repaired in the years after the liberation.

In 1984 it was decided to divide the professional and amateur sections of the club. The professional section was renamed SBV (Stichting Betaald Voetbal – "Professional Football Foundation") Vitesse whilst the amateur section became "Vitesse 1892", which lasted until they went bankrupt in 2009.

From 1984, Karel Aalbers was the president of SBV Vitesse. Aalbers' goal was to bring Vitesse from the bottom of the Second League (Eerste divisie, now Keuken Kampioen Divisie), the league in which the club originated, to the top 40 football clubs of Europe. He developed the basic idea for the 'GelreDome', a stadium with a sliding pitch that can be moved out of the building. Later, the same system was applied in Gelsenkirchen (Schalke 04) and in Japan. Events such as pop concerts can be held without damaging the grass. Gelredome opened on 25 March 1998, when Vitesse played NAC and won 4-1. It has a roof that can be opened and closed, and is fully climate controlled as well. In the first season after the opening, Gelredome's attendance rose to 20,000, (from less than 8,000 in the old stadium).

Vitesse made their debut in European competitions in 1990. The club won their first match in the first round 1–0 over Derry City.

The club remained financially sound through making notable profits on the transfer market. Players such as Roy Makaay, Sander Westerveld, Nikos Machlas, Glenn Helder and Phillip Cocu were sold for large sums of money. Others came to occupy empty player positions, such as Mahamadou Diarra and Pierre van Hooijdonk. Vitesse finished in the top four positions, made profits and showed a solid balance sheet in the final years of Aalbers' presidency. Also, the club became regular competitors in the UEFA Cup and in 1997–1998 finished third in the Eredivise, its record highest finish to date.

Herbert Neumann was Vitesse's manager over most of these years (1992–95 and 1998–99), while star players included: Nikos Machlas, the first ever Vitesse player to win the European Golden Boot in 1998 when he scored 34 goals in a season; John van den Brom, who played 378 matches for Vitesse during this period scoring 110 goals from midfield; and Edward Sturing, who played 383 matches in defence for Vitesse from 1987 to 1998, as well as receiving 3 caps for the Netherlands national team. Additional stars included Dejan Čurović, who spent six years at Vitesse playing 109 matches as a striker, scoring 41 goals including the first goal in GelreDome. Meanwhile, Dutch forward Roy Makaay spent four years at Vitesse, scoring 42 goals in 109 matches between 1993 and 1997.

Aalbers was forced to resign on 15 February 2000, after the main sponsor, Nuon, threatened to pull the plug if he did not. Nuon, as a public utility company owned by local authorities, had trouble explaining why it invested heavily in Aalbers' ambitious plans. Eventually, Nuon pulled the plug on Vitesse in 2001, and the club had to be saved by a group of investors. After Aalbers' resignation, Jan Konings (former chief of Sara Lee/DE) was named interim president until a new candidate could be found. Four months later, Vaessen was named president and Konings resigned. In a short period of time, Vitesse began to show negative financial results due to poor deals on the transfer market. The club had to be saved again in 2003, with the county providing a loan. The club survived numerous financial crises, such as the one in 2008, when debts were bought off, under the threat of bankruptcy.

On 1 July 2012, Fred Rutten signed a contract as the new manager of Vitesse for the season 2012-13. Rutten left Vitesse after the season, finishing in fourth place. Wilfried Bony ended the season as the Eredivisie's top scorer with 31 goals in 30 matches and was awarded the Golden Shoe for the best player in the Netherlands.

For the 2013–14 season, Vitesse appointed Peter Bosz as its new manager. In October 2013, Merab Jordania sold his shares in the club to Russian billionaire Alexander Tsjigirinski. In November 2013, Vitesse was top of the league in the Eredivisie for the first time since 2006. It was the first time since 2000 they'd been top of the league later than the first week. Halfway through the season, after 17 matches, Vitesse was the leader in the competition. Key players in the squad from this period included Davy Pröpper, Christian Atsu and Bertrand Traoré.

Vitesse announced on 13 June 2016 that Henk Fraser would replace Bosz at the start of the 2016–17 season. In his first full season, he won the club's first major trophy in its 125-year existence. Fraser defeated AZ by a score of 2−0 in the final of the KNVB Cup, with two goals from Ricky van Wolfswinkel. On 5 August 2017 Vitesse were beaten 1–1 (4–2 pen.) at De Kuip, Rotterdam in the Johan Cruyff Shield final by Feyenoord. In the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League group stage, Vitesse's opponents were Lazio, Nice and Zulte Waregem. Vitesse ultimately finished the group stage in fourth place. In October 2017, Guram Kashia wore a rainbow-striped captain's armband for Vitesse against Heracles Almelo in support of LGBT rights, leading to a backlash in his own country. In August 2018, he became the inaugural recipient of UEFA's #EqualGame award for his act. In 2018, board member Valeri Oyf bought the club, with apparent financial help from Roman Abramovich.

In 2021, after beating VVV-Venlo in the semi-final, Vitesse reached the KNVB Cup Final for the fifth time in their history. Vitesse lost the final 2–1 to Ajax. Vitesse finished the 2020–21 Eredivise season in fourth place. In July and August 2021, Vitesse qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League. Vitesse knocked-out Dundalk (2-2 and 2–1) and Anderlecht (3-3 and 2–1) in the qualifiers. On 27 August, Vitesse was drawn on Group G of the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League alongside Tottenham Hotspur, Rennes and Mura. Vitesse eventually placed second in the group, advancing to the knockout round play-offs. Vitesse won the knockout round play-offs against Rapid Wien 3-2 on aggregate before losing to AS Roma in the round of 16.

In 2022, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, owner Valeri Oyf decided to sell the club. A deal was reached between Oyf and Coley Parry, an American investor. After a lengthy investigation, the KNVB eventually rejected the sale, despite Parry having already invested millions into the club. Parry then demanded the money back from Vitesse. Guus Franke, a Dutch businessman, negotiated with Parry regarding the debts and a potential takeover of Vitesse. That deal eventually collapsed. A deal was finally reached in 2025, with a group of 5 investors all taking a minority share and Parry fully withdrawing from the club.

Towards the end of the 2023–24 Eredivisie season, Vitesse was relegated after an eighteen‑point deduction imposed by the KNVB for failing to comply with licensing requirements amid ongoing financial issues related to the club's sale. During the 2024–25 Eerste Divisie season, Vitesse received a further 39‑point deduction, of which 12 were for the 2025-26 season due to appeal rules, which contributed to their bottom‑place finish. In the aftermath, the KNVB initiated proceedings in June 2025 to revoke the club's professional license, citing unresolved financial irregularities related to investor Coley Parry, and on 11 June revoked the license, with Vitesse appealing the decision. Another response came in the form of a proposed takeover led by Dutch regional investors under "Plan Sterkhouders", chaired by Michel Shaay, aimed at restoring the club's financial stability. Vitesse signed a cooperation agreement with CROP accountants on 4 June. On 21 June the regional investors and foreign owners reached an agreement subject to KNVB approval, which—if ratified—would have marked Vitesse's return to Dutch ownership for the first time since 2010. On the same day, Rüdiger Rehm was appointed as the club's new manager. The club submitted a temporary budget proposal for the deadline of 16 June and had until 3 July to supplement it. On 9 July, the club was deducted 12 points for the upcoming season due to a failed appeal. Timo Braasch, interim director and one of the 5 owners of the club, stepped down on 27 July as director in an apparent attempt to appease the KNVB ahead of the appeal ruling. On 31 July 2025 the club officially lost its appeal and was no longer a professional club, with the Royal Dutch Football Association claiming that the "Plan Sterkhouders" agreement came too late. The club went to court to try to get its license back. An emergency hearing took place on 7 August in Utrecht, a day before the new season started, with the decision being made public on 8 August. The club's efforts were supported by supporters and the community of Arnhem, including a special bus transport from Arnhem to the courthouse in Utrecht. On the day of the trial, the court accepted requests from supporters and social organizations to add themselves to the lawsuit.

The emergency hearing began on 7 August 2025 at 13:30 in the court of Middle-Netherlands in Utrecht. Club icons, such as Karel Aalbers, John van den Brom, Nicky Hofs, Theo Janssen, Jan Snellenburg, and Edward Sturing and people involved with the current organization of the club, such as Timo Braasch, Michel Shaay, and the current squad appeared at the court to attend the hearing. According to Vitesse's, Shaay's, and the supporters' lawyers, the KNVB was too harsh with their penalty and did not have ground for the decision, since Vitesse informed the KNVB of everything. They also argued the penalty was out of proportion, citing the 2016 FC Twente case. The KNVB lawyers' pushed back, arguing that it had the right to punish Vitesse in this way, cited examples of Vitesse not informing the KNVB, and said that the FC Twente case was not applicable. The next day, the court announced that Vitesse had lost the emergency hearing. Michel Shaay, who is still eyeing to become owner of Vitesse, said there are plans to continue as an amateur club using the team's youth divisions. Before the end of the month, Vitesse announced that its first team would not take part in any competition in the 2025-26 season, but that it would continue playing in the youth divisions. At the end of August, protesting supporters of the club threw smoke bombs during two matches in the Eerste Divisie to protest the KNVB's decision.

On 3 September 2025, Vitesse provisionally regained their licence as they won an appeal. According to the court of Arnhem-Leeuwarden, the decision to revoke Vitesse's licence came under a large amount of time crunch, due to which the procedures were not followed carefully enough, and the court working on the proceedings on the merits has a chance of ruling as such. Per this decision, Vitesse were to be let back into the league immediately. Since this decision was a turbo-urgent appeal, the club does not fully get their licence back, as that decision will be decided by the proceedings on the merits at a later date. After the result of the appeal was made public, a lot of amateur and out-of-contract players reported to Vitesse to try and further their careers.

The club began the 2025-26 Eerste Divisie season on -12 points, a result of appeal rules.

Stadium and training facilities

Main article: GelreDome, National Sports Centre Papendal

The club plays its home games at the GelreDome stadium, with a capacity of 21,248 seats. The GelreDome was built to serve as a multifunctional stadium suited for sports, concerts and other events. It was the first football stadium in the world to have a retractable pitch, and, after the Amsterdam ArenA, the second stadium in Europe to have a sliding roof. The pitch is surrounded on each side by four covered all-seater stands, officially known as the Edward Sturing Stand (North), Charly Bosveld Stand (East), Theo Bos Stand (South) and Just Göbel Stand (West).

The idea of building a multifunctional stadium, which had more than doubled the capacity of Vitesse's old Nieuw Monnikenhuize stadium, came from former Vitesse chairman Karel Aalbers. The ambitious chairman had been playing with the idea from as early as the late 1980s, but it took until 1996 and the prospect of the upcoming Euro 2000 championships for construction to finally begin. The GelreDome opened two years later, on 25 March 1998, with a league match between Vitesse and NAC Breda (4–1). Three international matches of the Netherlands national football team were played in the stadium, the first one being on 27 May 1998: a friendly against Cameroon (0–1). The last one, played on 26 April 2000, was also a friendly: a 0–0 against Scotland. In 2019, the Netherlands women's national team, also played their an international (friendly) match at the stadium. Furthermore, the GelreDome was the location for three UEFA Euro 2000 group stage matches, as well as the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship tournament.

Vitesse's training facilities are conducted at National Sports Centre Papendal, located in the outskirts of Arnhem in woodland surroundings. The training ground consists of several pitches, a number of which have an artificial turf pitch, and extensive training facilities, including a fitness centre. Papendal, a mere twelve kilometers north of the GelreDome, is not only the training facility for Vitesse's first team; the youth teams play their home matches here as well. Its main field has seating capacity for 500 people. The complex is situated in large wooded area, where the players can prepare in a peaceful and private environment, whilst not being too far from the hustle and bustle of Arnhem's city centre. Papendal is also the base for administration staff, scouting department and all club coaches.

Stadium history

Symbols

Hertog

Vitesse are well known for the American bald Eagle 'Hertog', which is released before the match and flies over the crowds.

Anthems

Vitesse fans are known to be creative and have various songs and chants during matches. Among the most important Vitesse songs are "Geel en Zwart zijn onze kleuren" by Emile Hartkamp (which was the anthem until 2017), "Ernems Trots" by Joey Hartkamp and Emile Hartkamp (which is the current anthem), and "Bouw mee aan een steengoed Vites!" by Henk Bleker & Enka Harmonie. Vitesse opens its home matches with "Whatever You Want" by Status Quo, and after every home goal "Bro Hymn" by Pennywise is played.

Mr Vitesse

Theo Bos was raised in Arnhem and started playing football from an early age. He began his career at amateur club Sv Sempre Avanti and played from 1979 to 1983 in the academy of Vitesse. Manager Leen Looijen gave him his professional debut on 13 August 1983 against FC Wageningen; the match ended in a 3–0 victory for Vitesse. Bos spent his entire playing career for Vitesse, making a total 369 appearances in 14 seasons with his club. After his playing career, Bos worked at Vitesse as youth coach, assistant coach and manager. He is therefore considered to be Mister Vitesse. In 2012, the south stand of the GelreDome stadium was named the Theo Bos Stand. Bos died on 28 February 2013 of pancreatic cancer, aged forty-seven. Following his death, a special remembrance to honour Theo Bos took place at Gelredome with around 7,000 Vitesse supporters. After the 2012–13 season, no player will wear the number 4 shirt at Vitesse after the club decided to retire the shirt out of respect for Theo Bos, "the legendary number four". Dutch defender Jan-Arie van der Heijden was the last player to wear the number. In November 2013, his biography Het is zoals het is ('It is what it is') was published, written by journalist Marcel van Roosmalen. In 2015, a statue of Bos was erected outside of the training complex at Papendal.

Airborne-match

Around September there is an annual 'Airborne memorial' football match. During this annual Airborne-match the veterans of World War II are honoured. The Gelredome is decorated with Airborne flags, both outside and inside the stadium, and at halftime, 120 members of the Royal British Legion play bagpipes with some other musical guests. Club symbol Hertog flies with the typical Airborne colours. The match is traditionally visited by veterans who fought in this battle, while a special shirt is worn by Vitesse. The club drop their normal striped black and yellow kit for this special match. Instead they wear claret and blue outfits, the same colours of the 1st Airborne Division, with a 1st Airborne 'winged horse' emblem also etched on the kit. Pictured on the collar sticker is the John Frost Bridge. These shirts are after the match auctioned for charity. In addition, Vitesse wears a special captain's armband as a sign of recognition and respect for those who have "fought for our freedom". In the 2014–15 and 2019–20 seasons, Vitesse played their away games in the same colours of the 1st Airborne Division.

Colours and badge

Originally, Vitesse played in white shirts with a blue sash from inception until 1900, paying hommage to the city's colours. At the turn of the century, player Reinhard Jan Christiaan baron van Pallandt offered to sponsor the club's shirts in exchange for Vitesse switching to his family colours of black and yellow. The board were quick to accept, noting that Vitesse, being one of the strongest team in the province of Gelderland, would be vindicated in playing in what could also be considered the province's colours (the flag of Gelderland is a tricolour in blue, yellow, and black).

The first logo of Vitesse was a shield-shaped crest. In the middle there was a diagonal dividing line between the left yellow face and the right black box. In the left box, "Vitesse" was diagonally written and in the right-hand side, "1892 ", the club's founding year. This logo underwent minor redesigns and was replaced in 1984, the year in which the professional branch and the amateur branch separated. The amateur branch retained the logo with limited modification, while SBV Vitesse got a new logo.

The new logo of the professional club from 1984 was once again a shield-shaped figure, but it had straight lines at both the top and sides of the logo. At the top was a black box with thick white uppercase Vitesse. Under the name is a double-headed eagle counterchanged on a black and yellow field. This double-headed eagle can also be found in the coat of arms of Arnhem. In the middle of the logo is a football.

In 2012, a new version of the logo was put into use; a total of 13 changes were made. For example, the symmetry of the eagle was improved, the black outer edge replaced by a white and the writing has been made thinner. The football has been altered in terms of appearance as a shadow effect is added and (if the context allows it) the year of creation as text EST. 1892 under the logo can be found.

File:Vitesse Logo jaren 70 1.png|The first Vitesse crest File:Vitesse Logo jaren 70 2.png|Used until 1984 File:Vitesse logo.svg|1984–2012 File:SBV Vitesse logo.svg|2012–present

Kit manufacturers and sponsors

Since 2023 Vitesse's kit has been manufactured by Robey. Previous manufacturers include Adidas (1982–89), Hummel (1989–90), Bukta (1990–91), Diadora (1991–93), Umbro (1993–97), Lotto (1997–99), Uhlsport (1999–05), Quick (2005–06), Legea (2006–09), Klupp (2009–12), Nike (2012–14), Macron (2014–19), Nike (2019–23) and Robey (2023-present).

The club's shirts are currently sponsored by BetCity. Previous commercial sponsors have been Akai (1982–83), Oad Reizen (1983–85), Spitman (1985–86), Schoenenreus (1987–89), RTL 4 (1990–1991), PTT Telecom (1991–92), BFI (1991–92), Spaarenergie (1992–93), Nuon Energy (1993–01), ATAG Benelux (2000–01), SITA (2002–03), Hubo (2002–03), Bavaria (2002–03), SBS6 (2002–03), Sunweb Group (2003–04), AFAB (2004–2010), Zuka.nl (2010–2011), Simpel (2011–12), Youfone (2013–14), Truphone (2014–17), SWOOP (2017–18), Droomparken (2018–19), Royal Burgers' Zoo (2019–20), The Netherlands Open Air Museum (2019–20), Waterontharder.com (2020–21) eToro (2021–23) and BetCity (2023–present).

Rivalries

Rivalry with NEC

N.E.C. from Nijmegen are Vitesse's archrivals. The two clubs share a long history together and matches between the two clubs are called the Gelderse Derby (Derby of Gelderland). The rivalry between these two clubs goes beyond the football rivalry, it transcends into the city rivalry between the two largest cities of Gelderland: Nijmegen and Arnhem. This city rivalry began when these two cities first received their city rights. The two cities are just 15 kilometres apart, leading to an intense feeling of a cross-town rivalry, heightened by a feeling that local pride is at stake. The meeting between the two teams is still considered to be one of the biggest matches of the season.

The inhabitants of these cities differ extremely in both attitudes and cultures which is clearly reflected on the football pitch. Vitesse's style of play has long been a source of pride for the supporters, and one of irritation for the NEC fans.

Since 1813, Arnhem has been the capital of Gelderland, historically based on finance and trade. Arnhem is perceived as an office city with modern buildings. Nijmegen, on the other hand, is predominantly a workers' city, with middle and high-income groups in the minority. People from Nijmegen see Arnhem as arrogant and lazy.

Rivalries with other clubs

De Graafschap are also a rival of Vitesse, but in terms of tension and rivalry, these matches are not as loaded as the duels with NEC Nijmegen. The rivalry has existed for some time with De Graafschap and stems from various causes, such as the opposition between the large city (Arnhem) and the countryside (Doetinchem).

Further teams who share a rivalry with Vitesse include Twente, Utrecht and Ajax. Past rivalries include local derbies between Vitesse and clubs such as FC Wageningen, Go Ahead Eagles, Quick 1888, Arnhemse Boys and VV Rheden. However, due to the clubs playing in different leagues for an extended period of time and/or clubs being abolished, tensions between these clubs have settled.

Players

Current squad

Academy players with first-team appearances

--

Retired numbers

Youth teams

The club is famous, however, for its Youth Academy, which is rated with the maximum of 4 Stars by the KNVB. Many players in professional football in Europe have played at Vitesse in the past including Roy Makaay, Robin Gosens, Ricky van Wolfswinkel, Davy Pröpper, Alexander Büttner, Stijn Schaars, Peter Bosz, Marco van Ginkel, Theo Janssen, Erwin Mulder, Eloy Room, Piet Velthuizen, Martin Laamers, Nicky Hofs and Mitchell van Bergen. All youth teams train and play their matches at Papendal.

The Vitesse Academy comprises age-group teams ranging from U8's up to the flagship U19's. The youngest players are scouted at amateur clubs in the direct surroundings of Arnhem. For the age of twelve and older, the academy extends its scouting area, mainly to the remaining part of the Netherlands and Germany. In Vitesse's youth system, efficient and qualified training is done by full-time coaches and organized by further employees looking after the administration. The goal of the sporting education is to train the youths from basic to development to performance levels, for them to fulfill the sportive and non sportive demands of professional football.

Former players

National team players

The following players were called up to represent their national teams in international football and received caps during their tenure with Vitesse:

• Albania
  • Albania Armando Broja (2020–2021)
• Algeria
  • Algeria Anis Hadj Moussa (2024)
• Belgium
  • Belgium Loïs Openda (2020–2022)
  • Belgium Bob Peeters (2000–2003)
• Bosnia & Herzegovina
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina Saïd Hamulić (2023)
• Burkina Faso
  • Burkina Faso Bertrand Traoré (2014–2015)
  • Burkina Faso Mamadou Zongo (1997–2004)
• China
  • China Zhang Yuning (2015–2017)
• Curaçao
  • Curaçao Eloy Room (2008–2017; 2023–2024)
• Czech Republic
  • Czech Republic Tomáš Kalas (2011–2013)
• Denmark
  • Denmark Mads Junker (2006–2010)
• Ecuador
  • Ecuador Giovanny Espinoza (2007–2008)
  • Ecuador Renato Ibarra (2011–2016)
• El Salvador
  • El Salvador Enrico Hernández (2020–2022)
• Estonia
  • Estonia Marko Meerits (2011–2014)
  • Estonia Raio Piiroja (2011–2012)
• Finland
  • Finland Niklas Tarvajärvi (2008–2009)
• Georgia
  • Georgia Giorgi Chanturia (2011–2014)
  • Georgia Guram Kashia (2010–2018)
  • Georgia Valeri Qazaishvili (2011–2017)
• Ghana
  • Ghana Matthew Amoah (1998–2005)
  • Ghana Anthony Annan (2011–2012)
  • Ghana Christian Atsu (2013–2014)
  • Ghana Abubakari Yakubu (2004–2009)
• Haiti
  • Haiti Carlens Arcus (2022–2024)
• Israel
  • Israel Eli Dasa (2019–2022)
  • Israel Sheran Yeini (2015–2017)
• Ivory Coast
  • Ivory Coast Wilfried Bony (2011–2013)
• Japan
  • Japan Mike Havenaar (2012–2014)
  • Japan Michihiro Yasuda (2011–2013)
• Kosovo
  • Kosovo Toni Domgjoni (2021–2024)
  • Kosovo Milot Rashica (2015–2018)
• ;Luxembourg
  • Luxembourg Mica Pinto (2023–2024)
• Mali
  • Mali Mahamadou Diarra (1999–2002)
• Mexico
  • Mexico Joaquín del Olmo (1996–1997)
• Morocco
  • Morocco Zakaria Labyad (2014–2015)
• Netherlands
  • Netherlands Patrick van Aanholt (2012–2014)
  • Netherlands Sjaak Alberts (1942–1953)
  • Netherlands John van den Brom (1996–2001)
  • Netherlands Hans Gillhaus (1993–1995)
  • Netherlands Marco van Ginkel (2010–2013; 2023–2024)
  • Netherlands Just Göbel (1910–1923)
  • Netherlands Glenn Helder (1993–1995)
  • Netherlands Wim Hendriks (1946–1954)
  • Netherlands Willem Hesselink (1892–1899; 1901–1902; 1905–1919)
  • Netherlands Marc van Hintum (1997–2001)
  • Netherlands Pierre van Hooijdonk (1999–2000)
  • Netherlands Gerrit Horsten (1925–1935)
  • Netherlands Theo Janssen (1998–2008; 2012–2014)
  • Netherlands Martin Laamers (1986–1996)
  • Netherlands Bart Latuheru (1989–1996)
  • Netherlands Roy Makaay (1993–1997)
  • Netherlands Jan de Natris (1925–1928)
  • Netherlands Davy Pröpper (2008–2015; 2023–2024)
  • Netherlands Martijn Reuser (1997–1999)
  • Netherlands Victor Sikora (1999–2002)
  • Netherlands Edward Sturing (1987–1998)
• Netherlands (continued)
  • Netherlands Piet Velthuizen (2006–2010; 2011–2016)
  • Netherlands Ferdi Vierklau (1996–1997)
  • Netherlands Sander Westerveld (1996–1999)
• Nigeria
  • Nigeria Tijani Babangida (2001–2002)
  • Nigeria Benedict Iroha (1992–1996)
• Norway
  • Norway Martin Ødegaard (2018–2019)
  • Norway Marcus Pedersen (2010–2014)
  • Norway Sondre Tronstad (2020–2023)
• Romania
  • Romania Ștefan Nanu (1999–2003)
• Russia
  • Russia Vyacheslav Karavayev (2018–2019)
• Saudi Arabia
  • Saudi Arabia Mukhtar Ali (2017–2019)
• Serbia
  • Serbia Nenad Grozdić (1999–2000)
  • Serbia Dragoslav Jevrić (1999–2005)
  • Serbia Danko Lazović (2006–2007)
  • Serbia Slobodan Rajković (2010–2011)
  • Serbia Dejan Stefanović (1999–2003)
  • Serbia Vladimir Stojković (2007)
• ;Slovakia
  • Slovakia Matúš Bero (2018–2023)
  • Slovakia Marián Zeman (1997–2003)
• Slovenia
  • Slovenia Tim Matavž (2017–2020)
  • Slovenia Dalibor Stevanović (2009–2011)
• South Africa
  • South Africa Thulani Serero (2017–2019)
• Ukraine
  • Ukraine Denys Oliynyk (2014–2016)
• United States
  • United States Matt Miazga (2016–2018)
• Zimbabwe
  • Zimbabwe Marvelous Nakamba (2014–2017)
• Players in bold actively play for Vitesse and for their respective national teams. Years in brackets indicate careerspan with Vitesse.

National team players by Confederation

Member associations are listed in order of most to least amount of current and former Vitesse players represented Internationally

Players in international tournaments

The following is a list of Vitesse players who have competed in international tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup, FIFA Confederations Cup, UEFA European Championship, CONCACAF Gold Cup, Africa Cup of Nations, Copa América, and the Caribbean Cup. To this date no Vitesse players have participated in the AFC Asian Cup, or the OFC Nations Cup while playing for Vitesse.

List of Vitesse coaches

• No official coach (1887–1914)
• England Edgar Chadwick (1914)
• England John William Sutcliffe (1914–1915)
• Scotland James McPherson (1919–1920)
• England Charles Griffith (1920–1922)
• Netherlands Jan van Dort & Bram Evers (1922–1923)
• Netherlands Jan van Dort (1923–1924)
• England Bob Jefferson (1924–1927)
• Germany Heinrich Schwarz (1927–1936)
• Netherlands Joop Damsté (1936)
• Netherlands Gerrit van Wijhe (1936–1938)
• Netherlands Gerrit Horsten (1938–1946)
• England George Roper (1946–1947)
• Netherlands Arie van der Wel (1948–1949)
• Netherlands Gerrit Horsten (interim) (1949)
• Netherlands Jan Zonnenberg (1949–1954)
• Austria Joseph Gruber (1954–1957)
• Netherlands Louis Pastoors (1957–1960)
• SFR Yugoslavia Branko Vidović (1960–1962)
• Netherlands Jan Zonnenberg (1962–1964)
• Austria Joseph Gruber (1964–1966)
• Netherlands Frans de Munck (1966–1969)
• Netherlands Cor Brom (1969–1972)
• Netherlands Frans de Munck (1972–1974)
• SFR Yugoslavia Nedeljko Bulatović (1974–1975)
• Netherlands Jan de Bouter (1975–1976)
• Netherlands Clemens Westerhof (interim) (1976)
• Netherlands Henk Wullems (1976–1982)
• Netherlands Leen Looijen (1982–1984)
• Netherlands Henk Hofstee (interim) (1984)
• Netherlands Clemens Westerhof (1984–1985)
• Poland Janusz Kowalik (1985–1986)
• Netherlands Hans Dorjee (1986–1987)
• Netherlands Niels Overweg (1987)
• Netherlands Bert Jacobs (1987–1992)
• Germany Herbert Neumann (1992–1995)
• Netherlands Ronald Spelbos (1995)
• Netherlands Frans Thijssen & Jan Jongbloed (interim) (1995–1996)
• Netherlands Leo Beenhakker (1996–1997)
• Netherlands Henk ten Cate (1997–1998)
• Portugal Artur Jorge (1998)
• Germany Herbert Neumann (1998–1999)
• Netherlands Jan Jongbloed & Edward Sturing (interim) (1999–2000)
• Netherlands Ronald Koeman (2000–2001)
• Netherlands Edward Sturing (interim) (2001–2002)
• Netherlands Mike Snoei (2002–2003)
• Netherlands Edward Sturing (2003–2006)
• Netherlands Aad de Mos (2006–2008)
• Netherlands Hans Westerhof (2008)
• Netherlands Theo Bos (2009–2010)
• Netherlands Raimond van der Gouw & Hans van Arum (interim) (2010)
• Spain Albert Ferrer (2010–2011)
• Netherlands John van den Brom (2011–2012)
• Netherlands Fred Rutten (2012–2013)
• Netherlands Peter Bosz (2013–2016)
• Netherlands Rob Maas (2016)
• Netherlands Henk Fraser (2016–2018)
• Netherlands Edward Sturing (interim) (2018)
• Russia Leonid Slutsky (2018–2019)
• Netherlands Joseph Oosting (interim) (2019)
• Netherlands Edward Sturing (interim) (2020)
• Germany Thomas Letsch (2020–2022)
• Netherlands Phillip Cocu (2022–2023)
• Netherlands Edward Sturing (interim) (2023–2024)
• Netherlands John van den Brom (2024–2025)
• Germany Rüdiger Rehm (2025–present)

Owners

After Karel Aalbers left, the financial situation for the club became dire. This downfall almost led Vitesse into bankruptcy in 2008, as they were not able to pay back loans given by their sponsor AFAB Geldservice B.V. Eventually the club arranged a deal that saw AFAB's owner, Maasbert Schouten, gain 100% of Vitesse's shares. Schouten immediately expressed his intent to sell the club, which opened the window for Merab Jordania to buy Vitesse. When Jordania, a former Dinamo Tbilisi player and owner, bought the team in 2010, Vitesse became the first Dutch club in history with a foreign owner. In 2013, Russian businessman Alexander Tsjigirinski bought the club from Jordania. In May 2018 a new acquisition took place at Vitesse. Valeriy Oyf, previously a board member of the club, became the new majority shareholder of Vitesse.

A consortium of five new owners (Dane Murphy, Flint Reilly, Timo Braasch, Leon Müller, and Bryan Mornaghi) acquired Vitesse, assuming its €17 million debt from creditor Coley Parry, who had stepped in after the club's previous Russian owner, Valery Oyf, sought a sale following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Chairmen

The first chairman was Frans Dezentjé. Willem Hesselink was chairman of the club from 1917 to 1922 and was appointed honorary chairman in 1962. Although Vitesse's coaches have come from all over Europe, the club's chairmen have been mostly Dutch, with Merab Jordania and Yevgeny Merkel as the only exceptions. The name of Karel Aalbers is inseparably linked to Vitesse. Although a club's success is never the work of a single man, nonetheless, the former chairman's part in the sportive and professional growth of Vitesse may be labelled as truly exceptional. Karel Aalbers handled the chairman's gavel from 1984 to 2000.

• Frans Dezentjé, 1982
• Dick Couvéé, 1892–1993
• Siegfried Leopold, 1893
• Fons Donkers, 1893–1895
• Chris Engelberts, 1895–1909
• Johan Caderius van Veen, 1902–1906
• Lodewijk Suringa, 1906–1908
• Jan F. Keppel Hesselink, 1908–1909
• Wim Hupkes, 1909–1916
• Daniel Brondgeest, 1916
• Willem Hesselink, 1916–22
• Lex Staal, 1922–1924
• Jan Holtus, 1924–1929
• Wim Hupkes, 1929–1936
• Henk Herberts, 1936–1947
• Jan Bosloper, 1947–1949
• Herbert Mogendorff, 1949–1951
• Henk Hoolboom, 1951–1955
• Henk Lammers, 1955–1963
• Henk Herberts, 1963
• Coen Winters, 1963–1965
• Herbert Mogendorff, 1965
• Herman Ribbink, 1965–1967
• Gerard Veerkamp, 1967–1969
• Arnold van der Louw, 1969–1974
• Eef van Amerongen, 1974–1979
• Piet Bodewes, 1979–1982
• Bob Treffers, 1982–1984
• Karel Aalbers, 1984–2000
• Jan Konings, 2000
• Jos Vaessen, 2000–2003
• Kees Bakker, 2003–2004
• Henk Ramautar, 2004–2008
• Kees Bakker, 2008–2009
• Maasbert Schouten, 2009–2010
• Merab Jordania, 2010–2013
• Bert Roetert, 2013–2016
• Kees Bakker, 2016–2017
• Yevgeny Merkel, 2017–2021
• Henk Parren, 2021–

Honours

Domestic

• Dutch Championship/Eredivisie : Runners-up: 1897–98, 1902–03, 1912–13, 1913–14, 1914–15
• Eerste Divisie : Winners: 1976–77, 1988–89 : Runners-up: 1959–60, 1973–74 : Promoted: 1970–71
• Tweede Divisie : Winners: 1965–66
• KNVB Cup : Winners: 2016–17 : Runners-up: 1911–12, 1926–27, 1989–90, 2020–21
• Johan Cruyff Shield : Runners-up: 2017

Regional

• Eerste klasse Oost : Winners: 1896–97, 1897–98, 1902–03, 1912–13, 1913–14, 1914–15, 1952–53 : Promoted: 1954–55
• Tweede klasse Oost : Winners: 1922–23, 1940–41, 1943–44, 1945–46, 1949–50
• Gelderland Competition : Winners: 1894–95, 1895–96

Club Awards

• VVCS: Dutch Team of the Year : Winners: 1989–90

Personnel honours

European Golden Boot

The following players have won the European Golden Boot whilst playing for Vitesse:

• GRE Nikos Machlas (34 goals) – 1998

Dutch Footballer of the Year (Golden Boots)

The following players have won the Dutch Footballer of the Year whilst playing for Vitesse:

• NED Edward Sturing – 1990 (Eredivisie)
• Ivory Coast Wilfried Bony – 2013 (Eredivisie)

Johan Cruyff Trophy

The following players have won the Johan Cruyff Trophy whilst playing for Vitesse:

• NED Marco van Ginkel – 2013

Eredivisie Top Scorer

• GRE Nikos Machlas (34 goals) – 1998
• Ivory Coast Wilfried Bony (31 goals) – 2013

Eerste Divisie Top Scorer

• NED Herman Veenendaal (23 goals) – 1974
• NED Remco Boere (27 goals) – 1983

Rinus Michels Award (Manager of the year)

• NED Fred Rutten (Runner-up) – 2012/13
• NED Peter Bosz (Runner-up) – 2013/14, 2014/15
• NED Henk Fraser (Runner-up) – 2016/17
• GER Thomas Letsch (Runner-up) – 2020/21

UEFA's #EqualGame Award

• GEO Guram Kashia – 2018

Georgian Footballer of the Year

• GEO Guram Kashia – 2012, 2013

Vitesse in Europe

Main article: SBV Vitesse in European football

• Group = group game
• Q = qualifying round
• KPO = knockout round play-offs
• PO = play-off round
• 1R = first round
• 2R = second round
• 3R = third round
• 1/8 = 1/8 final

UEFA ranking

| 1228 || 852 || 120 || 36 || 18 || 14 |- ! | 482 || 379 || 57 || 14 || 3 || 6 |- ! | 342 || 215 || 34 || 9 || 5 || 4 |- ! | 404 || 258 || 29 || 13 || 10 || 4 |- ! | 1868 || 1450 || 221 || 40 || 19 || 25 |- ! | 1697 || 1192 || 165 || 37 || 32 || 20 |- ! | 37 || 25 || 4 || 9 || 5 || 1 |- ! | 3 (1997–98) || 1 (1976–77, 1988–89) || 1 (1965–66) || – || – || – |- ! | 18 (1971–72) || 17 (1984–85) || 9 (1963–64) || – || – || – |}

Club topscorers by season

• 1954/55 Netherlands Eltjo Veentjer (10)
• 1955/56 Netherlands Eltjo Veentjer (10)
• 1956/57 Netherlands Jan Schatorjé (16)
• 1957/58 Netherlands Gerrit van der Pol (13)
• 1958/59 Netherlands Loek Feijen (15)
• 1959/60 Netherlands Loek Feijen (17)
• 1960/61 Netherlands Loek Feijen (12)
• 1961/62 Netherlands Jan Seelen (13)
• 1962/63 Netherlands Jan Seelen (18)
• 1963/64 Netherlands Jan Seelen (10)
• 1964/65 Netherlands Jan Veenstra (12)
• 1965/66 Netherlands Hans Verhagen (21)
• 1966/67 Netherlands Jan Veenstra (22)
• 1967/68 Netherlands Hans Verhagen (17)
• 1968/69 Netherlands Henk Bosveld (15)
• 1969/70 Netherlands Wim Kleinjan (11)
• 1970/71 Netherlands Bart Stovers (10)
• 1971/72 Netherlands Ben Gerritsen (5)
• 1971/72 Netherlands Herman Veenendaal (5)
• 1972/73 Netherlands Bram van Kerkhof (20)
• 1973/74 Netherlands Herman Veenendaal (23)
• 1974/75 Netherlands Henk Bosveld (16)
• 1975/76 Netherlands Henk Bosveld (10)
• 1975/76 SFR Yugoslavia Boško Bursać (10)
• 1976/77 SFR Yugoslavia Boško Bursać (20)
• 1977/78 SFR Yugoslavia Boško Bursać (13)
• 1978/79 Netherlands Henk Bosveld (7)
• 1978/79 Netherlands Herman Gerdsen (7)
• 1979/80 Netherlands Hans Bleijenberg (11)
• 1980/81 Netherlands Ron van Oosterom (14)
• 1981/82 Netherlands Jurrie Koolhof (19)
• 1982/83 Netherlands Chris van de Akker (10)
• 1983/84 Netherlands Remco Boere (27)
• 1984/85 Netherlands Henk Thijssen (8)
• 1985/86 Netherlands Roger Schouwenaar (11)
• 1985/86 Netherlands Rick Talan (11)
• 1986/87 Netherlands John van den Brom (17)
• 1987/88 Netherlands Rick Talan (16)
• 1988/89 Netherlands Jurrie Koolhof (13)
• 1989/90 Netherlands John van den Brom (14)
• 1990/91 Netherlands John van den Brom (8)
• 1991/92 Netherlands John van den Brom (10)
• 1992/93 Netherlands John van den Brom (15)
• 1993/94 Netherlands Hans Gillhaus (22)
• 1994/95 Netherlands Roy Makaay (11)
• 1995/96 Netherlands Roy Makaay (11)
• 1996/97 Netherlands Roy Makaay (19)
• 1997/98 Greece Nikos Machlas (34)
• 1998/99 Greece Nikos Machlas (18)
• 1999/00 Netherlands Pierre van Hooijdonk (25)
• 2000/01 Ghana Matthew Amoah (11)
• 2001/02 Ghana Matthew Amoah (6)
• 2002/03 Ghana Matthew Amoah (15)
• 2003/04 Cameroon Emile Mbamba (6)
• 2004/05 Ghana Matthew Amoah (13)
• 2005/06 Netherlands Youssouf Hersi (10)
• 2006/07 Serbia Danko Lazović (19)
• 2007/08 Netherlands Santi Kolk (12)
• 2008/09 Netherlands Ricky van Wolfswinkel (8)
• 2009/10 Netherlands Santi Kolk (7)
• 2009/10 Sweden Lasse Nilsson (7)
• 2010/11 Netherlands Marco van Ginkel (5)
• 2010/11 Norway Marcus Pedersen (5)
• 2011/12 Ivory Coast Wilfried Bony (12)
• 2012/13 Ivory Coast Wilfried Bony (31)
• 2013/14 Brazil Lucas Piazon (11)
• 2014/15 Burkina Faso Bertrand Traoré (14)
• 2015/16 Georgia Valeri Qazaishvili (10)
• 2016/17 Netherlands Ricky van Wolfswinkel (20)
• 2017/18 Netherlands Bryan Linssen (15)
• 2018/19 Netherlands Bryan Linssen (12)
• 2019/20 Netherlands Bryan Linssen (14)
• 2020/21 Albania Armando Broja (10)
• 2021/22 Belgium Loïs Openda (18)
• 2022/23 Netherlands Million Manhoef (9)
• 2023/24 Netherlands Marco van Ginkel (7)

Player of the Season

Vitesse's Player of the Season award is voted for by the club's supporters. It was first introduced in the 1989–90 season.

Most appearances

All competitions

Eredivisie

Europa

Top goalscorers

All competitions

Eredivisie

Europa

Vitesse All Stars

Other teams

Vitesse II

Vitesse's reserve team (Under-21) currently plays in the Beloften Eredivisie. It plays its home matches at Papendal and it is coached by Joseph Oosting. The team is composed mostly of professional footballers, who are often recent graduates from the highest youth level (Vitesse U19) serving their first professional contract as a reserve, or players who are otherwise unable to play in the first team.

Honours

The team's honours:

• Derde Divisie
  • Champions: 2018
• Beloften Eredivisie
  • Champions: 1993, 2015
• KNVB Reserve Cup
  • Winners: 1998, 2002, 2011
• KNVB District (South)
  • Champions: 1992, 1993
• KNVB District Cup (East)
  • Winners: 1990

Amateur team

In 1984, it was decided to divide the professional and amateur sections of the club. The professional section was renamed SBV (Stichting Betaald Voetbal – "Professional Football Foundation") Vitesse whilst the amateur section became "(AVC) Vitesse 1892", who played their home matches at the Sportcomplex Valkenhuizen. In total, the club has won five trophies; one Derde Klasse title, one Vierde Klasse title, one Zesde Klasse title and two Arnhem Cups. In 2009, Vitesse 1892 was declared bankrupt. The amateur section has produced a number of professional players including Andy van der Meijde, Nicky Hofs, Léon Hese, Erwin van de Looi and Theo Janssen.

Vitesse Legends

Vitesse Legends are a beneficiary team that was initiated by Ben Snelders, Leo de Kleermaeker and Dik Herberts in the 1990s, competing in at least one match a year, usually in the name of charity and/or to bid farewell to retiring former Vitesse players. The team is made up of various members of the Club van 100 of Vitesse who will come out of retirement for this match to face the current Vitesse squad. Past participants have included Theo Janssen, Marc van Hintum, Edward Sturing, Ruud Knol, Remco van der Schaaf, Nicky Hofs, Erwin van de Looi, Glenn Helder, Philip Cocu, John van den Brom, Theo Bos, Martin Laamers, Michael Dingsdag, Roberto Straal, Frans Thijssen, Dejan Čurović, Jhon van Beukering and Huub Loeffen.

National team players

A number of Vitesse players have represented the Netherlands national team, the first official international being Willem Hesselink. He was one of the founders of Vitesse in 1892 at age 14. In 1905 he started in the first ever home match of the Netherlands national football team, a 4–0 victory against Belgium. Some historians attribute one of the goals scored to him. Just Göbel played 22 matches for the Dutch team, being best remembered for his numerous saves during the 2–1 win over England's amateurs and his bronze medal in the football tournament of the 1912 Summer Olympics. The record number of Vitesse players for the Netherlands was three, which occurred on two occasions in 1989. The following players were called up to represent the Netherlands national team in international football and received caps during their tenure with Vitesse:

• NED Willem Hesselink
• NED Just Göbel
• NED Jan de Natris
• NED Gerrit Horsten
• NED Sjaak Alberts
• NED Wim Hendriks
• NED Hans Gillhaus
• NED Martin Laamers
• NED Bart Latuheru
• NED Edward Sturing
• NED John van den Brom
• NED Pierre van Hooijdonk
• NED Glenn Helder
• NED Roy Makaay
• NED Patrick van Aanholt
• NED Ferdi Vierklau
• NED Martijn Reuser
• NED Sander Westerveld
• NED Victor Sikora
• NED Theo Janssen
• NED Piet Velthuizen
• NED Marco van Ginkel
• NED Davy Pröpper

Notable former players

• Netherlands Phillip Cocu (1990–1995)
• Netherlands Pierre van Hooijdonk (1999–2000)
• Netherlands Roy Makaay (1993–1997)
• Netherlands Raimond van der Gouw (1988–1996)
• Netherlands Glenn Helder (1993–1995)
• Netherlands Orlando Trustfull (1997–2001)
• Netherlands Frans Thijssen (1988–1991)
• Netherlands Peter Bosz (1981–1984)
• Netherlands Henk ten Cate (1975–1976)
• Netherlands Sander Westerveld (1996–1999)
• Netherlands Edwin Zoetebier (2000–2001)
• Netherlands Ricky van Wolfswinkel (2008–2017)
• Netherlands Marco van Ginkel (2010–2013)
• Netherlands Davy Pröpper (2010–2015)
• Netherlands Patrick van Aanholt (2012–2014)
• Netherlands Stijn Schaars (2003–2005)
• Netherlands Riechedly Bazoer (2019–2022)
• Netherlands Paul Verhaegh (2006–2010)
• Netherlands Eloy Room (2008–2017)
• Netherlands Hans Gillhaus (1993–1994)
• Netherlands Willem Hesselink (1894–1919)
• Netherlands Henk Bosveld (1968–1979)
• Netherlands Frans de Munck (1965–1967)
• Netherlands Dick Schoenaker (1986–1988)
• Netherlands Just Göbel (1909–1924)
• Netherlands Alexander Büttner (2007–2019)
• Netherlands Remko Pasveer (2017–2021)
• Belgium Gert Claessens (2001–2003)
• Belgium Bob Peeters (2000–2003)
• Belgium Onur Kaya (2005–2010)
• Belgium Loïs Openda (2020–2021)
• Germany Paulo Rink (2004)
• Germany Dieter Burdenski (1990)
• Germany Simon Cziommer (2012–2013)
• England Lewis Baker (2015–2017)
• England Mason Mount (2017–2018)
• France Didier Martel (2000–2003)
• France Gaël Kakuta (2012–2013)
• Italia Marco De Marchi (1997–2000)
• Italia Luca Caldirola (2010–2011)
• Spain Jordi López (2011)
• Portugal Eduardo Carvalho (2018–2019)
• Scotland Scott Booth (1998–1999)
• Wales Nick Deacy (1979–1980)
• Greece Nikos Machlas (1996–1999)
• Israel Eli Dasa (2019–2022)
• Sweden Lasse Nilsson (2008–2011)
• Norway Martin Ødegaard (2018–2019)
• Denmark Jacob Rasmussen (2020–2021)
• Kosovo Milot Rashica (2015–2018)
• Czech Republic Tomáš Kalas (2011–2013)
• Slovenia Tim Matavž (2017–2020)
• Georgia (country) Guram Kashia (2010–2018)
• Georgia (country) Valeri Qazaishvili (2011–2017)
• Serbia Slobodan Rajković (2010–2011)
• Serbia Nemanja Matić (2010–2011)
• Serbia Danko Lazović (2006–2007)
• Serbia Dejan Stefanović (1999–2003)
• Serbia Vladimir Stojković (2007)
• Romania Ștefan Nanu (1999–2003)
• United States Matt Miazga (2016–2018)
• Brazil Claudemir de Souza (2008–2010)
• Brazil Lucas Piazon (2013–2014)
• Brazil Jonathan Reis (2012–2013)
• Suriname Lloyd Doesburg (1981–1986)
• Morocco Zakaria Labyad (2014–2015)
• Morocco Ismaïl Aissati (2010–2011)
• Morocco Oussama Tannane (2019–2021)
• Ghana Anthony Annan (2011–2012)
• Ghana Christian Atsu (2013–2014)
• Ghana Riga Mustapha (1998–2003)
• Ivory Coast Wilfried Bony (2011–2013)
• Mali Mahamadou Diarra (1999–2002)
• Nigeria Ben Iroha (1992–1996)
• Nigeria Tijani Babangida (2001–2002)
• Zimbabwe Marvelous Nakamba (2014–2017)
• Burkina Faso Bertrand Traoré (2014–2015)
• South Africa Thulani Serero (2017–2019)
• Ecuador Giovanny Espinoza (2007–2008)
• Japan Keisuke Honda (2019)
• China Yu Hai (2007–2008)

Literature

• Van Mierlo, Joost: Verspeelde Energie. Vitesse en Nuon, verslag van een explosieve relatie. SUN, Nijmegen 2001, .
• Molenaar, Arjen: 111 Jaar Vitesse. De sportieve geschiedenis van Vitesse 1892-2003 Vitesse, Arnhem 2003, .
• Van Roosmalen, Marcel: Je hebt het niet van mij. Een tragi-komisch verslag over de soap bij Vitesse. Hard gras, Amsterdam 2006, .
• Van Roosmalen, Marcel: Het Jaar van de Adelaar. Hard gras, Amsterdam 2009, .
• Van Roosmalen, Marcel: Geef me nog twee dagen. Hard gras, Amsterdam 2011, .
• Bierhaus, Peter: Vites! 9 verhalen over onvoorwaardelijke liefde voor Vitesse. Ctrl-E, Arnhem 2011, .
• Remco, Kok: Een Arnhemmer is niet voor Ajax. Lecturium, Zoetermeer 2014, .
• Reurink, Ferry: Elke dag Vitesse. 125 jaar clubgeschiedenis in 366 verhalen. Kontrast, Oosterbeek 2017, .

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68. Lammers, Lex. (21 June 2025). "Akkoord over overname Vitesse: lokale sponsors willen club in handen krijgen via stappenplan".
69. Lammers, Lex. (21 June 2025). "Duitser Rüdiger Rehm nieuwe trainer Vitesse".
70. Lammers, Lex. (20 June 2025). "Vitesse 'koopt tijd' bij KNVB voor begroting".
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