Debt-riddled FC Twente have been punished by the Dutch Football association (KNVB) for “deliberately misleading” the governing body over its relationship with a prominent sports investment firm. Along with a ban from European competition for three years, the club has been fined 45,250 euros.
The former Dutch champions were found guilty of suppressing information about their relationship with Maltese group Doyen Sports, who reportedly invested 5 million euros in the club in exchange for between 10 and 50 percent of the transfer fee rights for seven players. Although the two parties signed the deal before the law change, this sort of agreement, known as third-party ownership, is now illegal under FIFA rules.
Twente’s apparent efforts to cover up details of their agreement with Doyen is what appears to have landed them in hot water, with a KNVB statement ruling that the club “concealed certain additions in the contract with investment company Doyen Sports and thus deliberately misled the license committee.”
While a ban from European competition is sure to hinder any improvement of the club’s unstable financial position, worse news may be yet to come. The Entschede-based team still faces the possibility of their professional license being revoked. According to Reuters, although such a doomsday scenario has seemingly been avoided by the licensing committee’s imposing of a suspended sentence, this reprieve is on the condition that Twente co-operates with an independent investigation and complies with the findings.
Steve McClaren’s former side are no strangers to KNVB-administered disciplinary measures, having been docked 3 points by the organisation last season for failing to follow a debt reduction plan.
Despite point deductions and financial difficulties, the club managed a mid-table finish of 10th last term, where a highlight was undoubtedly a strong season for promising midfielder and top scorer Hakim Ziyech, 22.
But with only 13 points from 16 games this season, FC Twente now find themselves 2 places off the table’s bottom and the club is preparing for a relegation battle that would have been inconceivable a couple of years ago.
