Fortuna Sittard
Fortuna Sittard is a football club in Sittard, Netherlands. The club currently plays its football in the 12,500 capacity Fortuna Sittard Stadion and features in the Eredivisie. The club was established through a merger of former clubs Fortuna 54 and Sittardia, which merged as the Fortuna Sittardia Combinatie on 1 July 1968.
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| Full name | Fortuna Sittard | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Fortuna, Fortunezen | ||
| Founded | 1 July 1968 | ||
| Ground | Fortuna Sittard Stadion, Sittard | ||
| Capacity | 12,500 | ||
| Chairman | Özgür Işıtan Gün | ||
| Manager | Kevin Hofland | ||
| League | Eredivisie | ||
| 2019–20 | Eredivisie, 16th | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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History
The club experienced mixed fortunes throughout its history although they were a regular fixture in the Eredivisie in the 1990s, with many talented players such as Kevin Hofland, Mark van Bommel and Fernando Ricksen emerging from its youth system. These players later joined PSV Eindhoven and Rangers thereafter featured for the Netherlands national team. The team's management also had an eye for talent, as they snapped up Wilfred Bouma and Patrick Paauwe from the youth setup of PSV. Both players developed well under manager Bert van Marwijk, before breaking into the Dutch national side and moving towards bigger clubs.
'Fortuna 54' was a relatively successful club which once won the KNVB Cup in the 1956–57 season where they finished the Eredivisie season second place behind champions Ajax whereas the 'Sittardia' battled against relegation for many seasons. Another KNVB Cup triumph was also celebrated by 'Fortuna 54' in 1964 before the merging of the two clubs in 1968 due to financial difficulties.
At the end of the 1999–2000 season, successful manager Bert van Marwijk left to join Feyenoord and the team seemed to collapse. Due to poor management, the team signed a number of over-paid and under-performing "stars". Fortuna relegated to the First Division in the 2001–02 season, where things were getting from bad to worse very quickly.[1] Financial irregularities had been discovered and the team has been facing bankruptcy for the past four seasons. A little highlight came in the winter of 2003, when two of the club's fans won the Dutch lottery and donated all of the prize money to the club.
Things started to look up for Fortuna, when they were able to clear most of their debts by selling of the new stadium, the Wagner & Partners stadium. Unfortunately, the team hasn't been performing on the pitch and finished dead-last in the Dutch First Division for three consecutive seasons.
On 19 May 2009, the KNVB announced it would withdraw the license to play of Fortuna Sittard for the 2010–11 season. After going to civil court, this decision was revoked and the club did not lose its license.[2] Even though financial troubles kept plaguing the club, recent years have seen a slow but steady return to financial health, with sportive successes following suit. In the 2011–2012 season they missed qualification for the playoffs for promotion to the Eredivisie by a hair's breadth, conceding an equalizer in the dying seconds of the season in the home match against the Go Ahead Eagles, seeing them take the final playoff spot instead. In 2012–13 and 2013–14 they were successful in qualifying, having a first chance at returning to the Eredivisie since their relegation in 2002, but they lost both first round matches against De Graafschap.
In 2018, after 16 years in the Eerste Divisie, Fortuna won promotion to the Eredivisie again after beating Jong PSV 1–0 to stay clear from NEC and finishing runner-up to champions Jong Ajax, who are not allowed to promote.[3]
The 2018–19 season started unfortunate for the Limburgers: despite an almost stolen point against PSV Eindhoven, Fortuna found themselves back bottom of the league after four matches. A 2-3 win at NAC Breda however put them higher up in the rankings. In October and November Fortuna continued to gain points and eventually finding themselves back at the ninth place of the Eredivisie after 13 matches.[4]
The 2019–20 season ended with Fortuna in 16th place. But with the season being declared void, they will participate in Eredivisie in 2020–21.[5]
Honours
- KNVB Cup
- Winner: 1957, 1964
- Runners-up: 1984, 1999
- Eerste Divisie
- Winner: 1959, 1964, 1966, 1995
- Promoted to Eredivisie
- Promotion: 1982, 2018
Results
Below is a table with Fortuna Sittard's domestic results since the introduction of professional football in 1956.
| Domestic Results since 1956 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic league | League result | Qualification to | KNVB Cup season | Cup result |
| 2019–20 Eredivisie | – | – | 2019–20 | – |
| 2018–19 Eredivisie | 15th | – | 2018–19 | quarter-final |
| 2017–18 Eerste Divisie | 2nd | Eredivisie (promotion) | 2017–18 | round of 16 |
| 2016–17 Eerste Divisie | 17th | – | 2016–17 | first round |
| 2015–16 Eerste Divisie | 16th | – | 2015–16 | second round |
| 2014–15 Eerste Divisie | 19th | – | 2014–15 | third round |
| 2013–14 Eerste Divisie | 8th | promotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion | 2013–14 | second round |
| 2012–13 Eerste Divisie | 7th | promotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion | 2012–13 | second round |
| 2011–12 Eerste Divisie | 11th | – | 2011–12 | second round |
| 2010–11 Eerste Divisie | 16th | – | 2010–11 | third round |
| 2009–10 Eerste Divisie | 17th | – | 2009–10 | second round |
| 2008–09 Eerste Divisie | 15th | – | 2008–09 | third round |
| 2007–08 Eerste Divisie | 16th | – | 2007–08 | third round |
| 2006–07 Eerste Divisie | 15th | – | 2006–07 | second round |
| 2005–06 Eerste Divisie | 20th | – | 2005–06 | second round |
| 2004–05 Eerste Divisie | 19th | – | 2004–05 | second round |
| 2003–04 Eerste Divisie | 19th | – | 2003–04 | second round |
| 2002–03 Eerste Divisie | 15th | – | 2002–03 | group stage |
| 2001–02 Eredivisie | 18th | Eerste Divisie (relegation) | 2001–02 | round of 16 |
| 2000–01 Eredivisie | 16th | – (surviving prom./releg. play-offs) | 2000–01 | round of 16 |
| 1999–2000 Eredivisie | 12th | – | 1999–2000 | third round |
| 1998–99 Eredivisie | 10th | – | 1998–99 | final |
| 1997–98 Eredivisie | 7th | Intertoto Cup (R3) | 1997–98 | quarter-final |
| 1996–97 Eredivisie | 11th | – | 1996–97 | second round |
| 1995–96 Eredivisie | 13th | – | 1995–96 | round of 16 |
| 1994–95 Eerste Divisie | 1st | Eredivisie (promotion) | 1994–95 | group stage |
| 1993–94 Eerste Divisie | 10th | – | 1993–94 | third round |
| 1992–93 Eredivisie | 16th | Eerste Divisie (losing prom./releg. play-off) | 1992–93 | round of 16 |
| 1991–92 Eredivisie | 14th | – | 1991–92 | second round |
| 1990–91 Eredivisie | 12th | – | 1990–91 | second round |
| 1989–90 Eredivisie | 7th | – | 1989–90 | quarter-final |
| 1988–89 Eredivisie | 8th | – | 1988–89 | round of 16 |
| 1987–88 Eredivisie | 8th | – | 1987–88 | round of 16 |
| 1986–87 Eredivisie | 9th | – | 1986–87 | quarter-final |
| 1985–86 Eredivisie | 8th | – | 1985–86 | quarter-final |
| 1984–85 Eredivisie | 7th | – | 1984–85 | round of 16 |
| 1983–84 Eredivisie | 12th | Cup Winners' Cup | 1983–84 | final |
| 1982–83 Eredivisie | 8th | – | 1982–83 | second round |
| 1981–82 Eerste Divisie | 2nd | Eredivisie (promotion) | 1981–82 | first round |
| 1980–81 Eerste Divisie | 4th | – | 1980–81 | second round |
| 1979–80 Eerste Divisie | 7th | – | 1979–80 | second round |
| 1978–79 Eerste Divisie | 4th | promotion competition: no promotion | 1978–79 | quarter-final |
| 1977–78 Eerste Divisie | 5th | – | 1977–78 | second round |
| 1976–77 Eerste Divisie | 7th | – | 1976–77 | second round |
| 1975–76 Eerste Divisie | 7th | promotion competition: no promotion | 1975–76 | first round |
| 1974–75 Eerste Divisie | 9th | – | 1974–75 | second round |
| 1973–74 Eerste Divisie | 5th | promotion competition: no promotion | 1973–74 | second round |
| 1972–73 Eerste Divisie | 9th | – | 1972–73 | first round |
| 1971–72 Eerste Divisie | 13th | – | 1971–72 | quarter-final |
| 1970–71 Eerste Divisie | 10th | – | 1970–71 | semi-final |
| 1969–70 Eerste Divisie | 14th | – | 1969–70 | first round |
| 1968–69 Eredivisie | 18th | Eerste Divisie (relegation) | 1968–69 | first round |
| 1967–68 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54... ...and Sittardia) |
17th 18th |
Merger into Fortuna SC | 1967–68 | group stage round of 16 |
| 1966–67 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54... ...and Sittardia) |
14th 7th |
– | 1966–67 | first round |
| 1965–66 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1965–66 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia) |
9th 1st |
– Eredivisie (promotion) |
1965–66 | group stage |
| 1964–65 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54... ...and Sittardia) |
6th 15th |
– Eerste Divisie (relegation) |
1964–65 | first round round of 16 |
| 1963–64 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1963–64 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia) |
7th 1st |
Cup Winners' Cup Eredivisie (promotion) |
1963–64 | winner first round |
| 1962–63 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1962–63 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia) |
12th | – | 1962–63 | round of 16 third round |
| 1961–62 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1961–62 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia) |
12th 3rd |
– | 1961–62 | ? |
| 1960–61 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1960–61 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia) |
15th 5th (group B) |
– | 1960–61 | ? |
| 1959–60 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54... ...and Sittardia) |
14th 18th |
– Eerste Divisie (relegation) |
not held | not held |
| 1958–59 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1958–59 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia) |
3rd 1st (group B) |
– Eredivisie (promotion) |
1958–59 | ? |
| 1957–58 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1957–58 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia) |
4th 4th (group B) |
– | 1957–58 | ? |
| 1956–57 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1956–57 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia) |
2nd 6th (group B) |
– | 1956–57 | winner ? |
Current squad
- As of 17 August 2020
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Managers
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See also
References
- Fortuna Sittard: geen toekomst, maar een fraaie historie - Voetbal International (in Dutch)
- (in Dutch)KNVB gaat licentie Fortuna Sittard intrekken, Voetbal International (19 May 2009)
- Fortuna Sittard na zestien jaar terug in de eredivisie - AD (in Dutch)
- Stand Eredivisie na speelronde 13: eerste zeven ploegen maken geen fout - Voetbalzone (in Dutch)
- https://eredivisie.nl/nl-nl/uitgelicht/afwikkeling-voetbalseizoen-201920-een-feit