Dutch soccer club Veendam bankrupt

The Hague, March 26 (IANS) Dutch soccer lost another professional club after second division outfit SC Veendam was declared bankrupt.

Veendam suffered from financial problems for a while and asked for a moratorium two weeks ago. An attempt for a final rescue plane failed, as the club was not able to collect over one million euros ($1.3 million) to pay its debts and survive, reports Xinhua.

After an eight-day appeal period the club will be officially declared bankrupt and all results of Veendam in the Jupiler League will be deleted. Veendam is currently tenth in the second Dutch league, which will continue with sixteen teams.

Veendam was founded in 1894 and are playing professional football since 1954. In the 1986-1987 and 1988-1989 seasons the club from the northern province of Groningen played on the highest Dutch level, the Eredivisie.

Former Dutch internationals Frans de Munck, Dick Nanninga, Jurrie Koolhof, Pieter Huistra, Hennie Meijer all played for Veendam, while current international Ruben Schaken also has a history at the bankrupt club.

The bankruptcy of Veendam is already the fourth in Dutch pro soccer in three years, following AGOVV Apeldoorn (2013), HFC Haarlem (2010) and RBC Roosendaal (2011). The Dutch Second Divison will now continue with 17 clubs.