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Vitesse not quite the force they once were as City prepare for UEFA Cup reunion

3rd August 2007 By Latest News Leave a Comment

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You've all heard the story of the famous 1993-94 UEFA Cup run. Let's face it, the subject has been impossible to avoid in these parts for the best part of 15 years.

And whilst it was that memorable night at Carrow Road when City won through to the 3rd Round against the might of Bayern Munich, or the evening when 4,000 Canary supporters descended on the San Siro that most of the Norfolk public will remember – it was against tonight's pre-season friendly opponents, Vitesse Arnhem, where the story really unfolded.

In European competition for the first time, the Canaries would have been happy after being drawn against a side from the Netherlands; remember, these were the days before the Champions League.

There were some serious clubs taking part in Europe's second most glamourous competition and whilst never harbouring any real hopes of winning the tournament, Vitesse Arnhem was an encounter that the Canaries felt was more than winnable.

In truth, the 1st Round tie was done and dusted after the resounding 3-0 victory over the Dutch side at Carrow Road in the first leg ? a 0-0 draw in the return match in Arnhem saw Mike Walker's side safely through.

It is a wholly different Vitesse outfit that awaits the Canaries tonight though.

Whilst they have always been fairly consistent performers in the Eredivisie ? the Dutch version of the Premiership for any European football novices out there ? often finishing in the top four or five whilst never really threatening traditional powerhouses such as PSV Eindhoven, Ajax and Feyenoord, in the past few years or so they have fallen on more difficult times.

Since 2003, the club has failed to hit previous heights after it was discovered that Vitesse chairman Karel Aalbers was involved in a tax fraud three years previous.

The club could have gone bankrupt had it not been for the timely intervention of the Arnhem City Council who bought their impressive stadium ? the Gelredome – and created a financial rescue package to salvage the club.

In the last five seasons, a seventh place finish in 2004-05 has been the highlight for the Yellow and Blacks.

Other than that, Vitesse have finished no higher than 11th and in one season, were perilously close to falling through the trap door into the second tier of Dutch football.

In season 03-04 ? the same campaign in which the Canaries were the all-conquering champions of Nationwide Division One ? they ended up in a very disappointing 16th. In an 18-team league, that is poor by anyone's standards.

Its home in the city of Arnhem is the unique Gelredome stadium, which was built in 1998.

It enjoys many modern features including a retractable roof and a convertible pitch that can be replaced when unused during concerts or other events held at the stadium ? which provides important extra revenue for a club which has never enjoyed the riches on offer to the nation's so-called bigger clubs.

The arena ? which featured heavily in this summer's European Under-21 Championships – holds 26,600, an almost identical capacity to Carrow Road, and their average attendances hover around the 20,000 mark.

It's no Feyenoord or Ajax following by any means, but they can still consider themselves a fairly well supported club for a city that is home to only 139,000 people ? again, very similar to Norwich.

Another sign of their recent downfall ? despite the futuristic surroundings they now find themselves in – will be the lack of household names on show for the Dutch side in tonight's clash.

In years gone by, the Vitesse faithful have had the likes of Philip Cocu, Pierre Van Hooijdonk, Roy Makaay and Mahamadou Diarra to feast their eyes on.

However, the current team is mainly made up of lesser known home-grown talent, including Theo Janssen, who has won two caps for the Netherlands.

Their forward line, though, does contain Denmark international striker Mads Junker and Yu Hai ? who is expected to lead the Olympic national football team next year in their home country.

Tom Haylett


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