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| Full name | Fortuna Sittard | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Fortuna, Fortunezen | ||
| Founded | 1 July 1968; 56 years ago (1968-07-01) | ||
| Ground | Fortuna Sittard Stadion | ||
| Capacity | 12,500 | ||
| Owner | Principion Holding 65% Özgür Işıtan Gün 20% Fortuna Sittard 10% STAK 5%[1][2] | ||
| Chairman | Özgür Işıtan Gün | ||
| Head coach | Danny Buijs | ||
| League | Eredivisie | ||
| 2023–24 | Eredivisie, 10th of 18 | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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 Current season | |||
Fortuna Sittard (Dutch pronunciation: [fɔrˈtynaː ˈsɪtɑrt]; Limburgish: Fortuna Zitterd [fɔʀˈtyːnaː ˈzɪtəʀt])[tone?] is a professional football club from the municipality of Sittard-Geleen, 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.
The club experienced mixed fortunes throughout its history although they were a regular fixture in the Eredivisie in the 1990s, with players such as Kevin Hofland, Mark van Bommel and Fernando Ricksen emerging from its youth system. These players later joined PSV Eindhoven and Rangers, and featured for the Netherlands national team. The team also signed Wilfred Bouma and Patrick Paauwe from the youth setup of PSV. Both players developed under manager Bert van Marwijk, before breaking into the Dutch national side and moving towards bigger clubs.
Fortuna 54 won the KNVB Cup in the 1956–57 season, and finished the Eredivisie season in second place behind champions Ajax. Sittardia were less successful and battled against relegation for many seasons. Fortuna 54 won the KNVB Cup again in 1964 before the merging of the two clubs in 1968 due to financial difficulties.
At the end of the 1999–2000 season, manager Bert van Marwijk left to join Feyenoord and the team was relegated to the First Division in the 2001–02 season.[3]
Financial irregularities were discovered and the team faced bankruptcy over several seasons. In the winter of 2003, two of the club's fans won the Dutch lottery and donated all of the prize money to the club.[4] The club cleared most of their debts by selling off their new stadium, the Wagner & Partners stadium.[5]
On 19 May 2009, the KNVB announced it would withdraw the club's license to play for the 2010–11 season. After going to civil court, this decision was revoked.[6] Despite ongoing financial difficulties, the club gradually began to recover financially in the following years, leading to sporting success. In the 2011–12 season, Fortuna Sittard narrowly missed out on qualifying for the playoffs for promotion to Eredivisie, conceding an equaliser in the final seconds of the season at their home match against the Go Ahead Eagles, resulting in the Eagles taking the final playoff spot instead. Although they qualified for the playoffs in the 2012–13 and 2013–14 seasons, offering them their first chance to return to Eredivisie since their relegation in 2002, they were unsuccessful in both first-round matches against De Graafschap.[7][8]
The club again faced financial troubles in 2016, leading to its takeover by a Turkish investor named Işıtan Gün, who had previously served as the chief operating officerofGalatasaray.[9] The 2016–17 season was a tough start for the club, but they managed to avoid relegation after changing coaches and recruiting new players, including some from Galatasaray.[10]
In December 2016, Sunday Oliseh was appointed as the new coach of Fortuna Sittard. During his time as coach, he set two new records for the club, with eight consecutive home victories and the biggest away victory in the club's history against Telstar with a score of 6–0. In January 2018, the team won a periodetitel after a 2–1 victory over Jong Ajax. However, on 14 February 2018, Oliseh was suspended due to "repeated and culpable actions towards multiple individuals within the organisation over an extended period." A statement on the club's website announced his release.[11]
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.[12]
Fortuna Sittard finished in 16th place during the 2019–20 season. However, due to the season being declared void in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they remained in the Eredivisie for the 2020–21 season.[13]
| Competition | Participations | Games | Won | Draw | Lost | Goals scored | Goals conceded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 |
| UEFA Intertoto Cup | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 |
| Total | 2 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 13 |
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 |
| 2022–23 Eredivisie | 13th | – | 2022–23 | first round |
| 2021–22 Eredivisie | 15th | – | 2021–22 | second round |
| 2020–21 Eredivisie | 11th | – | 2020–21 | round of 16 |
| 2019–20 Eredivisie | 16th | No relegation due to COVID-19 | 2019–20 | round of 16 |
| 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 [citation needed] |
| 1968–69 Eredivisie | 18th | Eerste Divisie (relegation) | 1968–69 | first round [citation needed] |
| 1967–68 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54... ...and Sittardia) |
17th 18th |
Merger into Fortuna SC | 1967–68 | group stage [citation needed] round of 16 [citation needed] |
| 1966–67 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54... ...and Sittardia) |
14th 7th |
– | 1966–67 | first round [citation needed] |
| 1965–66 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1965–66 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia) |
9th 1st |
– Eredivisie (promotion) |
1965–66 | group stage [citation needed] |
| 1964–65 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54... ...and Sittardia) |
6th 15th |
– Eerste Divisie (relegation) |
1964–65 | first round [citation needed] round of 16 [citation needed] |
| 1963–64 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1963–64 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia) |
7th 1st |
Cup Winners' Cup Eredivisie (promotion) |
1963–64 | winner first round [citation needed] |
| 1962–63 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1962–63 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia) |
12th | – | 1962–63 | round of 16 [citation needed] third round [citation needed] |
| 1961–62 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1961–62 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia) |
12th 3rd |
– | 1961–62 | ?[citation needed] |
| 1960–61 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1960–61 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia) |
15th 5th (group B) |
– | 1960–61 | ?[citation needed] |
| 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 | ?[citation needed] |
| 1957–58 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1957–58 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia) |
4th 4th (group B) |
– | 1957–58 | ?[citation needed] |
| 1956–57 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1956–57 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia) |
2nd 6th (group B) |
– | 1956–57 | winner ?[citation needed] |
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Head Coach |  Danny Buijs
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| Assistant Head Coach | Adrie Poldervaart Stijn Kuijpers Roy de Decker
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| Striker's Coach | Toon Oijstra
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| Physiotherapist | Jeroen Dieteren Martijn Smeets
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| Team Manager | Danny van der Weerden
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| Club doctor | Robert van Gool
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| Materialman | Ronald Ronken
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| Video Analyst | Tjerk van Eggelen
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On January 25, 2022, Fortuna announced they were beginning a women's football department.[14] The club started playing in the Dutch women's Eredivisie in season 2022/23.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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KNVB Cup winners (1899–1960)
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