Fortuna Sittard (; ) 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.
History
The club experienced mixed fortunes throughout its history, although it was 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 played 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 joining the Dutch national side and moving to 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 Eerste Divisie in the 2001–02 season.Fortuna Sittard: geen toekomst, maar een fraaie historie - Voetbal International
Financial difficulties (2002–2016) 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. The club cleared most of its debts by selling off its new stadium, the Wagner & Partners stadium.
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 After going to civil court, this decision was revoked. Despite ongoing financial difficulties, the club gradually began to recover financially in the following years, leading to improved results. 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 in a home match against the Go Ahead Eagles, resulting in the Eagles taking the final playoff spot instead. Although the club qualified for the playoffs in the 2012–13 and 2013–14 seasons, offering them a chance to return to Eredivisie since relegation in 2002, Fortuna was unsuccessful in both first-round matches against De Graafschap.
Takeover and Eredivisie (2016–present) The club again faced financial troubles in 2016, leading to its takeover by Turkish investor Işıtan Gün, who previously served as the chief operating officer of Galatasaray. The 2016–17 season was a tough start for the club, but it managed to avoid relegation after changing coaches and recruiting new players, including some from Galatasaray.
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 by 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," according to a statement on the club's website announcing his release. Oliseh posted online that he was suspended due to his "refusal to participate in Illegal activities."
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, which cannot be promoted.
Fortuna Sittard finished in 16th place during the 2019–20 season. However, because the season was suspended and declared void due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the club remained in the Eredivisie for the 2020–21 season. After that reprieve, the club finished in 11th place that season. The following year, Fortuna Sittard finished 15th, just one point clear of the relegation playoff. Since then, the club's results have placed it more comfortably in the mid-table. Fortuna Sittard finished in 13th place in the 2022–23 season and 10th place in the 2023–24 season.
Honours KNVB Cup Winners: 1956–57, 1963–64 Runners-up: 1983–84, 1998–99 Eerste Divisie Winners: 1958–59, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1994–95 Promoted: 1981–82, 2017–18
International
Totals
CompetitionParticipationsGamesWonDrawLostGoals scoredGoals concededUEFA Cup Winners' Cup1621367UEFA Intertoto Cup1421186Total2104241413
Results
Below is a table with Fortuna Sittard's domestic results since the introduction of professional football in 1956.
Domestic Results since 1956Domestic leagueLeague resultQualification toKNVB Cup seasonCup result2023–24 Eredivisie10th –2023–24quarter-final2022–23 Eredivisie13th –2022–23first round2021–22 Eredivisie15th –2021–22second round2020–21 Eredivisie11th –2020–21round of 162019–20 Eredivisie16thNo relegation due to COVID-192019–20round of 162018–19 Eredivisie15th –2018–19quarter-final2017–18 Eerste Divisie2ndEredivisie (promotion)2017–18round of 162016–17 Eerste Divisie17th –2016–17first round2015–16 Eerste Divisie16th –2015–16second round2014–15 Eerste Divisie19th –2014–15third round2013–14 Eerste Divisie8thpromotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion2013–14second round2012–13 Eerste Divisie7thpromotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion2012–13second round2011–12 Eerste Divisie11th –2011–12second round2010–11 Eerste Divisie16th –2010–11third round2009–10 Eerste Divisie17th –2009–10second round2008–09 Eerste Divisie15th –2008–09third round2007–08 Eerste Divisie16th –2007–08third round2006–07 Eerste Divisie15th –2006–07second round2005–06 Eerste Divisie20th –2005–06second round2004–05 Eerste Divisie19th –2004–05second round2003–04 Eerste Divisie19th –2003–04second round2002–03 Eerste Divisie15th –2002–03group stage2001–02 Eredivisie18thEerste Divisie (relegation)2001–02round of 162000–01 Eredivisie16th – (surviving prom./releg. play-offs)2000–01round of 161999–2000 Eredivisie12th –1999–2000third round1998–99 Eredivisie10th –1998–99final1997–98 Eredivisie7thIntertoto Cup (R3)1997–98quarter-final1996–97 Eredivisie11th –1996–97second round1995–96 Eredivisie13th –1995–96round of 161994–95 Eerste Divisie1stEredivisie (promotion)1994–95group stage1993–94 Eerste Divisie10th –1993–94third round1992–93 Eredivisie16thEerste Divisie (losing prom./releg. play-off)1992–93round of 161991–92 Eredivisie14th –1991–92second round1990–91 Eredivisie12th –1990–91second round1989–90 Eredivisie7th –1989–90quarter-final1988–89 Eredivisie8th –1988–89round of 161987–88 Eredivisie8th –1987–88round of 161986–87 Eredivisie9th –1986–87quarter-final1985–86 Eredivisie8th –1985–86quarter-final1984–85 Eredivisie7th –1984–85round of 161983–84 Eredivisie12thCup Winners' Cup1983–84final1982–83 Eredivisie8th –1982–83second round1981–82 Eerste Divisie2ndEredivisie (promotion)1981–82first round1980–81 Eerste Divisie4th –1980–81second round1979–80 Eerste Divisie7th –1979–80second round1978–79 Eerste Divisie4thpromotion competition: no promotion1978–79quarter-final1977–78 Eerste Divisie5th –1977–78second round1976–77 Eerste Divisie7th –1976–77second round1975–76 Eerste Divisie7thpromotion competition: no promotion1975–76first round1974–75 Eerste Divisie9th –1974–75second round1973–74 Eerste Divisie5thpromotion competition: no promotion1973–74second round1972–73 Eerste Divisie9th –1972–73first round1971–72 Eerste Divisie13th –1971–72quarter-final1970–71 Eerste Divisie10th –1970–71semi-final1969–70 Eerste Divisie14th –1969–70first round 1968–69 Eredivisie18thEerste Divisie (relegation)1968–69first round 1967–68 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54... ...and Sittardia)17th 18thMerger into Fortuna SC1967–68group stage round of 16 1966–67 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54... ...and Sittardia)14th 7th –1966–67first round 1965–66 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1965–66 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia)9th 1st – Eredivisie (promotion)1965–66group stage 1964–65 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54... ...and Sittardia)6th 15th – Eerste Divisie (relegation)1964–65first round round of 16 1963–64 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1963–64 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia)7th 1stCup Winners' Cup Eredivisie (promotion)1963–64winner first round 1962–63 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1962–63 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia)12th –1962–63round 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 heldnot held1958–59 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) –1956–57winner ?
Players Current squad
Former players
National team players The following players were called up to represent their national teams in international football and received caps during their tenure with Fortuna Sittard:The following is a consolidated list of clubs' RKSV Sittardia, Fortuna '54 and Fortuna Sittard, as a result of the merger of the two prior aforementioned clubs in 1968.
Cape Verde Deroy Duarte (2021–2024) Lisandro Semedo (2017–2022) DR Congo Samuel Moutoussamy (2020–2021) Finland Rasmus Karjalainen (2019–2021) Greece Lazaros Rota (2020–2021) Indonesia Ragnar Oratmangoen (2023–2024) Justin Hubner (2025–present) Kosovo Arianit Ferati (2021–2024) Luxembourg Antoine Kohn (1959–1963; 1964–1965)
Moldova Vitalie Damașcan (2019–2020) Alexei Koșelev (2018–2021) Netherlands Henk Angenent (1954–1962) Bram Appel (1948–1949; 1955–1960) Bart Carlier (1955–1958; 1964–1965) Willy Dullens (1963–1969) Gerard Gruisen (1951–1969) Cor van der Hart (1954–1966) Wim Koevermans (1980–1988) Frans de Munck (1954–1957) Jan Notermans (1955–1965) Willy Quaedackers (1961–1966) Wilbert Suvrijn (1981–1986) Faas Wilkes (1959–1962) New Zealand Fred de Jong (1990–1993)
North Macedonia Stefan Ashkovski (2016–2018) Northern Ireland Phil Gray (1996–1997) Slovakia Branislav Niňaj (2018–2021) Suriname Justin Lonwijk (2024) Gavin Vlijter (2015–2019) Sweden Tesfaldet Tekie (2019–2022) Togo Sadik Fofana (2023–2024)
Players in bold actively play for Fortuna Sittard and for their respective national teams. Years in brackets indicate careerspan with Fortuna Sittard.
National team players by Confederation Member associations are listed in order of most to least amount of current and former Fortuna Sittard players represented Internationally + Total national team players by confederation Confederation Total (Nation) Association AFC 2 Indonesia (2) CAF 4 Cape Verde (2), DR Congo (1), Togo (1) CONCACAF 2 Suriname (2) CONMEBOL 0 OFC 1 New Zealand (1) UEFA 21 Netherlands (12), Moldova (2), Finland (1), Greece (1), Luxembourg (1), North Macedonia (1), Northern Ireland (1), Slovakia (1), Sweden (1)
Players in international tournaments The following is a list of Fortuna Sittard players who have competed in international tournaments, including the Africa Cup of Nations. To this date no Fortuna Sittard players have participated in the FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship, CONCACAF Gold Cup, AFC Asian Cup, Copa América or the OFC Nations Cup while playing for Fortuna Sittard.
CupPlayers 2021 Africa Cup of Nations Lisandro Semedo 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Deroy Duarte
Club staff