The Royal Dutch Football Association (, ; KNVB ) is the governing body of football in the Netherlands. It organises the main Dutch football leagues (Eredivisie and Eerste Divisie), the amateur leagues, the KNVB Cup, and the Dutch men's and women's national teams.
For three seasons in the 2010s, the KNVB and its Belgian counterpart operated a joint top-level women's league, the BeNe League, until the two countries dissolved the league after the 2014–15 season and re-established their own top-level leagues. The KNVB is based in the central municipality of Zeist. With over 1.2 million members, the KNVB is the single largest sports association in the Netherlands.
History In 1889, the Nederlandse Voetbal en Athletiek Bond was founded. Due to certain disagreements, several football clubs ended their association with it and joined together to form Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond (KNVB) which was later renamed to its present name. It was one of the founding members of FIFA in 1904 and one of the first non-British football associations in Europe. The first Dutch football club was formed in 1879 in Haarlem. The Netherlands Football League Championship had already existed unofficially for a decade when the association was founded. The KNVB strongly disapproved of the professionalism of football in 1909. It said that "it will protest against it by all means necessary." In 2012, the KNVB launched an 11-point action plan, called 'Football for everyone' to promote gay football players in coming out. It released a 30-second video named 'Gay? It doesn't matter'; prepared by broadcaster BNN. The video was also broadcast during the Dutch national football teams World Cup qualifier match against Andorra held in October 2012.
During the 2014 FIFA World Cup, it collaborated with Royal Philips to open six football clinics across Brazil. Bert van Oostveen is the current Secretary-General of KNVB.
Management Senior managementTitle/Managed InstitutionTerm of office Frank Paauw (born 1958) President National football team Since 27 May 2024 Gijs de Jong (born 1972) Secretary-General National football team Since January 2018 Nigel de Jong (born 1984) Technical Director Netherlands national football team · Netherlands women's national football team Since 4 June 2023 Marianne Van Leeuwen (born 1961) Director of professional football Eredivisie · Eerste Divisie Since 1 September 2021Board of directors – Professional LeaguesTitle/Managed InstitutionTerm of office Jean-Paul Decossaux (born 1963) Chief commercial officer Eredivisie · Eerste Divisie Since 1 December 2009 Ron Francis (born 1978) Financial director Eredivisie · Eerste Divisie Since 1 July 2010 Mark Boetekees (born 1973) Chief administrative officer Eredivisie · Eerste Divisie Since 1 April 2010Board of directors – Amateur LeaguesTitle/Managed InstitutionTerm of office Jan Dirk van der Zee (born 1971) Operations Director Derde Divisie · Hoofdklasse · Eerste Klasse · Tweede Klasse Derde Klasse · Vierde Klasse · Vijfde Klasse Since 1 April 2015 Meta Römers (born 1970) Administrative Director Derde Divisie · Hoofdklasse · Eerste Klasse · Tweede Klasse Derde Klasse · Vierde Klasse · Vijfde Klasse Since 1 January 2016Supervisory board – Professional LeaguesTitle/Managed InstitutionTerm of office Simon Kelder (born 1944) Senior Member Eredivisie · Eerste Divisie Since 4 June 2012 (born 1967) Member Eredivisie · Eerste Divisie Since 1 November 2016Supervisory board – Amateur LeaguesTitle/Managed InstitutionTerm of office Pier Eringa (born 1961) Chairman Derde Divisie · Hoofdklasse · Eerste Klasse · Tweede Klasse Derde Klasse · Vierde Klasse · Vijfde Klasse Since 1 December 2014 Huub Wieleman (born 1955) Member Derde Divisie · Hoofdklasse · Eerste Klasse · Tweede Klasse Derde Klasse · Vierde Klasse · Vijfde Klasse Since 1 December 2014 Tjienta van Pelt (born 1970) Member Derde Divisie · Hoofdklasse · Eerste Klasse · Tweede Klasse Derde Klasse · Vierde Klasse · Vijfde Klasse Since 1 June 2016 Jos Vranken (born 1967) Member Derde Divisie · Hoofdklasse · Eerste Klasse · Tweede Klasse Derde Klasse · Vierde Klasse · Vijfde Klasse Since 1 December 2014 Albert van Wijk (born 1962) Member Derde Divisie · Hoofdklasse · Eerste Klasse · Tweede Klasse Derde Klasse · Vierde Klasse · Vijfde Klasse Since 1 December 2014Source: KNVB.nl
Presidents PresidentTermPim Mulier 1889–1892Pieter Droogleever Fortuyn 1892–1893W. Prange 1893–1894F. H. van Leeuwen 1894–1897Pim Mulier 1897Jasper Warner 1897–1919 1919–1930 1930–1942 1942–1953 1953–1957 1957–1966 1966–1980 1981–1993Jeu Sprengers 1993–2008Michael van Praag 2008–2019Just Spee 2019–2023Marianne van Leeuwen & Jan Dirk van der Zee (acting) 2023–2024Frank Paauw 2024–present
Current sponsorships Albert Heijn Bitvavo ING Group KPN Nike Staatsloterij
Previous sponsorships
Adecco Amstel Aquarius Coca-Cola Continental AG Heineken National-Nederlanden Nuon Energy Oad Reizen PricewaterhouseCoopers Super de Boer Tele2 Unilever Unit4 Volkswagen
See also Netherlands men's national football team Netherlands women's national football team
References
External links
KNVB.com – official website in English OnsOranje.nl – website of the Netherlands national football team Netherlands National Football Team History at VoetbalStats.nl Netherlands at FIFA site