# Fortuna Sittard

Fortuna Sittard (Dutch pronunciation:; Limburgish: Fortuna Zitterd) 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.

### Financial difficulties (2002–16)

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 After going to civil court, this decision was revoked.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

| 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 |

## Results

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 |
| 2023–24 Eredivisie | 10th | – | 2023–24 | quarter-final |
| 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 |
| 1968–69 Eredivisie | 18th | Eerste Divisie (relegation) | 1968–69 | first round |
| 1967–68 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54... ...and Sittardia) | 17th 18th | Merger into Fortuna SC | 1967–68 | group stage round of 16 |
| 1966–67 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54... ...and Sittardia) | 14th 7th | – | 1966–67 | first round |
| 1965–66 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1965–66 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia) | 9th 1st | – Eredivisie (promotion) | 1965–66 | group stage |
| 1964–65 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54... ...and Sittardia) | 6th 15th | – Eerste Divisie (relegation) | 1964–65 | first round round of 16 |
| 1963–64 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1963–64 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia) | 7th 1st | Cup Winners' Cup Eredivisie (promotion) | 1963–64 | winner first round |
| 1962–63 Eredivisie (as Fortuna '54) 1962–63 Eerste Divisie (as Sittardia) | 12th | – | 1962–63 | round 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 held | not held |
| 1958–59 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) | – | 1956–57 | winner ? |

## Players
### Current squad

    As of 5 February 2025
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | NED | Luuk Koopmans |
| 4 | DF | BEL | Shawn Adewoye |
| 5 | DF | AUT | Darijo Grujcic |
| 6 | DF | NED | Syb van Ottele |
| 7 | FW | SWE | Kristoffer Peterson |
| 8 | MF | NED | Jasper Dahlhaus |
| 9 | FW | NED | Kaj Sierhuis |
| 10 | MF | CRO | Alen Halilović |
| 11 | FW | FRA | Makan Aïko |
| 12 | DF | POR | Ivo Pinto (captain) |
| 14 | DF | BRA | Rodrigo Guth |
| 17 | FW | TUR | Onur Demir |
| 19 | FW | SRB | Bojan Radulović (on loan from Huddersfield Town) |
| 20 | MF | FRA | Edouard Michut |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 22 | MF | COD | Samuel Bastien |
| 23 | MF | CPV | Alessio da Cruz |
| 24 | DF | NED | Daley Sinkgraven |
| 27 | FW | NED | Sjors-Lowis Hermsen |
| 28 | FW | CRO | Josip Mitrović |
| 31 | GK | NED | Mattijs Branderhorst (on loan from Utrecht) |
| 32 | MF | FRA | Loreintz Rosier |
| 33 | MF | ARG | Ezequiel Bullaude (on loan from Feyenoord) |
| 35 | DF | NED | Mitchell Dijks |
| 38 | MF | NED | Tristan Schenkhuizen |
| 71 | GK | BEL | Ramazan Bayram |
| 77 | MF | BIH | Luka Tunjić |
| 80 | MF | SUI | Ryan Fosso |

### Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | DF | NED | Robyn Esajas (at MVV until 30 June 2025) |
| — | DF | COM | Rémy Vita (at Amiens until 30 June 2025) |
| — | FW | ALG | Mouhamed Belkheir (at RAAL La Louvière until 30 June 2025) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | FW | POR | Umaro Embaló (at Vitória de Guimarães until 30 June 2025) |
| — | FW | BEL | Milan Robberechts (at RSCA Futures until 30 June 2025) |

## 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:
* 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 | 0 | |
| CAF | 4 | Cape Verde (2), DR Congo (1), Togo (1) |
| CONCACAF | 2 | Suriname (2) |
| CONMEBOL | 0 | |
| OFC | 1 | New Zealand (1) |
| UEFA | 22 | Netherlands (12), Moldova (2), Finland (1), Greece (1), Luxembourg (1), North Macedonia (1), Northern Ireland (1), Slovakia (1), Sweden (1), Turkey (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.
| Cup | Players |
| 2021 Africa Cup of Nations | Lisandro Semedo |
| 2023 Africa Cup of Nations | Deroy Duarte |

## Club staff

| Position | Staff |
| Head Coach | Danny Buijs |
| Assistant Head Coach | Adrie Poldervaart Stijn Kuijpers Roy de Decker |
| Striker's Coach | Toon Oijstra |
| Physiotherapist | Jeroen Dieteren Martijn Smeets |
| Team Manager | Danny van der Weerden |
| Club doctor | Robert van Gool |
| Materialman | Ronald Ronken |
| Video Analyst | Tjerk van Eggelen |

## Women's football

In January 2022, Fortuna announced it was beginning a women's football department. The club started playing in the women's Eredivisie in the 2022–23 season. In its first season, the club finished third out of 11 teams. In the 2023–24 season, Fortuna finished in fourth place out of 12 teams, and forward Tessa Wullaert was the top goal scorer and Player of the Year. However, prior to the 2024–25 season, the club announced it had not generated sufficient revenue from the women's team and cut its player spending, with Wullaert, Alieke Tuin, and other players departing for new clubs.