@Marije026 @Blok026 Common submitted correspondence from the KNVB stating they had never said that Coley Parry was “persona non grata,” banned, or blacklisted, nor used words to that effect. The Raad finds that De Gelderlander should not have presented such claims as fact https://t.co/7ozKDt22YH
In May 2025, the License Committee of the KNVB revoked Vitesse’s license
In its decision, and in prior communications to the club, the KNVB relied upon and cited media reports as justification to reinforce their case
The vast majority of those articles were written by Lex Lammers of De Gelderlander
On October 31, 2025, Common Group was heard by the Raad voor de Journalistiek, arguing De Gelderlanders reporting was false and not up to journalistic standards
The Raad upheld the complaints and found 100% the articles reviewed lacked sufficient factual substantiation and forced De Gelderlander to publish their decision
But during the proceedings, De Gelderlander stated that its reporting was based on sources “in and around the KNVB and the license committee”
So to be clear: De Gelderlander is saying their reporting came from people connected to the KNVB
At the same time, the KNVB relied on De Gelderlander’s reporting as part of its justification for revoking the license
If De Gelderlander’s assertions are true, this raises a serious question of coordinated media manipulation and circular substantiation, with significant exposure to damages claims from shareholders, local businesses, the municipality, and the club itself
The elements are there to be on offense, not defense. This deserves further scrutiny…
Since the decision of the Raad they have posted two new articles with headlines about Coley Parry but no substance about CP or CG past the link
@DeGelderlander burying bad news about themselves along with their character
@DeGelderlander notified CG they will remove this after 24 hours, but the 23 discredited articles by Lammers will remain
No commitment to do better for their readers or @MijnVitesse
So much for journalistic integrity
RAAD VOOR DE JOURNALISTIEK:
Lex Lammers and De Gelderlander Failed Basic Journalistic Standards Regarding Common Group and Vitesse Arnhem
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A formal ruling by the Raad voor de Journalistiek, chaired by G.C. Makkink (who also serves as a justice of the Dutch Supreme Court), upheld all complaints by Common Group and Coley Parry that reporting by Lex Lammers and De Gelderlander (DPG Media) failed basic journalistic standards and lacked verifiable factual support for serious, damaging, repeated allegations that Common Group or Coley Parry secretly controlled Vitesse or were “persona non grata” in Dutch football, among other claims.
In his defense before the Council, Lammers stated that these claims were based on informal information from people around “the KNVB and the license committee,” which he said could not be confirmed in writing or otherwise independently verified. The Council rejected this as insufficient and found the allegations were wrongly presented as fact.
The Council further noted that correspondence from the KNVB, submitted in the proceedings by Common Group, expressly stated that neither the licensing committee nor the KNVB had ever described Coley Parry as persona non grata, banned, or blacklisted, nor used similar wording in any official communication or press release.
The Raad further concluded that such reporting was capable of causing serious reputational harm and has recommended that De Gelderlander publish the Council’s conclusion.
Coley Parry and Common Group thank the Raad voor de Journalistiek for its time, care, and clarity in its ruling.
We hope this decision also prompts broader reflection on how media narratives and regulatory processes can intersect in high-stakes licensing matters in Dutch football. Questions around the circular dynamic between the licensing committee and the media described by Lammers in his statements to the Council deserve careful scrutiny.
Common Group will have more to say in the coming days about how De Gelderlander reporting, which the Council found to lack sufficient factual support, was cited and relied upon by the KNVB during its investigation and process concerning the ultimate revocation of the club’s license.
https://t.co/WMPfjT6Kxs
A man of many great qualities, but most of all Phillip Cocu is a first class human being and a true leader. We move forward, but he should always be remembered as one of the people that stepped up for Vitesse during a difficult time to help stabilize the ship.
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