Declarations of war at FC Volendam: “I never want to speak to you one-on-one again”

Jan Smit took over as chairman at FC Volendam on July 1, 2022 and lasted ‘only’ a year and five months. The Volendam Supervisory Board had issued official warnings in the form of a yellow card several times. According to Veerman, ‘frontal confrontations’ have taken place several times in the past year, culminating in a telephone conversation on November 21. “It is now war,” Chairman Smit said to Veerman at the time. “I never want to speak to you one-on-one again.”

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The special telephone conversation meant the third yellow card for Jan Smit and so the Supervisory Board took a decision on a proposed dismissal. It is striking that Veerman and Smit have had no personal contact with each other in the past week. “That’s a shame,” says Veerman about the fact that he fired Smit without speaking to him again. “I have been waiting for a rapprochement from the board over the past week.”

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Before Smit became chairman of FC Volendam, he was involved in various roles at the club. He served on the board for a total of ten years. His attraction for new sponsors was great.

“As an ambassador he has been terribly valuable,” says Veerman. “But he was a bad chairman.” The fear among supporters is that now that Smit has been fired, many sponsors will also leave the club.

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Jan Smit’s last achievement as chairman of FC Volendam took place last Wednesday. And that was not the least. Business director Frans ten Berge was fired immediately. That raised many eyebrows, because Smit already knew that he would also be fired.

End of suspension

“I can’t think of anything other than that it was a spiteful action. The dogs don’t like that,” says Veerman about Ten Berge’s dismissal. At the press conference he immediately ended the suspension of the business director. Veerman calls the suspension ‘completely unlawful’.

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Of course, Veerman also took matters into his own hands. He says that the Supervisory Board waited too long to make a decision and that the situation has festered for too long. Yet it was also a conceivable scenario that the Supervisory Board had resigned, but Veerman did not want that. “When there is chaos, order must be created.”

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After Jan Smit and board members Hans Bond, Corn Veerman and Gerben Matroos were dismissed, Team Jonk announced their departure at the end of the afternoon on Friday.

Team Jonk

Smit brought Wim Jonk to FC Volendam as a trainer in 2019. The club was completely overhauled and Jonk took a large number of his confidantes with him. Jasper van Leeuwen became technical director and Ruben Jongkind head of youth training. With this, Team Jonk suddenly got the keys to the club.

Earlier this year, the Supervisory Board found the influence of Team Jonk to be too great, but indicated that, as far as the Supervisory Board is concerned, they can stay on. “Team Jonk has not been part of the discussion.”

In the near future it will become clear what the new FC Volendam will look like. In any case, the Supervisory Board must look for a new board, a new chairman and a completely new technical staff. Until then, the daily management remains in the hands of the Supervisory Board.

On Saturday evening at 6.45 pm, FC Volendam will play at home against PEC Zwolle. Of course you can follow the match via our live blog.