KNVB Cancels Almere Move, Remains in Zeist

The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) announced it will remain at its Zeist headquarters. The association abandoned a planned relocation to Almere after deeming a new complex in the polder financially risky.

The Zeist site currently hosts two football pitches used by the Dutch men’s and women’s senior national teams and the under‑21 side Jong Oranje. The KNVB had sought to add three additional fields to meet requirements for maintaining international top‑level training. Future plans also envision training facilities for the national youth squads at the Zeist complex.

Zeist municipality rejected the three‑field expansion because it would require extensive tree felling. The local animal shelter Dierentehuis Zeist warned that new pitches would place dogs’ outdoor enclosures under bright light, whistle signals and human noise.

The KNVB evaluated alternative sites in Rotterdam, Lelystad and Almere. Almere offered ample polder land for a dedicated KNVB campus. Sport councilor Paul Tang described the exploration as a “beautiful compliment” and highlighted Almere’s ambition and space for talent development.

Cost considerations prompted the KNVB to keep its focus on Zeist. Discussions with Zeist municipality and the province of Utrecht produced sufficient perspective to concentrate development on the existing site.

The likely outcome is the construction of three new pitches in Zeist, with any felled trees compensated by planting elsewhere. The KNVB has already acquired a parcel of land near Odijk, roughly one kilometre from Zeist, as part of the expansion plan.