Dutch Football Association set up coronavirus relief fund

The KNVB have raised funds to support their teams affected by the impact of COVID-19 ©KNVB

The Dutch Football Association (KNVB) has set-up a relief fund to help amateur and professional clubs in The Netherlands recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through donations, measures and grants, the KNVB has raised a total of €11 million (£9.67 million/$11.9 million), according to the governing body.

"The total support from the KNVB for professional football consists of the accelerated provision of funds and the suspension of the repayments on the loans, that some clubs with the association have for six months, and the KNVB also goes out of its own reserves," a statement said.

"In this respect, the KNVB also expects mutual solidarity among the clubs, from the smallest professional football organisations to the clubs that play European football.

Er komt een financieel steunpakket voor voetbalclubs ter waarde van 11 miljoen euro. De donaties van de Oranjeteams en ING richten zich op het amateurvoetbal, de KNVB biedt zowel de betaaldvoetbalclubs als de amateurverenigingen steun.https://t.co/462BTfACMo pic.twitter.com/wZYOyRcaba
— KNVB (@KNVB) April 6, 2020

"All clubs are sorely needed for strong and attractive Dutch professional football competitions."

The Netherlands is one of the most affected countries by COVID-19 with more than 20,000 confirmed cases and over 2,200 people dying as a result in the nation.

Other support measures are also in place with one-off payments for clubs and associations from The Netherlands' Ministry of Economic Affairs.

The Netherlands have one of the best football leagues in Europe, with the most notable performance of late being Dutch football club Ajax's run to the Champions League semi-finals last season.

The KNVB hope to resume the 2019-2020 Dutch football season on June 19.