VVV

VVV originated from the association football club De Gouden Leeuw, which was founded by a group of friends in Venlo at the end of the nineteenth century. A few more name changes would occur, and the team was also known as Valuas for some time. Eventually, it was decided on 7 February 1903 to change the name to Venlose Voetbal Vereniging (VVV), the current name of the club. VVV wrote itself into the history books as one of the oldest clubs in Dutch professional football. In 1909, the clubs VITOS and THOR merged and became part of VVV. Quick followed in 1910.

During the first years of its existence, VVV could not enter the highest league of Dutch football. This was due to the fact that before the 1911–12 season, there was no first-tier Eerste Klasse in the southern Netherlands, but only Eastern and a Western Eerste Klasse. From the 1912–13 season, the South also competed in its own Eerste Klasse. VVV has been part of this since its introduction into Dutch football, with varying degrees of success. After the 1921–22 season, the club suffered relegation to the second-tier Tweede Klasse. Afterwards, the team played for some time in the Tweede Klasse, in which they won the championship during several seasons. They, however, failed to reach promotion to the Eerste Klasse again afterwards. After the end of World War II, the number of Eerste Klasse teams was expanded, which also included VVV. From 1948 to 1952, the club achieved fourth-place finishes in the Eerste Klasse.

VVV returned to the Eredivisie, the highest league in the Netherlands, by defeating RKC Waalwijk (3–0) in the promotion/relegation play-offs in the 2006–07 season. After one season in the Eredivisie, VVV-Venlo were relegated back to the Eerste Divisie. After a single season, VVV-Venlo won the 2008–09 Eerste Divisie title and returned to the Eredivisie.

In the 2009–10 season, the team booked its best league result since 1988 after finishing 12th in the Eredivisie. Another remarkable event was the transfer of star player Keisuke Honda to CSKA Moscow. They also signed toddler Baerke van der Meij on a symbolic ten-year contract, after a video featuring him scoring a hat trick into a toy box became popular. Honda was replaced by Gonzalo and the club signed Japanese player Maya Yoshida. The departure of Honda turned out to be a key point in the club's season. In the second half of the season, the team was not able to win matches and barely escaped from relegation.

At the end of the season, key players Ruben Schaken and Adil Auassar both signed with Feyenoord on a free transfer. Gonzalo returned to his employer Groningen, while Sandro Calabro signed with Swiss side St. Gallen. The club contracted Ruud Boymans and the Nigerian Ahmed Musa to strengthen the squad for the 2010–11 season. They avoided relegation, but it was a harsh season in which Jan van Dijk was fired and former international Patrick Paauwe terminated his contract after losing the competition from his competitors.

Belgian manager Glen De Boeck was signed for the next season, but failed to improve the results. As a result of that, he resigned in December 2011. Ton Lokhoff was recruited as the new manager and succeeded in avoiding relegation by winning the post-season play-offs. However, in the 2012–13 season, the club was relegated after losing the promotion/relegation play-offs against Go Ahead Eagles. The club finished fifth in its first Eerste Divisie season since its promotion in 2009. But again, the club bounced back and returned to the Eredivisie in 2017, after clinching promotion by defeating RKC Waalwijk. The club finished 15th and secured survival without the need for play-offs. In the following 2018–19 season, VVV improved its league position, finishing 12th.

In the summer of 2019, head coach Maurice Steijn left the club after five years in charge to take up a position in the United Arab Emirates. He was replaced by Robert Maaskant, whose tenure proved short-lived; after seven consecutive league defeats, he was dismissed in November 2019. Former player Jay Driessen served as interim head coach until the winter break, after which Hans de Koning was appointed on 1 January 2020. De Koning managed to lift VVV out of the relegation zone, ensuring the club's continued presence in the Eredivisie for the 2020–21 season.

During De Koning's tenure, VVV suffered a record-breaking 13–0 away defeat to Ajax on matchday six of the 2020–21 season, the heaviest loss in Eredivisie history. Following a run of seven consecutive defeats, De Koning was dismissed and replaced by Jos Luhukay on 17 March 2021. Luhukay was unable to prevent relegation, which was confirmed after a 3–1 away loss to Ajax on 13 May 2021. Despite relegation, the season included several notable achievements. Greek striker Giorgos Giakoumakis scored 26 league goals, becoming the first player in the club's history to finish as Eredivisie top goalscorer. VVV also reached the semi-finals of the 2020–21 KNVB Cup, their best cup performance since 1988.

Following relegation, VVV struggled to re-establish themselves in the Eerste Divisie. Although the club qualified for the promotion play-offs in 2023, they were eliminated in the semi-finals after a penalty shoot-out defeat to eventual promotees Almere City. Shortly thereafter, it emerged that the club was facing significant financial difficulties, leading to a scaling back of sporting ambitions and delaying plans for a swift return to the top flight. In August 2023, VVV initiated a WHOA (Dutch Act on Court Confirmation of Extrajudicial Restructuring Plans) procedure in an effort to restructure its debts and ensure financial continuity. On 1 February 2024, the District Court of Limburg approved the restructuring plan and the associated creditor agreement. The ruling relieved the club of a substantial portion of its outstanding debt, safeguarding its future.