Jupiler League club Fortuna Sittard is less than 24 hours away from going out of business unless it can find €100,000 to plug the gap in its budget, director Joppe Sangen has told NOS Radio 1.

The Dutch football association (KNVB) has imposed a deadline of midday on Tuesday for the Limburg club to come up with the €900,000 it needs to balance the books until the end of the season. Part of this month’s wages could not be paid on time because of the financial difficulties.

‘Around €750,000 to €800,000 has come in so far, so we still need more than €100,000,’ Sangen said. ‘I am appealing to businesses in the Westelijke Mijnstreek [region] to ensure Fortuna does not disappear.’

The financial uncertainty in Sittard has already led to a €25,000 fine from the KNVB because the club’s annual accounts could not be signed off. Fortuna almost went bust at the start of the 2010/11, but a court reversed the KNVB’s decision to revoke the club’s licence.

The club, which was founded in 1968 as a fusion of Fortuna ’54 and Sittardia, currently stands 16^th in the Eerste Divisie. First team manager Peter van Vossen was dismissed in October because of the team’s poor form.