Investigative journalism website Follow the Money has accused the board of the national football team’s fanclub of ‘financing years of gracious living’ at a cost of hundreds of thousands of euros a year.

Follow the Money bases its allegations on documents, bills and confidential annual financial statements from the Supportersclub foundation.

The contributions made by the 35,000 members of the club come to around €1m a year. However, hundreds of thousands of euros disappear into the pockets of its founders  who use it to finance private and business activities, the website says..

Vermeulen describes a party at the Sail event in 1995, which was charged to the Supportersclub to the tune of ‘tens of thousands’ but had no link with it at all.

The Supportersclub, which organises trips to qualification matches, access to Oranje matches, parties and other activities, is officially monitored by Dutch football association.

A spokesman for the club organisers said later on Wednesday: ‘the board did not get any financial compensation for their work other than the 3% licence fee agreed with the founders in 1996.’

The KNVB is expected to issue a reaction today, the Volkskrant said.