Brøndby IF is a
DanishDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
professional
footballAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club based in
BrøndbyvesterBrøndbyvester is a Danish town, seat and main settlement of the Brøndby Municipality, in the Region Hovedstaden.-History:The town is the original core of Brøndby and sometimes is simply named in that way.-Geography:...
,
BrøndbyBrøndby Kommune is a municipality in the former Copenhagen County on the east coast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 21 km², and has a total population of 33,831...
, on the western outskirts of
CopenhagenCopenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
and is the biggest football club in Denmark with almost 2000 members. The club is also known as
Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening, or
Brøndby and
BIF for short. The club, founded in 1967 as a merger between two local Brøndby clubs, has won 10 national
Danish football championsThe Danish football champions are the winners of the highest league of football in Denmark. The title has been contested since 1913, in a varying form of competitions. Since 1991, the winners have been found through the Danish Superliga championship...
hip titles and six national
Danish CupThe Danish Cup is the official "knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955...
s, since the club joined the Danish top-flight football league in 1981.
Since the founding of fellow Copenhagen club
F.C. CopenhagenF.C. Copenhagen is a professional Danish football club in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is part of the Parken Sport & Entertainment....
in 1992, the two clubs have had a fierce rivalry, and the so-called "
New FirmThe New Firm is a Danish football rivalry between the two big Copenhagen-teams, F.C. Copenhagen and Brøndby IF. The name is a play on the Old Firm rivalry that exists between the two Scottish football teams, Rangers and Celtic...
" games between the two sides attract the biggest crowds in
Danish footballAssociation football is the national sport of Denmark, with 342,955 players and 1,647 clubs registered under the Danish FA.- League system :The top 4 levels in Denmark are governed by the Danish Football Association...
. From 1985 to 2005 the club won the championship 10 times and since 85 the club have only finished outside top 3 three times.
History
Brøndby IF started out in 1964 as an amateur club in the 6th of the 11 Danish leagues, the Serie 1, where they finished their two first seasons in fourth place. Among the players of the early years was team captain
Per BjerregaardPer Anders Bjerregaard is a Danish educated medical doctor and executive director and chairman of the board of Danish football club Brøndby IF. He also functions as the club's team doctor....
, a doctor who had moved to Copenhagen from
JutlandJutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
. In 1967, the club hired coach Leif Andersen who instantly secured promotion to Sjællandsserien (the Zealand series). After a few mediocre years a new coach John Sinding was brought in, and the club won promotion to Danmarksserien (the Denmark series).
In 1973 Per Bjerregaard stopped his active career at 27 years of age, and became chairman of Brøndby IF. His first action was to sack coach Sinding. In his place, Brøndby hired former professional and Danish national football team player
Finn LaudrupFinn Laudrup-Jensen is a Danish former association football player, who represented a number of Danish clubs and played professionally with Wiener Sport-Club in Austria. He played 19 matches and scored six goals for the Denmark national football team...
, who took over as head coach, while he still took actively part in the games as a player. Finn Laudrup joined his brother-in-law
Ebbe SkovdahlEbbe Skovdahl Hansen is a retired Danish football manager. He most prominently was a successful manager at Brøndby IF, for whom he had also played in his active years...
in the Brøndby team, and he brought his two young sons
BrianBrian Laudrup is a Danish former football player and current football commentator, pundit and analyst on TV3+. Along with former international goalkeeper Lars Høgh, Laudrup manages a football academy for marginalized youth...
and
Michael LaudrupMichael Laudrup is a retired Danish footballer, who works as a manager and last coached La Liga side RCD Mallorca. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of football. His most prominent run of football came with Spanish club Barcelona, with whom he won four straight La...
with him to the club. Under Finn Laudrup's influence, the playing style was changed to a more attacking strategy, even though Finn Laudrup decided to fully concentrate his efforts as a player after only a year. After winning promotion in 1974, Finn Laudrup left Brøndby in the 3rd Division in 1976 to play for
KBKjøbenhavns Boldklub or KB is a Danish sports club based in Copenhagen. The club was founded April 26, 1876 on the grassy fields in outer Copenhagen which later became Fælledparken. Football and cricket has been played in KB since 1879, making KB the oldest football club on Continental Europe and...
in the Danish top-flight league, then named 1st Division, and a year later Michael Laudrup, the brightest talent in Danish football, followed.
Professional football
In 1977 Brøndby moved up into the 2nd Division, and were one of the clubs who quickly adapted to the new times of paid football in the best Danish leagues in 1978. Per Bjerregaard persuaded
Finn LaudrupFinn Laudrup-Jensen is a Danish former association football player, who represented a number of Danish clubs and played professionally with Wiener Sport-Club in Austria. He played 19 matches and scored six goals for the Denmark national football team...
into returning to Brøndby IF in 1981 on a professional contract, and following a season of 85 goals in 30 games, Brøndby won promotion to the top-flight 1st Division under coach
Tom KøhlertTom Køhlert is a Danish former football player at, and former manager of, Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga.He started playing for Brøndby IF right from the beginning in 1964. He becam manager in 1981....
. Finn Laudrup subsequently ended his career, 36 years old, but in his place, Michael Laudrup returned for the 1982 season, being one of ten players leaving KB that year.
Brøndby IF won their 1st Division debut match 7–1 over fellow promoted team
B 1909Boldklubben 1909, known as B 1909, is a Danish association football club currently playing in the Denmark Series Pool 2. They play at Gillested Park in Odense on Funen, which has a capacity of 6,000...
, in a game that featured two goals from Michael Laudrup. He was subsequently called up for the Danish national team, and on 15 June 1982 he became the first Brøndby player to win a cap for Denmark. Brøndby finished their first 1st Division season in fourth place with Laudrup the league's third top goal scorer with 15 goals, which earned him the
Danish Player of the YearThe Danish Player of the Year award is an annual prize, which has been given to the best Danish football player by the Danish Football Player Association since 1963. The winner is decided in a vote amongst the professional Danish footballers....
award. In 1983, Laudrup was sold to
JuventusJuventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
in the then biggest transfer deal in Denmark, giving Brøndby IF the economic foundation to expand further.
After four years in the top division, Brøndby won their first Danish championship in
1985The 1985 Danish 1st Division season was the 40th season of the Danish 1st Division league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
and played its first European match when the club beat
HungarianHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
champions
Budapest Honvéd FCBudapest Honvéd FC |football]] team. "Honved" means the Homeland Defense. Originally formed as Kispest AC, they became Kispest FC in 1926 before reverting to their original name in 1944. The team enjoyed a golden age during the 1950s when it was renamed Budapest Honvéd SE and became the Hungarian...
4–1 in the 1986
European CupThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. In 1986, Brøndby became the first Danish club of fully professionals when ten players were signed full time, and the club was introduced at the
Copenhagen Stock ExchangeThe Copenhagen Stock Exchange or CSE is an international marketplace for Danish securities, including shares, bonds, treasury bills and notes, and financial futures and options...
in 1987.
European success
Throughout the second half of the 1980s the team dominated the league and didn't finish lower than a second place until 1992. The team was built around talented Danish players, and from 1987 to 1991 players from Brøndby won the Danish Player of the Year award every year. The recipients formed the backbone of the Danish national team which later won the 1992 European Championship (Euro 1992), and was the first goalscorer in the 2–0 Euro 1992 final win
John "Faxe" JensenJohn Jensen , nicknamed Faxe, is a former Danish international footballer who is unemployed. He is known for his temper and is often outspoken in interviews. His playing career lasted over a decade, during which he played most famously for Arsenal F.C...
(1987), national team captain
Lars OlsenLars Christian Olsen is a Danish former professional association football player and manager, who currently coaches Faroe Islands national team. He started his coaching career with Randers FC in 2003, guiding them to promotion for the Danish Superliga. He led the team to the 2006 Danish Cup...
(1988), the World's Best Goalkeeper 1992 and 1993 award winner
Peter SchmeichelPeter Bolesław Schmeichel MBE is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the "World's Best Goalkeeper" in 1992 and 1993...
(1989), four-time Danish Player of the Year award winner
Brian LaudrupBrian Laudrup is a Danish former football player and current football commentator, pundit and analyst on TV3+. Along with former international goalkeeper Lars Høgh, Laudrup manages a football academy for marginalized youth...
(1990) and the second goalscorer of the Euro 1992 final
Kim VilfortKim Vilfort is a former Danish professional football player who is now head talent scout at the Danish football club Brøndby IF...
(1991). The club became used to winning the national title and turned its attention towards European success.
In 1990 Brøndby hired former Danish national team captain
Morten OlsenMorten Per Olsen is a Danish football manager and former football player. He has been the head coach of the Danish national team since 2000, guiding Denmark to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2004 European Championship and 2010 FIFA World Cup...
as coach, and under his reign, the
1990–91 UEFA CupThe UEFA Cup 1990–91 was won by Internazionale on aggregate over Roma. This tournament also marked the return of English clubs after a five-year ban resulting from the Heysel Stadium Disaster in 1985...
became the high point in the short history of the club. Especially the meriting wins over
Eintracht FrankfurtEintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
and Bayer 04 Leverkusen from Germany and Russian club Torpedo Moscow saw the many Danish profiles shine, and the club was minutes from qualifying for the final game of the tournament. In the 88th minute of the semi-final, a
Rudi VöllerRudolf 'Rudi' Völler is a German former international football striker, and a former manager of the German national team...
goal denied Brøndby the final game of the Cup, in favour of AS Roma. Following the impressive European display by the comparatively small club, important members of the team, including Lars Olsen, top scoring
strikerForwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
Bent "Turbo" Christensen and the absolute star
Peter SchmeichelPeter Bolesław Schmeichel MBE is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the "World's Best Goalkeeper" in 1992 and 1993...
, left the club.
The following year, 1992, was the worst year in the club's history as the intended takeover of the Danish bank
InterbankInterbank is a Peruvian provider of financial services.-History:In 1897, Elias Mujica opened an agency at Jiron de la Union in Lima's historical center under the name of Banco Internacional...
went awry. It was expected that European Cup success would boost the Brøndby stock value in order to finance the buy, but as the club was beaten by Dynamo Kyiv in the
European Cup 1991-92The 1991–92 season of the European Cup football club tournament was won for the first time by Barcelona after extra time in the final against Sampdoria, giving Spain its first championship trophy since 1966. The winning goal was scored by Ronald Koeman with a free-kick. This was the last tournament...
qualification, the stocks never reached the value necessary to finalize the deal. It had been arranged for financial backers Hafnia to step in and take over the buy in case Brøndby could not finance it, but as Hafnia went bankrupt, Brøndby were forced to buy Interbank and financial collapse was imminent as club debts amassed to 400 million DKK. A long-term rescue plan was initiated to save the club, but these events influenced the performance of the team and the championship, now called the Danish Superliga, was not won again until
1996The 1995-96 Danish Superliga season was the 6th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
.
Rebuilding
The rebuilding of the team was led by head coach Ebbe Skovdahl, who deployed the team in a 4-4-2 formation. The return to the club of Euro 1992 veterans John "Faxe" Jensen and captain Lars Olsen combined with the emergence of goalkeeper
Mogens KroghMogens Krogh is a Danish retired professional football player who is currently the goalkeeper coach for the youth teams of Brøndby IF...
and striker
Ebbe SandEbbe Sand is a Danish former professional footballer who most notably played as a striker for FC Schalke 04 in Germany. He was the German Bundesliga top scorer in 2001, and he won the German Cup in 2001 and 2002 with Schalke...
got the club back on its feet. The rebuilding culminated in the
1995–96 UEFA CupThe UEFA Cup 1995-96 was won by Bayern Munich on aggregate over Bordeaux. Girondins de Bordeaux went to the finals all the way from the UEFA Intertoto Cup 1995....
elimination of the historically most successful English football team,
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, though AS Roma once again knocked Brøndby out. Including that year, Brøndby won three Danish championships in a row, and
the next year's UEFA CupThe UEFA Cup 1996-97 was won by Schalke 04 in penalties over Internazionale.This was the last year in which the UEFA Cup Final was played in a two-legged, home-and-away format...
saw one of the biggest upsets in Brøndby history, as a 3–1 home defeat to
Karlsruher SCKarlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. KSC rose out of the consolidation of a number of predecessor clubs. They currently play in the 2...
was changed to an aggregate win when Brøndby beat the team of
Euro 1996The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the...
winner
Thomas HäßlerThomas Jürgen "Icke" Häßler is a former German football midfielder and is currently a coach for 1. FC Köln. He was formerly a coach for the Nigeria national team....
5–0 away in Germany. Most importantly for the club's economy, Brøndby was the first Danish team to qualify for the new format of the European Cup, now called the UEFA Champions League. The Champions League qualification meant six guaranteed matches in a
group stageA round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
with three of the biggest teams of Europe, and when they were paired with
FC BarcelonaFutbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
and later finalists Manchester United and Bayern Munich, Brøndby faced very economically attractive games. Despite winning 2–1 over Bayern in the first game of the group stage, Brøndby conceded 18 goals in six matches and were eliminated with a single win to their name.
Skovdahl decided to take a stab at coaching at Scottish club
AberdeenAberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
and Brøndby took a more
ScandinaviaScandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n approach, in search of stable success in the European competitions with
NorwegianNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
club Rosenborg BK the role model. The club hired Norwegian manager
Åge HareideÅge Fridtjof Hareide is a Norwegian football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of Viking FK.-Playing career:During his playing career, Hareide played for Hødd, Molde, Manchester City and Norwich City....
in 2000, who proclaimed a shift in line-up to a more attacking 4-3-3 system. With Hareide came a handful of Scandinavian players of whom especially
Swedish national teamThe Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
player
Mattias JonsonMattias Jonson is a Swedish former professional football player, who played as a midfielder for Swedish club Djurgårdens IF in the Allsvenskan championship...
became a fan favourite.
2000 was also the year the club finalized a planned expansion of Brøndby Stadium from a 20,000 to a 29,000 capacity, making it the second largest stadium in Denmark, only trailing the
Parken StadiumParken Stadium is a football stadium in the Indre Østerbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark, built from 1990–1992. It currently has a capacity of 38,065 for football games, and is the home ground of F.C. Københaven and the Danish national football team...
of F.C. København. At the cost of 250 million DKK, the vast expenditure was seen as a sign that the club was out of its former financial crisis. The building project was finalized in Autumn 2000, and on 22 October, 28,416 spectators saw Brøndby beat
Akademisk BoldklubAkademisk Boldklub or AB is a Danish professional football club from Copenhagen,currently playing at the second highest level in Danish domestic football, the 1st Division.-History:...
4–2 in the opening game of the rebuilt stadium.
Hareide's visions of a 4–3–3 system never worked out, and the team soon returned to the well-known 4–4–2 setup. As he slowly lost hold of a 10 point lead to rivals FCK, gained in a great first half of the
2001–02 Superliga seasonThe 2001–02 Danish Superliga season was the 12th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
, Hareide took his leave in spring 2002 before the last games of the season. He was replaced by youth team coach Tom Køhlert who, though reluctant to take the job, gave first team debuts to the top youth team players, most notably
Thomas KahlenbergThomas Kahlenberg is a Danish footballer, who plays as an attacking midfielder for German team Wolfsburg. He started his career with Brøndby IF, winning two Danish Superliga championship, and played four seasons at French club AJ Auxerre...
, who helped the club narrowly secure the championship win on
goal differenceIn sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points....
.
The Michael Laudrup years
For the
2002–03 Superliga seasonThe 2002–03 Danish Superliga season was the 13th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
Brøndby caused sensation as they had convinced Michael Laudrup to return to manage his childhood club, with John "Faxe" his assistant. In their first season, the 33 man Brøndby team was divided into an A-squad of 23 players for the Superliga and a U-squad consisting mainly of youth players. The coaching duo let several players go in the process, as Laudrup "looked at the names and then assessed, who fits our style of play"; A 4-2-3-1 formation with a short-passing possession game, deploying two wide wingers.
Asbjørn SennelsAsbjørn Sennels is a Danish professional football player, who plays as a left back for Viborg FF in the Danish Superliga championship. He has played two games for the Denmark national football team.-Biography:...
, one of the newly acquired players under Michael Laudrup, became the 50th Brøndby player, since Laudrup himself in 1982, to represent his respective national team, when he played for Denmark in April 2004.
Michael Laudrup's greatest international triumph came in Brøndby's 100th European cup game, when Schalke 04 was eliminated on aggregate in the
2003–04 UEFA Cup. Brøndby then faced Laudrup's former high-profile club
FC BarcelonaFutbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, and was eliminated from the tournament. In the domestic competitions, winning
The DoubleThe Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
in the
2004–05 season-Events:* 20 July 2004: FC København won the Super Cup at Parken Stadium after a 2-1 victory against AaB.* 24 July 2004: The Superliga kicks off.* 31 July 2004: The 1st Division kicks off.* 31 July 2004: The 2nd Division kicks off....
is the most recent highlight for Brøndby. In May 2006, Laudrup announced that he, along with John "Faxe", did not accept the one-year contract extension offered by the club, and following three titles in four seasons, the pair left the club in June.
Years of crisis
The two were replaced by
DutchThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
coach
René MeulensteenRené Meulensteen is a Dutch football coach. He holds both the UEFA "A" and the Royal Dutch FA "TCI" coaching licenses. Meulensteen played football himself in the Dutch lower leagues as a midfielder but he retired from playing at the age of 29...
who had a rough start in charge of the first team. Together with newly appointed Anders Bjerregaard – son of director
Per BjerregaardPer Anders Bjerregaard is a Danish educated medical doctor and executive director and chairman of the board of Danish football club Brøndby IF. He also functions as the club's team doctor....
– René Meulensteen bought a number of questionable players in the final days of the summer transfer window. In the first games the new coach struggled with injuries among the key players and the team had problems living up to the expectations.
René Meulensteen resigned after six months, leaving Brøndby at a 7th place halfway through the
2006–07 Superliga seasonThe 2006–07 Danish Superliga season was the 17th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, which determined the winners of the Danish football championship. It was governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 19, 2006 to the final match on May...
. The official explanation for his departure was that his family couldn't settle in Denmark, but soon after, the former coach revealed major infrastructural problems in the club's organization calling the club "a very sick patient requiring immediate attention" as well as cliques inside the first team. In order to solve the clique problems he had gone to director
Per BjerregaardPer Anders Bjerregaard is a Danish educated medical doctor and executive director and chairman of the board of Danish football club Brøndby IF. He also functions as the club's team doctor....
to fire three key players –
Marcus LantzMarcus Lantz is a Swedish professional footballer, who playsas a holding midfielder for Landskrona BoIS in the Superettan championship. He has played six matches for the Sweden national football team....
,
Thomas RytterThomas Rytter Jakobsen is a retired Danish footballer who played as a right-back. In 2001 he won the Danish Superliga championship with F.C. Copenhagen, and most prominently played for Spanish club Sevilla and German club Wolfsburg...
and one club man
Per NielsenPer Lundgren Nielsen is a retired Danish professional football player who played in the central defense of Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga for his entire club career. With Brøndby, Nielsen won five Danish championships and three Danish Cups since his senior debut in 1993...
in order to reestablish the balance in the first team squad. A demand Danish football experts later described as the quickest way of getting sacked.
Tom Køhlert took the managerial reins once more, this time as a permanent solution on a 2½-year contract.
After losing 2–4 to
HorsensAC Horsens is a professional Danish football team, playing in the Danish Superliga championship. They play on Forum Horsens Stadion in Horsens. The club was founded in 1994, as a superstructure on Horsens fS and the merger of Dagnæs IF and B 1940; FC Horsens.-History:When the new team started in...
on 26 August, their 23rd consecutive away game without a victory, the team was greeted by approximately 200 furious fans and cries like "die mercenaries" and "we are Brøndby, who are you?" on their return to Copenhagen.
On 31 August 2007,
Per BjerregaardPer Anders Bjerregaard is a Danish educated medical doctor and executive director and chairman of the board of Danish football club Brøndby IF. He also functions as the club's team doctor....
announced that he resigned from the director seat, and instead took over as chairman of the board in Brøndby IF. Shortly after his resignation,
Peter SchmeichelPeter Bolesław Schmeichel MBE is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the "World's Best Goalkeeper" in 1992 and 1993...
announced that he was ready to buy Brøndby and become the director. The announcement divided the fans. Some praised the former player for trying to save the club, while others criticized him for bringing investor Aldo Petersen along who is a keen supporter and former stockholder of rivals FC Copenhagen. However, his offer was rejected, which by financial experts was rated as a good decision.
On 1 April 2008, Hermann Haraldsson was appointed to the vacant position.
A new beginning?
Following a disappointing beginning of the
2007–08 Superliga seasonThe 2007–08 Danish Superliga season was the 18th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, which determined the winners of the Danish football championship. It was governed by the Danish Football Association. It started with the first match on July 18, 2007 and ended with the final match...
with only 5 points in seven matches, manager Tom Køhlert made it clear in August 2007 that the
Danish CupThe Danish Cup is the official "knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955...
now had a higher priority for the club. The change of priorities was successful, and Brøndby won their first domestic title in almost three years on 1 May 2008 when
Esbjerg fBEsbjerg forenede Boldklubber also referred to as Esbjerg fB or simply EfB is a professional Danish football club from the port city of Esbjerg in West Jutland. The club was formed in 1924, as a merger between Esbjerg Boldklub af 1898 and Esbjerg Amatørklub af 1911. The club has training facilities...
were beaten 3–2 in the final of the
Danish Cup 2007-08The Danish Cups results of the 2007-2008 season. The first round were played about August 7 and the final was played on May 1.The cup winner qualified for the UEFA Cup.-First round:...
.
Soon after manager Tom Køhlert declared his job done and the club chairman
Per BjerregaardPer Anders Bjerregaard is a Danish educated medical doctor and executive director and chairman of the board of Danish football club Brøndby IF. He also functions as the club's team doctor....
searched for a new manager to be in charge of the first team. On 16 June 2008 the club announced the appointment of former player and head coach of
HorsensAC Horsens is a professional Danish football team, playing in the Danish Superliga championship. They play on Forum Horsens Stadion in Horsens. The club was founded in 1994, as a superstructure on Horsens fS and the merger of Dagnæs IF and B 1940; FC Horsens.-History:When the new team started in...
Kent Nielsen. Kent Nielsen took charge of the first team on 1 January 2009. The former legendary coach
Tom KøhlertTom Køhlert is a Danish former football player at, and former manager of, Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga.He started playing for Brøndby IF right from the beginning in 1964. He becam manager in 1981....
lead Brøndby to the first place, where they stayed until Kent Nielsen arrived.
On 1 July 2008, KasiGroup replaced Codan as the main sponsor of the club. The partnership involved a cooperation with UNICEF, making Brøndby the second club in Europe next to
FC BarcelonaFutbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
to wear the logo of UNICEF on their shirts. Furthermore KasiGroup entered a sponsorship for the stadium and promised substantial funds for taking the player squad to the next level. During the 2008 summer break this contributed to Brøndby transferring five new players with national team experience in order to strengthen the team.
Stadium
Brøndby have always played their games at
Brøndby StadiumBrøndby Stadium is the homeground of football club Brøndby IF, situated in the Greater Copenhagen area. It is referred to as Vilfort Park among Brøndby supporters, named after club legend Kim Vilfort.-History:...
. A part of the merging of Brøndbyvester IF and Brøndbyøster IF was a promise by the Brøndby municipality mayor to build a ground, and in 1965 it was ready for the club to play at. Through the first years in the secondary Danish leagues, the stadium was little more than a grass field with an
athleticsAthletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
track circling the field of play. It wasn't until 1978 that the main stand was built, sporting a capacity of 1,200 seated spectators. As newly promoted to the best Danish league in 1982, concrete terraces opposite the main stand were constructed, allowing for a crowd of 5,000 additional people. Following the first years of success in the highest Danish league, the athletic track was discarded and a further 2,000 seats were installed on top of the concrete stands from 1989 to 1990.
When Brøndby played games against other successful European teams in the 1990–91 UEFA Cup, the then capacity of up to 10,000 spectators was quickly dwarfed by the ticket interest. As the Danish national stadium
IdrætsparkenKøbenhavns Idrætspark, in daily use Idrætsparken, also known as Parken, was a multi-purpose stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was initially used as the stadium of Denmark national football team and Kjøbenhavns Boldklub. It was replaced by the Parken Stadium in 1992. The capacity of the stadium was...
in Copenhagen was being rebuilt, the club found no other way to host the games, but to get a dispensation to use
scaffoldingScaffolding is a temporary structure used to support people and material in the construction or repair of buildings and other large structures. It is usually a modular system of metal pipes or tubes, although it can be from other materials...
stands, which boosted the stadium capacity to 18,000 in the semi-final leg of the tournament, a 0–0 draw with AS Roma. Following the European adventure, the club inaugurated its end stands in 1992, allowing for a total of 22,000 spectators.
In May 1998, the club bought Brøndby Stadium from the Brøndby municipality for 23.5 million DKK and immediately spent double that amount to modernize the stadium. When the club qualified for the
UEFA Champions League 1998-99The 1998–99 UEFA Champions League was the seventh season of the UEFA Champions League, Europe's premier club football tournament, since it was renamed from the "European Champion Clubs' Cup" or "European Cup". The competition was won by Manchester United, coming back from a goal down in the last...
, the stadium was still under construction and the games were moved to arch rival F.C. København's Parken stadium. In 2000 all stands were standardized and built to the same height, allowing for crowds of 29,000 at domestic games and 22,000 in the European games, which allow only all-seated crowds. Since then, the stadium has seen a number of lesser or larger infrastructural and technical enhancements, and the February 2004 European game against FC Barcelona was played in front of a 26,031 man crowd.
Organization
Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening was founded on 3 December 1964 as a merger between two small clubs, Brøndbyvester IF from 1909 and Brøndbyøster IF from 1928, and was a broad sports association, including branches in football,
handballHandball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
,
gymnasticsGymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
and
badmintonBadminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
among others. In 1971 the club was split off into clubs for each individual sport, and Brøndby
mayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Kjeld Rasmussen became the first chairman of the footballing branch, which retained the name of Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening.
With the introduction of paid football in Denmark by the
Danish Football AssociationThe Danish Football Association is the governing body of football in Denmark. It is the organization of the Danish football clubs and runs the professional Danish football leagues and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in the city of Brøndby and is a founding member of both FIFA...
in 1978, the club split into an amateur and a professional department. The amateurs consisted of the various youth departments which had been the trademark of the club since the 1964 merger, as well as the numerous volunteers who service every match of the professional club for free. In 1987 the professional department, Brøndby IF Fodbold A/S, was the second football club in the world (with
TottenhamTottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
being the first) to float its
sharesA joint stock company divides its capital into units of equal denomination. Each unit is called a share. These units are offered for sale to raise capital. This is termed as issuing shares. A person who buys share/shares of the company is called a shareholder, and by acquiring share or shares in...
on a public
stock exchangeA stock exchange is an entity that provides services for stock brokers and traders to trade stocks, bonds, and other securities. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for issue and redemption of securities and other financial instruments, and capital events including the payment of income and...
. The shares were divided in A and B shares of equal value, with only the B shares for sale to the public. Each A share counts for ten votes and each B share counts for a single ownership vote, and the A shares were divided between three groups to prevent hostile takeovers; the volunteer amateur leaders of the club, the main sponsors of the club, and the company Euro Sportsholding, owned by Brøndby IF itself. The A shares accounted for 64% of the votes, and thereby the power in the club.
When the club was on the verge of financial collapse in 1992, the A shares posed as security to the creditors, until the club was saved and the shares were sold for the symbolic amount of 1 DKK to the newly founded Brøndbyernes IF Fodbold Fond, which strives to keep Brøndby IF controlled by the amateur department. The shares are currently divided into 355,000 A and 3,500,000 B shares, with Brøndbyernes IF Fodbold Fond owning 300,000 of the A shares, accounting for 42.6% of the total votes.
Supporters
Brøndby Support is the official fanclub of Brøndby IF. It was founded in the beginning of 1993, with the first official meeting held 30 September 1987 and has approximately 12000 members. Unfortunately the club also has hooligans that since the early 1990s continues to scar the club's reputation.
Squads and players
- See also Brøndby IF players
More than 300 players have represented Brøndby in the Danish leagues, cups and the European competitions since 1964.
2011–12 squad
- As of August 9, 2011.
A-talent squad
Out on loan
Apart from the main A-squad which plays in the Danish Superliga, Brøndby have a reserve team, the A-talent squad, which plays in the reserve team league under coach Peer F. Hansen, as well as many various youth teams. As only 18 players are allowed in each Superliga match (11 starting players plus seven substitutes) it is common practice to have spare players from the A-squad assist the A-talent in their games.
Player of the year
Starting from 1980, the club has annually named its player of the year. Players still playing for the club are marked in
bold:
|
|
1990  Peter SchmeichelPeter Bolesław Schmeichel MBE is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the "World's Best Goalkeeper" in 1992 and 1993...
1991 Kim VilfortKim Vilfort is a former Danish professional football player who is now head talent scout at the Danish football club Brøndby IF...
1992  Uche Okechukwu
1993 Jes HøghJes Høgh is a former Danish football player. He played 57 matches and scored 1 goal for the Danish national football team, and Høgh represented Denmark at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, as well as the UEFA Euro 1996 and UEFA Euro 2000 tournaments...
1994 Ole BjurOle Bjur is a former Danish professional football player, who played a total 384 matches for Danish club Brøndby IF, with whom he won three Danish Superliga championships. He played as an attacking midfielder or right midfielder, with a good technique and dribbling ability...
1995 Allan Nielsen
1996 Søren ColdingSøren Colding is a Danish former professional football player, who most prominently captained Danish club Brøndby IF and VfL Bochum in Germany from his position of right back. He represented the Denmark national football team in 27 matches, and he was a participant at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and...
1997 Ebbe SandEbbe Sand is a Danish former professional footballer who most notably played as a striker for FC Schalke 04 in Germany. He was the German Bundesliga top scorer in 2001, and he won the German Cup in 2001 and 2002 with Schalke...
1998 Kim DaugaardKim Daugaard Hansen is a Danish former professional football player, who played as a midfielder for Brøndby IF for his entire career. He played more than 450 games for the club, and won five Danish Superliga championships and five Danish Cup titles, and was named 1998 Brøndby IF Player of the Year...
1999 Mogens KroghMogens Krogh is a Danish retired professional football player who is currently the goalkeeper coach for the youth teams of Brøndby IF...
|
2000 Dan Anton Johansen Dan Anton Johansen is a Danish professional footballer currently playing for Hvidovre IF. Johansen started his career with Danish team Brøndby IF in 1999, with whom he won the 2002 and 2005 Danish Superliga championships...
2001  Krister NordinHans Krister Nordin is a Swedish former professional football player, who played the bulk of his career with Swedish club AIK Fotboll in the Allsvenskan championship. He played two matches for the Sweden national under-21 football team.Born in Stockholm, Nordin started playing football with local...
2002  Aurelijus SkarbaliusAurelijus "Auri" Skarbalius is a head-coach and former Lithuanian professional footballer, who started his career as a winger, but played mostly as either left- or right-sided fullback...
2003 Per NielsenPer Lundgren Nielsen is a retired Danish professional football player who played in the central defense of Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga for his entire club career. With Brøndby, Nielsen won five Danish championships and three Danish Cups since his senior debut in 1993...
2004 Martin RetovMartin Retov is a Danish professional football player, who currently plays as a central midfielder for AC Horsens in the Superliga. He has played more than 200 games for Brøndby IF.-Career:...
2005 Johan ElmanderJohan Erik Calvin Elmander is a Swedish footballer who plays as a striker for Galatasaray and the Sweden national football team. He joined in a free transfer after his contract with English club Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League expired...
2006 Per Nielsen (2)
2007  Mark HowardMark James Howard is an English footballer who plays for Danish Superliga side AGF as a defender. Mark has played with Wayne Rooney in his time at Manchester United, where he also knows another AGF-player Adam Eckersley from....
2008 Thomas RasmussenThomas Schultz Rasmussen is a Danish footballer who plays as a left wingback for Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga. He has played eight games as for the Denmark national football team, both as wingback and attacking midfielder.-Career:Born at Frederiksberg in Copenhagen, Rasmussen started his...
2009 Stephan AndersenStephan Maigaard Andersen is a Danish professional football player, who plays as a goalkeeper for Évian in the Ligue 1...
|
2010 Michael Krohn-Dehli Michael Krohn-Dehli is a Danish footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Danish club Brøndby IF.- Career :...
|
Wall of Honour
Since Michael Laudrup became the first player to represent Brøndby IF in the Danish national team in June 1982, more than 60 players have donned the national team jersey of their respective countries. Apart from Denmark, players from
NigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
,
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
,
LithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
,
Burkina FasoBurkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
,
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
,
Faroe IslandsThe Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
,
MoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
,
IcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
,
ZambiaZambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Gambia and USA have represented their countries. The players are displayed on the "Wall of Honour", according to their year of national team debut. Players still playing for the club are marked in
bold:
1980s
Michael LaudrupMichael Laudrup is a retired Danish footballer, who works as a manager and last coached La Liga side RCD Mallorca. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of football. His most prominent run of football came with Spanish club Barcelona, with whom he won four straight La...
(1982) Ole Madsen (1983)
Brian ChrøisBrian Chrøis is a Danish former footballer, who scored 68 goals in 239 games as a defensive midfielder for Danish club Brøndby IF. He scored a single goal in seven games for the Denmark national football team.-Biography:...
(1983) Ole Østergaard (1983)
Lars LundeLars Lunde is a Danish former professional football player, who played in the striker position. Lunde got his breakthrough with Brøndby IF in 1983, and he made his debut for the Denmark national football team in October 1983. He was sold to Young Boys Bern in Switzerland, before moving to German...
(1983)
Kim ChristofteKim Piitala Christofte is a former Danish professional footballer, who was part of the Denmark national football team that won the 1992 European Championship...
(1984)
John HeltJohn Helt is a Danish former football player in the midfielder position.-Club career:He made his first team debut in 1978 with Lyngby Boldklub, with whom he won the 1983 Danish championship and 1984 Danish Cup trophies. He moved to play for league rivals Brøndby IF where he won the 1985 Danish...
(1985)
Lars OlsenLars Christian Olsen is a Danish former professional association football player and manager, who currently coaches Faroe Islands national team. He started his coaching career with Randers FC in 2003, guiding them to promotion for the Danish Superliga. He led the team to the 2006 Danish Cup...
(1986)
John "Faxe" JensenJohn Jensen , nicknamed Faxe, is a former Danish international footballer who is unemployed. He is known for his temper and is often outspoken in interviews. His playing career lasted over a decade, during which he played most famously for Arsenal F.C...
(1986)
Claus NielsenClaus Illemann Nielsen , known as Claus Nielsen, is a Danish former association football player in the striker position...
(1986)
Kim VilfortKim Vilfort is a former Danish professional football player who is now head talent scout at the Danish football club Brøndby IF...
(1987) Per Steffensen (1987)
Brian LaudrupBrian Laudrup is a Danish former football player and current football commentator, pundit and analyst on TV3+. Along with former international goalkeeper Lars Høgh, Laudrup manages a football academy for marginalized youth...
(1987)
Kent NielsenKent Nielsen is a Danish association football manager and former player, who was named 2006 Danish Coach of the Year. He is the current head coach of Aalborg BK....
(1987)
Peter SchmeichelPeter Bolesław Schmeichel MBE is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the "World's Best Goalkeeper" in 1992 and 1993...
(1987)
Bjarne JensenBjarne Jensen is a retired Danish football player, who played the majority of his career in Brøndby IF.He has played four games for the Danish national football team, but never scored any goals....
(1988)
Jan BartramJan Lewis Bartram , known simply as Jan Bartram, is a Danish former professional association football player in the midfielder position. He played for Scottish team Rangers F.C. and Bayer 05 Uerdingen in Germany, as well as Danish teams AGF and Brøndby IF...
(1988) Bent Christensen (1989)
Per FrimannPer Frimann Hansen is a Danish former football player. He most notably played as a midfielder for Belgian club RSC Anderlecht, with whom he won three Belgian Jupiler League championships, as well as the 1983 UEFA Cup...
(1989)
1990s:
Erik RasmussenErik Sandvad Rasmussen , nicknamed "The Wizard" and "TryllErik", is a former Danish football player and manager. He played two games for the Denmark national football team.-Player:...
(1990)
Uche Okechukwu (1990) Friday Elahor (1990) Brian Jensen (1991)
Frank PingelFrank Pingel is a former Danish footballer, who played in the striker position.He most notably represented Danish teams AGF Aarhus and Brøndby, as well as foreign clubs Newcastle United, 1860 München, Bursaspor, Fenerbahçe and Lille. He played 11 games and scored five goals for the Denmark...
(1991)
Mogens KroghMogens Krogh is a Danish retired professional football player who is currently the goalkeeper coach for the youth teams of Brøndby IF...
(1992)
Marc RieperMarc Rieper-Jensen is a Danish former professional football player, who most notably played as a central defender for English club West Ham United F.C. and Celtic F.C. from Scotland...
(1992)
Mark StrudalMark Agner Boecking Strudal is a retired Danish footballer who played as a striker and scored three goals in nine games for the Danish national team...
(1993)
Jes HøghJes Høgh is a former Danish football player. He played 57 matches and scored 1 goal for the Danish national football team, and Høgh represented Denmark at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, as well as the UEFA Euro 1996 and UEFA Euro 2000 tournaments...
(1993)
Dan EggenDan Eggen is a Norwegian football coach and former player. He is currently coaching Kolbotn IL in the Norwegian Premier League for women. He was capped 25 times for Norway, scoring two goals.-Biography:...
(1993)
Jesper KristensenJesper Kristensen is a Danish former football player, who played 129 games for Danish team Brøndby IF in the midfielder position. He played four games for the Denmark national football team, with whom he won the 1995 King Fahd Cup.Born in Esbjerg, Kristensen started his career with lower league...
(1994)
Jens Risager (1994)
Bo HansenBo Jannik Nyby Hansen is a Danish former football player in the striker position. He scored 52 goals in 143 games for Danish club Brøndby IF and 16 goals in 119 games for English club Bolton Wanderers. Hansen has played one game for the Denmark national football team.-Biography:Hansen started his...
(1995)
Allan Nielsen
(1995)
Peter MøllerPeter Møller-Nielsen is a Danish former professional football player who became a sports journalist after ending his football career in December 2005. He won three Danish Superliga championships for the rival clubs Brøndby IF and F.C. Copenhagen, and became the most scoring Superliga player ever...
(1996)
Ole BjurOle Bjur is a former Danish professional football player, who played a total 384 matches for Danish club Brøndby IF, with whom he won three Danish Superliga championships. He played as an attacking midfielder or right midfielder, with a good technique and dribbling ability...
(1996)
Søren ColdingSøren Colding is a Danish former professional football player, who most prominently captained Danish club Brøndby IF and VfL Bochum in Germany from his position of right back. He represented the Denmark national football team in 27 matches, and he was a participant at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and...
(1996) Auri Skarbalius (1996)
Ebbe SandEbbe Sand is a Danish former professional footballer who most notably played as a striker for FC Schalke 04 in Germany. He was the German Bundesliga top scorer in 2001, and he won the German Cup in 2001 and 2002 with Schalke...
(1998)
Oumar BarroOumar Barro is a Burkinabé footballer. As of 2006, he plays for Rail Club du Kadiogo.-Career:Barro represented the Burkinabé national team at the 1998 African Nations Cup tournament, which finished fourth after losing to Congo DR on penalties in the bronze final...
(1999)
2000s: Magnus Svensson (2000)
Mattias JonsonMattias Jonson is a Swedish former professional football player, who played as a midfielder for Swedish club Djurgårdens IF in the Allsvenskan championship...
(2000)
Peter MadsenPeter Planch Madsen is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Lyngby Boldklub on loan from Brøndby IF...
(2001)
Mads JørgensenLars "Mads" Jørgensen is a Danish former professional football player, who played as an attacking midfielder and won two Danish Superliga championships and two Danish Cup trophies with Brøndby IF. He started his career with AGF Aarhus, before moving to Brøndby, and abroad to play for A.C. Ancona...
(2001)
Morten WieghorstMorten Wieghorst is a Danish association football manager and former player. He is the manager of the Denmark national under-21 football team and the former manager of FC Nordsjælland in the Danish Superliga whom he guided to the 2010 and 2011 Danish Cup trophy.During his active career, Wieghorst...
(2002)
Per NielsenPer Lundgren Nielsen is a retired Danish professional football player who played in the central defense of Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga for his entire club career. With Brøndby, Nielsen won five Danish championships and three Danish Cups since his senior debut in 1993...
(2002)
Jón Rói JacobsenJón Rói Jacobsen is a Faroese football defender currently playing for BK Frem.-Club career:Jacobsen started his career as a striker for HB Torshavn, scoring 12 goals in the 2002 league season to end up 3rd in that seasons' goalscorers chart...
(2003)
Thomas KahlenbergThomas Kahlenberg is a Danish footballer, who plays as an attacking midfielder for German team Wolfsburg. He started his career with Brøndby IF, winning two Danish Superliga championship, and played four seasons at French club AJ Auxerre...
(2003)
Andreas JakobssonBo Janne Andreas Jakobsson is a Swedish professional football player in the defender position and the Defensive Midfielder...
(2003)
Karim ZazaKarim Zaza is a Danish-Moroccan professional footballer, who currently plays for the Danish 1st Division side FC Hjørring. Born in Denmark to Moroccan parents, he established himself as one of the top goalkeepers of Danish football with three consecutive Danish Goalkeeper of the Year awards from...
(2004)
Asbjørn SennelsAsbjørn Sennels is a Danish professional football player, who plays as a left back for Viborg FF in the Danish Superliga championship. He has played two games for the Denmark national football team.-Biography:...
(2004)
Martin RetovMartin Retov is a Danish professional football player, who currently plays as a central midfielder for AC Horsens in the Superliga. He has played more than 200 games for Brøndby IF.-Career:...
(2004)
Morten SkouboMorten Skoubo is a Danish professional footballer who plays for Odense Boldklub. Skoubo's strength on the playing field is most notably his physical strength, height and heading power, which makes him a typical targetman in the attack...
(2004)
Johan ElmanderJohan Erik Calvin Elmander is a Swedish footballer who plays as a striker for Galatasaray and the Sweden national football team. He joined in a free transfer after his contract with English club Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League expired...
(2004)
Daniel AggerDaniel Munthe Agger is a Danish footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Denmark national football team. He started his senior career at Danish club Brøndby IF in July 2004, with whom he won the 2005 Danish Superliga championship. The Liverpool fans have created a song for him to the tune of...
(2005)
Hannes SigurðssonHannes Þorsteinn Sigurðsson is an Icelandic football player who, plays for Russian Premier League club PFC Spartak Nalchik...
(2006)
Martin EricssonMartin Ericsson is a Swedish professional footballer, who plays as an attacking midfielder for IF Elfsborg in Allsvenskan. He has played seven matches for the Sweden national football team....
(2006) Chris Katongo (2007)
Stefán GíslasonStefán Gíslason is an Icelandic footballer who currently plays for Lillestrøm SK. He is a defensive midfielder renowned for coupling physical power with great technique...
(2007)
Samuel HolménSamuel Holmén is a Swedish professional football midfielder, currently playing for the Turkish League side İstanbul BB.-Elfsborg:...
(2008)
Thomas RasmussenThomas Schultz Rasmussen is a Danish footballer who plays as a left wingback for Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga. He has played eight games as for the Denmark national football team, both as wingback and attacking midfielder.-Career:Born at Frederiksberg in Copenhagen, Rasmussen started his...
(2008)
Anders RandrupAnders Degn Randrup is a Danish footballer. He currently plays as a right back for Danish Superliga side Brøndby IF and the Danish national team....
(2008)
David WilliamsDavid Williams is an Indigenous Australian professional football player who is currently playing for Hyundai A-League club Melbourne Heart.-Youth career:...
(2008)
Max von SchlebrüggeMax von Schlebrügge is a Swedish footballer. He plays centre back for Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga.He was signed by Brøndby in January 2008 from Anderlecht from Belgium....
(2008)
Stephan AndersenStephan Maigaard Andersen is a Danish professional football player, who plays as a goalkeeper for Évian in the Ligue 1...
(2008)
Ousman JallowOusman Jallow is a Gambian footballer who is currently playing for Turkish second-tier Çaykur Rizespor. He plays as a striker.-Early career:...
(2008)
Michael Krohn-DehliMichael Krohn-Dehli is a Danish footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Danish club Brøndby IF.- Career :...
(2008) Morten "Duncan" Rasmussen (2008)
Mikael Nilsson (2009)
Martin BernburgMartin Løfqvist Bernburg is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga and the Danish national team.-F.C. Copenhagen:...
(2009)
2010s:
Mike Jensen (2010)
Daniel WassDaniel Wass is a Danish football player who plays for French side Evian Thonon Gaillard F.C. on loan from Benfica. His natural role is as right defender, but Wass has also been used as right winger.-Youth career:...
(2011)
Brent McGrathBrent McGrath is an Australian football player who currently plays for Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga. He plays as a striker.-Junior Representative to International:...
(2011)
Clarence GoodsonClarence Goodson is an American professional soccer player who currently plays defender for Brøndby in Denmark, with whom he signed a three-year deal in November 2010.-Career:...
(2011)
Dennis RommedahlDennis Rommedahl is a Danish footballer, who currently plays as a right winger for Brøndby IF. He has played 112 matches and scored 21 goals for the Danish national side. Rommedahl was selected for the Danish squads at the 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004 and the 2010 World Cup...
(2011)
Staff
Head Coach
Assistant Coaches
- Kim Daugaard
Kim Daugaard Hansen is a Danish former professional football player, who played as a midfielder for Brøndby IF for his entire career. He played more than 450 games for the club, and won five Danish Superliga championships and five Danish Cup titles, and was named 1998 Brøndby IF Player of the Year...
- Peer F. Hansen
Fitness Coach
Goalkeeper Coach
- Morten Cramer
Morten Cramer , is a Danish educated police man, who formerly plays professional football as a goalkeeper at Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga. He has played one national youth team match for the Denmark national under-21 football team...
- Lars Høgh
Poul Lars Høgh Pedersen is a Danish former football player, who played his entire career as a goalkeeper for Odense BK. He won three Danish football championships and three Danish Cup trophies with OB, and won the Danish Best Goalkeeper of the Year award five times...
Former managers
Listed according to when they became managers for Brøndby IF (years in parentheses):
1960s: Egon Knudsen (1964) Leif Andersen (1967) Ib Jensen (1969)
1970s: John Sinding (1970) Mogens Johansen (1972)
Finn LaudrupFinn Laudrup-Jensen is a Danish former association football player, who represented a number of Danish clubs and played professionally with Wiener Sport-Club in Austria. He played 19 matches and scored six goals for the Denmark national football team...
(1973) Kaj Møller (1974) John Sinding (1975) Jørgen Hvidemose (1977)
1980s:
Tom KøhlertTom Køhlert is a Danish former football player at, and former manager of, Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga.He started playing for Brøndby IF right from the beginning in 1964. He becam manager in 1981....
(1980)
Ebbe SkovdahlEbbe Skovdahl Hansen is a retired Danish football manager. He most prominently was a successful manager at Brøndby IF, for whom he had also played in his active years...
(1986) Birger Peitersen (1987)
Ebbe SkovdahlEbbe Skovdahl Hansen is a retired Danish football manager. He most prominently was a successful manager at Brøndby IF, for whom he had also played in his active years...
(1988)
1990s:
Morten OlsenMorten Per Olsen is a Danish football manager and former football player. He has been the head coach of the Danish national team since 2000, guiding Denmark to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2004 European Championship and 2010 FIFA World Cup...
(1990)
Ebbe SkovdahlEbbe Skovdahl Hansen is a retired Danish football manager. He most prominently was a successful manager at Brøndby IF, for whom he had also played in his active years...
(1992)
Tom KøhlertTom Køhlert is a Danish former football player at, and former manager of, Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga.He started playing for Brøndby IF right from the beginning in 1964. He becam manager in 1981....
(1999,
caretakerIn association football, a caretaker manager is someone who takes temporary charge of the management of a football club, usually when the regular manager is dismissed or leaves for a different club. However, a caretaker may also be appointed if the regular manager is ill or unable to attend to his...
)
2000s:
Åge HareideÅge Fridtjof Hareide is a Norwegian football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of Viking FK.-Playing career:During his playing career, Hareide played for Hødd, Molde, Manchester City and Norwich City....
(2000)
Tom KøhlertTom Køhlert is a Danish former football player at, and former manager of, Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga.He started playing for Brøndby IF right from the beginning in 1964. He becam manager in 1981....
(2002, caretaker)
Michael LaudrupMichael Laudrup is a retired Danish footballer, who works as a manager and last coached La Liga side RCD Mallorca. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of football. His most prominent run of football came with Spanish club Barcelona, with whom he won four straight La...
(2002)
René MeulensteenRené Meulensteen is a Dutch football coach. He holds both the UEFA "A" and the Royal Dutch FA "TCI" coaching licenses. Meulensteen played football himself in the Dutch lower leagues as a midfielder but he retired from playing at the age of 29...
(2006)
Tom KøhlertTom Køhlert is a Danish former football player at, and former manager of, Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga.He started playing for Brøndby IF right from the beginning in 1964. He becam manager in 1981....
(2007) Kent Nielsen (2009)
2010s: Henrik Jensen (2010)
Achievements
- Danish Football Championship
The Danish football champions are the winners of the highest league of football in Denmark. The title has been contested since 1913, in a varying form of competitions. Since 1991, the winners have been found through the Danish Superliga championship...
- Winners (10 titles): 1985
The 1985 Danish 1st Division season was the 40th season of the Danish 1st Division league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
, 1987The 1987 Danish 1st Division season was the 42nd season of the Danish 1st Division league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
, 1988The 1988 Danish 1st Division season was the 43rd season of the Danish 1st Division league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
, 1990The 1990 Danish 1st Division season was the 45th season of the Danish 1st Division, and the last in which it was the country's top flight. At the end of the season the new Danish Superliga was formed as the country's new top division....
, 1991The 1991 Danish Superliga season was the 1st season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association.After about 33 years it had been decided to abandon the format where the league would follow the calendar year, therefore the first superliga season was a...
, 1995–96The 1995-96 Danish Superliga season was the 6th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
, 1996–97The 1996-97 Danish Superliga season was the 7th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
, 1997–98The 1997-98 Danish Superliga season was the 8th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 25, 1997 to final match on June 1, 1998....
, 2001–02The 2001–02 Danish Superliga season was the 12th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
, 2004–05The 2004-05 Danish Superliga season was the 15th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 24, 2004 to the final match on June 19, 2005....
- Runner-up (9 placings): 1986
The 1986 Danish 1st Division season was the 41st season of the Danish 1st Division league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
, 1989The 1989 Danish 1st Division season was the 44th season of the Danish 1st Division league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
, 1994–95The 1994-95 Danish Superliga season was the 5th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
, 1998–99The 1998-99 Danish Superliga season was the 9th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 26, 1998 to final match on June 16, 1999....
, 1999–2000The 1999–2000 Danish Superliga season was the 10th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
, 2000–01The 2000–01 Danish Superliga season was the 11th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
, 2002–03The 2002–03 Danish Superliga season was the 13th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
, 2003–04The 2003-04 Danish Superliga season was the 14th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 26, 2003 to the final match on May 29, 2004....
, 2005–06The 2005-06 Danish Superliga season was the 16th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 19, 2005 to the final match on May 14, 2006....
- Danish Cup
The Danish Cup is the official "knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955...
- Winners (6 titles): 1988–89, 1993–94, 1997–98, 2002–03
The Danish Cups results of the 2002-2003 season. The final was played on May 29, 2003.The cup winner qualified for UEFA Cup qualification.-1st round:...
, 2004–05The Danish Cups results of the 2004-2005 season. First round was played on about July 28 and the final was played on May 5.Brøndby IF ended as cup winner, but when they also won the Danish Superliga, the UEFA Cup-spot went to the cup runner-up FC Midtjylland.-1st round:In first round competed 48...
, 2007–08The Danish Cups results of the 2007-2008 season. The first round were played about August 7 and the final was played on May 1.The cup winner qualified for the UEFA Cup.-First round:...
- Runner-up: 1987–88, 1995–96
- Danish League Cup
The Danish League Cup, is a former football competition, arranged by Divisionsforeningen, for all the top level Danish football teams. The competition has existed in various formats, with the exact name of the league depending on the sponsor. For instance the Danish League Cup was named Carlsberg...
- Winners (2 titles): 2005, 2006
- Danish Super Cup
- Winners (4 titles): 1994, 1996, 1997, 2002
- European Cup and UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
(6 participations)
- Quarter-finals: 1986–87
The season 1986–87 of the European Cup football club tournament was won by Porto, coming from behind in the final against Bayern Munich, giving Portugal its first title since 1962....
- Group stage: 1998–99
- UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
(12 participations)
- Semi-finals: 1991
The UEFA Cup 1990–91 was won by Internazionale on aggregate over Roma. This tournament also marked the return of English clubs after a five-year ban resulting from the Heysel Stadium Disaster in 1985...
- Quarter-finals: 1997
The UEFA Cup 1996-97 was won by Schalke 04 in penalties over Internazionale.This was the last year in which the UEFA Cup Final was played in a two-legged, home-and-away format...
- Royal League
The Royal League was an annual Scandinavian football tournament held three times between teams from the three Scandinavian monarchies , starting after the end of the regular domestic seasons of Norway and Sweden. Denmark, however, are in mid-season when the tournament starts...
(3 participations)
- Winners: 2006–07
-Rules:The twelve participating teams are placed into three groups of four clubs each. The teams of each group face each other home and away. The group winners and runners-up qualify for the quarter-finals, along with the two best 3rd placed teams. As opposed to the previous edition of the...
- 26 seasons in the Highest Danish League
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
- 4 seasons in the Second Highest Danish League
The 1st Division has been the name of the second highest football league in Denmark since 1991. From 1945 to 1991 the 1st Division was the name of the highest level of football in Denmark...
- 3 seasons in the Third Highest Danish League
The 2nd Division is the third tier Danish football league, just after the 1st Division.It was founded in 1945, after World War II, as the second-best Danish football division. When the Danish Superliga was founded in 1991, the 2nd Division became the third level league...
Records
- Home victory, Danish Superliga: 7–0 vs. Herfølge BK, 11 July 2005
- Away victory, Danish Superliga: 7–0 vs. Esbjerg fB
Esbjerg forenede Boldklubber also referred to as Esbjerg fB or simply EfB is a professional Danish football club from the port city of Esbjerg in West Jutland. The club was formed in 1924, as a merger between Esbjerg Boldklub af 1898 and Esbjerg Amatørklub af 1911. The club has training facilities...
, 26 August 2001
- Home loss, Danish Superliga: 1–6 vs. Esbjerg fB
Esbjerg forenede Boldklubber also referred to as Esbjerg fB or simply EfB is a professional Danish football club from the port city of Esbjerg in West Jutland. The club was formed in 1924, as a merger between Esbjerg Boldklub af 1898 and Esbjerg Amatørklub af 1911. The club has training facilities...
, 14 March 2004
- Away Loss, Danish Superliga: 0–5 vs. FC Midtjylland
FC Midtjylland is a professional Danish football team from Herning and Ikast. The team is a result of a merger between Ikast FS and Herning Fremad...
, 29 July 2007
- Highest attendance, Brøndby Stadium
Brøndby Stadium is the homeground of football club Brøndby IF, situated in the Greater Copenhagen area. It is referred to as Vilfort Park among Brøndby supporters, named after club legend Kim Vilfort.-History:...
: 31,508 vs. F.C. CopenhagenF.C. Copenhagen is a professional Danish football club in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is part of the Parken Sport & Entertainment....
, 18 June 2003
- Highest average home attendance, season: 18,204, 2004–05
The 2004-05 Danish Superliga season was the 15th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 24, 2004 to the final match on June 19, 2005....
- Most appearances, European games: 70, Per Nielsen
Per Lundgren Nielsen is a retired Danish professional football player who played in the central defense of Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga for his entire club career. With Brøndby, Nielsen won five Danish championships and three Danish Cups since his senior debut in 1993...
- Most appearances, total: 556, Bjarne Jensen
Bjarne Jensen is a retired Danish football player, who played the majority of his career in Brøndby IF.He has played four games for the Danish national football team, but never scored any goals....
- Most goals scored, season, Danish Superliga: 28, Ebbe Sand
Ebbe Sand is a Danish former professional footballer who most notably played as a striker for FC Schalke 04 in Germany. He was the German Bundesliga top scorer in 2001, and he won the German Cup in 2001 and 2002 with Schalke...
1997–98
- Most goals scored, Danish Superliga: 80, Bent "Turbo" Christensen
- Most goals scored, European games: 12, Ruben Bagger
Ruben Bagger is a former Danish football player, who spent his entire professional career for Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga, and played more than 300 matches for the club. He won five Danish Superliga championships and three Danish Cup trophys with Brøndby...
- Most goals scored, total: 121, Kim Vilfort
Kim Vilfort is a former Danish professional football player who is now head talent scout at the Danish football club Brøndby IF...
External links