Åtvidabergs FF
Encyclopedia
Åtvidabergs FF is a Swedish football club
located in Åtvidaberg
. The club, formed 1 July 1907 as Åtvidabergs IF, is currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan
. The club changed to the present name before the 1935–1936 season. The club is affiliated to Östergötlands Fotbollförbund
.
in the team. It played 15 seasons, last in 1982, in top of the Swedish League.
They cooperate with former Swedish champions Djurgårdens IF. In the autumn of 2005, a senior Djurgården official caused a stir in Åtvidaberg by suggesting that the only way ÅFF could generate enough income to become an elite team again was by moving to nearby Linköping
. Linköping is the biggest city in Östergötland
and lacks a premier football team.
In late 2005, Åtvidabergs FF reached the Swedish Cup final. Because the other team in the final, Djurgårdens IF, already were Swedish champions, Åtvidabergs FF got the qualifying spot for the 2006/07 season UEFA Cup
, even though they lost the final 2-0. In the last qualifying round, they beat Brann from Norway. In the first round of current UEFA Cup season, they faced Grasshoppers
from Switzerland. Grasshoppers beat Åtvidaberg with a total of 8 goals in two games (0-3, 5-0), thus eliminating Åtvidaberg from the cup.
In the 2009 Superettan
season, they gained promotion to Allsvenskan
2010 by finishing as number two behind Mjällby
after 28 years absence. They finished 15th in 2010 and were relegated to Superettan again.
For season transfers, see transfers winter 2011–2012.
(1942-47) Erik Almgren
(1948) József Nagy
(1948-52) George Raynor (1952-54) Karl Durspekt
(1956-57) Antonio Durán
(1960-63) Bengt Gustavsson
(1966-70)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
located in Åtvidaberg
Åtvidaberg
Åtvidaberg is a locality and the seat of Åtvidaberg Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden with 6,947 inhabitants in 2005.- History :...
. The club, formed 1 July 1907 as Åtvidabergs IF, is currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
. The club changed to the present name before the 1935–1936 season. The club is affiliated to Östergötlands Fotbollförbund
Östergötlands Fotbollförbund
The Östergötlands Fotbollförbund is one of the 24 district organisations of the Swedish Football Association. It administers lower tier football in Östergötland County.- Background :...
.
History
The club was at its best in the 1970s when it won two Swedish titles with the likes of Ralf EdströmRalf Edström
Ralf Sigvard Edström is a former Swedish footballer.Starting his career in Degerfors IF, a club known to produce many young talents, Edström moved to Åtvidabergs FF and became national champion in 1972....
in the team. It played 15 seasons, last in 1982, in top of the Swedish League.
They cooperate with former Swedish champions Djurgårdens IF. In the autumn of 2005, a senior Djurgården official caused a stir in Åtvidaberg by suggesting that the only way ÅFF could generate enough income to become an elite team again was by moving to nearby Linköping
Linköping
Linköping is a city in southern middle Sweden, with 104 232 inhabitants in 2010. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality with 146 736 inhabitants and the capital of Östergötland County...
. Linköping is the biggest city in Östergötland
Östergötland
Östergötland, English exonym: East Gothland, is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland, and the Baltic Sea. In older English literature, one might also encounter the Latinized version, Ostrogothia...
and lacks a premier football team.
In late 2005, Åtvidabergs FF reached the Swedish Cup final. Because the other team in the final, Djurgårdens IF, already were Swedish champions, Åtvidabergs FF got the qualifying spot for the 2006/07 season UEFA Cup
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...
, even though they lost the final 2-0. In the last qualifying round, they beat Brann from Norway. In the first round of current UEFA Cup season, they faced Grasshoppers
Grasshopper-Club Zürich
Grasshopper Club Zürich commonly referred to as simply GC, GCZ, or Grasshopper is a Swiss multisports club based in Zürich. The oldest and best known section of Grasshopper Club Zürich is its football team...
from Switzerland. Grasshoppers beat Åtvidaberg with a total of 8 goals in two games (0-3, 5-0), thus eliminating Åtvidaberg from the cup.
In the 2009 Superettan
Superettan
Superettan is the second highest league in the league system of Swedish football and comprises 16 Swedish football teams. It was created in 2000. Before that, the second level league in Sweden had been Division 1....
season, they gained promotion to Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
2010 by finishing as number two behind Mjällby
Mjällby AIF
Mjällby AIF is a Swedish football club located in Mjällby. The club, formed in 1939, won the title of Sweden's second-level of football Superettan in the 2009 season and thus gained promotion to the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan...
after 28 years absence. They finished 15th in 2010 and were relegated to Superettan again.
Current squad
As of July 13 2010For season transfers, see transfers winter 2011–2012.
Achievements
- Swedish ChampionsSwedish football championsSwedish football champions is a title held by the winners of the highest Swedish football league played each year, Allsvenskan. IFK Göteborg holds the record of most titles with 18 Swedish championships. After winning the 2011 Allsvenskan, Helsingborgs IF are the reigning Swedish football...
- Winners (2): 1972, 1973
League
- AllsvenskanAllsvenskanAllsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
:- Winners (2): 1972, 1973
- Runners-up (2): 1970, 1971
- SuperettanSuperettanSuperettan is the second highest league in the league system of Swedish football and comprises 16 Swedish football teams. It was created in 2000. Before that, the second level league in Sweden had been Division 1....
:- Winners (1): 2011
- Runners-up (1): 2009
Cups
- Svenska CupenSvenska CupenSvenska Cupen , is a knockout cup competition in Swedish football and the main Swedish football cup. Svenska Cupen usually refers to the men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held. Each year 98 teams compete, comprising the 16 teams from Allsvenskan and the 16 teams of Superettan...
:- Winners (2): 1969–1970, 1970–1971
- Runners-up (4): 1946, 1972–1973, 1978–1979, 2005
Managers
Kálmán KonrádKalman Konrad
Kálmán Konrád , an inside right, was one of the best football players in the Kingdom of Hungary in the 1910s, and played on the Hungarian National team with his brother, Jenő Konrád. Kálmán, who later played for Austria, coached the Romanian National team for five games in the mid-1930s...
(1942-47) Erik Almgren
Erik Almgren
Karl Erik Algot Almgren was a Swedish footballer and football manager.He played for AIK.He played 13 times for the Swedish national team, participating at the 1938 FIFA World Cup.He also had a career as a manager....
(1948) József Nagy
József Nagy (footballer born 1892)
József Nagy was an Hungarian footballer and manager from Budapest. He is most noted for his career as a footballing manager; Nagy managed the Swedish national football team and Swedish clubs and then he moved onto Serie A where he managed three clubs, Pro Vercelli, Bologna and Genoa. He also...
(1948-52) George Raynor (1952-54) Karl Durspekt
Karl Durspekt
Karl Franz Durspekt was an Austrian football player and manager.As the son of an engine driver, Durspekt worked as a type setter at first. Later he became a professional football player. Then he was a young man, he lived about five years in Rouen . He spoke fluently in a French and in a Swedish...
(1956-57) Antonio Durán
Antonio Durán
Antonio Durán was a Spanish footballer and football manager. He is most famous for coaching Malmö FF being the clubs most successful manager in terms of championships.-Honours as manager:Malmö FF...
(1960-63) Bengt Gustavsson
Bengt Gustavsson
Bengt "Julle" Gustavsson is a former Swedish footballer and trainer. As player he participated in the final of the World Cup 1958 and won national championships with IFK Norrköping...
(1966-70)
- Sven-Agne Larsson (1971-73)
- Bo-Leine Larsson Conny TorstenssonConny TorstenssonConny Torstensson is a former footballer from Sweden. With Sweden he participated at the World Cups 1974 FIFA World Cup and 1978 FIFA World Cup. With Åtvidabergs FF he won national titles...
(1986) - Håkan Stenbäck (1989)
- Mats Karlsson (1997-99) Jörgen AugustssonJörgen AugustssonJörgen Augustsson, born 28 October 1952, is a former Swedish footballer.Augustsson played for Åtvidabergs FF and Landskrona BoIS in Allsvenskan during his career...
(2000) Steve Creutz och Hans Andersson (2000-03) Kent KarlssonKent KarlssonKent Karlsson is a Swedish football coach and former player.He was capped 38 times for the national team and played at the 1974 FIFA World Cup....
(2004-06) - Peter SwärdhPeter SwärdhPeter Swärdh is a Swedish football manager. He is currently the manager of Mjällby AIF.-References:...
(2007-08) - Daniel Wiklund (2009-2010)
- Andreas Thomsson (2010-
Footnotes
- A. The title of "Swedish Champions" has been awarded to the winner of four different competitions over the years. Between 1896 and 1925 the title was awarded to the winner of Svenska MästerskapetSvenska MästerskapetSvenska Mästerskapet was a Swedish football cup held to decide the Swedish Champions between 1896 and 1925.-Previous winners:-Cup champions:...
, a stand-alone cup tournament. No club were given the title between 1926 and 1930 even though the first-tier league AllsvenskanAllsvenskanAllsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
was played. In 1931 the title was reinstated and awarded to the winner of Allsvenskan. Between 1982 and 1990 a play-offAllsvenskan play-offsThe Allsvenskan play-offs was a Swedish football cup held to decide the Swedish football champions between 1982 and 1990. The cup was created to increase the average attendance for Allsvenskan since public interest had dropped remarkably in the previous years. The four best placed teams in...
in cup format was held at the end of the league season to decide the champions. After the play-off format in 1991 and 1992 the title was decided by the winner of MästerskapsserienMästerskapsserienMästerskapsserien was a short-lived Swedish football league played 1991 and 1992 to decide the Swedish Champions. The top six teams from Allsvenskan qualified for Mästerskapsserien while the four bottom had to play the promotion and relegation Kvalsvenskan league with four and two teams from...
, an additional league after the end of Allsvenskan. Since the 1993 season the title has once again been awarded to the winner of Allsvenskan.
External links
- Åtvidabergs FF – official site
- Kopparslagarna – official supporter club site