Brøndby IF is a Danish football club, from the town of Brøndby, on the outskirts of Copenhagen. It is the most succesful Danish football club of the last 20 years. Since the mid-1980s, the club has been a part of Danish top-flight football.

The club was founded on December 3 1964 as a merger between two small clubs, Brøndbyvester and Brøndbyøster. Since its foundation, the club has transformed from a mediocre lower league club to an absolute powerhouse of Danish football.

The upward path started with the election of chairman Per Bjerregaard , a doctor who had moved to Copenhagen from Jutland. With the appointment of Finn Laudrup (father of Michael and Brian) as player-coach, the club began its promotion up through the Danish divisions.

Promotion to the top-flight was secured in 1981, and only 4 years later, Brøndby won their first championship. The team that dominated in the second half of the 1980s included several players, who would later win the UEFA European Championship with the Danish national team in 1992. With a team built around talented Danish players, such as Peter Schmeichel, John Jensen, Kim Vilfort and Bent Christensen , the club became used to winning the national title.

In 1985 the club was the only second in the world (with Tottenham being the first) to float its shares on a public stock exchange.

In the early 1990s, an intended takeover of a bank almost cost the club its existance, and financial collapse was imminent. A rescue plan was made, but these events influenced the performance of the team, and the championship was not won again until 1996.

During the last 10 seasons, the club has not finished below second spot in the Danish Super League . Main rivals are F.C. København, and the matches between these two sides attract big crowds compared to Danish standards.

The club's current coach is Michael Laudrup, the most famous Danish football player. On June 15 1982 he was also the first Brøndby player to win a cap for Denmark. Since then, more than 50 Brøndby players have represented their respective countries.

Brøndby have played more than 100 European fixtures. Big moments include wins against the likes of Bayern München, Liverpool F.C., Eintracht Frankfurt and Karlsruher SC. In 1991 the team was seconds away from the UEFA Cup final, but was denied by AS Roma.

Honours

• Danish Super League Champions 9
  • 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002
• Danish Cup Winners 4
  • 1989, 1994, 1998, 2003
• European performances
  • Champions League: Quarter finals 1987
  • UEFA Cup: Semi Finals 1991

Current first team squad

Accurate as of March 5 2005

External links

• Official website