Odense BK
Encyclopedia
Odense Boldklub is a Danish
professional football
club based in the town of Odense
. The club has won three Danish championships
and five Danish Cup
trophies. OB play in the Danish Superliga
and their home field is TRE-FOR Park in Odense on Funen
. OB's clubhouse is located in Ådalen near Odense River
.
the only sport. In 1889
, football and tennis
departments were included in the club, and it changed name to the present Odense Boldklub. The club were then located in Munke Mose (The Monks bog) in Odense. OB moved to Ådalen in 1968
, where the club still trains today.
In 1916
, OB won the province championship for the first time and qualified to the semi-final of the Danish championship. They lost this match 3–9 to later champions B.93
from Copenhagen
.
during World War II
, OB were placed in the third best league, then named the Danish 3rd Division. After good help from the top goalscorers Svend Jørgen Hansen and Jørgen Leschly Sørensen
, the club were quickly promoted to the best league. Svend Jørgen Hansen became OB's first Danish national team player in 1942, while Jørgen Leschly Sørensen was sold to the professional Italian
team Atalanta
in 1949
.
In 1951
, OB won their first medals, when the club won silver after runaway champions Akademisk Boldklub
. Following the early success, it went down hill for the club. OB were relegated
to the second-tier Danish 2nd Division
in 1955, and the team had a hard time regaining its position in the top of Danish football. Despite promotions to the Danish 1st Division
in 1957 and 1966, the club didn't succeed to permanently stay in the top-flight until the promotion in 1975.
It didn't help that the local rivals from B 1909
and B 1913
stayed in the top of the 1st Division in this period, where B 1909 won the 1959 and 1965 Danish championships. The intense local rivalry culminated in 1973, when 28,000 spectators watched the 2nd Division match between De Stribede and De røde (B 1909) on Odense Stadion. The match is still the spectator record for an OB home game.
In 1974, the club were in their first Danish Cup final, where the team lost 5–2 to Vanløse IF
. Per Bartram from OB were awarded the title as Cup Fighter.
. Just two years later, OB won their first Danish championship in the 1977 season. OB's midfielder Allan Hansen
was the top goalscorer in the 1st Division and he was awarded as 1977 Danish Player of the Year
, a double triumph he repeated in 1981.
The championship win meant that OB played their first European matches in 1978. They competed in the 1978 European Cup
, where they lost in the first round to PFC Lokomotiv Sofia
from Bulgaria
.
In 1980, they won bronze and the Danish championship was won for the second time in 1982
. As Ricard Møller Nielsen's OB team were one of the dominating teams in Danish football in this period, B 1909 finished last in the 1982 1st Division, and were relegated to the 2nd Division. This made OB the best team of the Funen region. In 1983 OB took the cup to win their – so far – only The Double
(with the 82' championship).
The team's success was built on many talented Danish players, counting 1982 Danish 1st Division Talent of the Year Keld Bordinggaard
. The most prolific OB player of the era was goalkeeper Lars Høgh
, who was a constant part of the team from 1977 to 1999 as he played a club record of 817 total matches for the first team.
In 1989
, the club won the Danish championship again ahead of defending champions Brøndby IF
under new manager Roald Poulsen
. The profiles of Roald Poulsen's team included, apart from Lars Høgh, the midfielder Ulrik Moseby
, the big defender Johnny Hansen, and the young forward Per Pedersen
, who became the most expensive OB player sold, when he was bought by English
team Blackburn Rovers
for £2.3 million in 1997.
1991 was a special year for OB. They won the Danish Cup final against AaB after two goalless matches, extra time and penalty shootout. As the national arena Idrætsparken
were under reconstruction in 1991, the final was played home at Odense Stadion. The cup success wasn't matched in the league, now known as the Danish Superliga. After the main tournament of the 1991–92 season
, OB was relegated to the Qualifying League.
They finished in second place of the 1992 Qualifying League, and OB were back in the Superliga for the 1992–93 season
. In that season, the club won silver medals after F.C. Copenhagen
and they won their third Danish Cup trophy in 1993.
As the Danish Football Association
(DBU) restructured the Superliga before the 1995–96 season
, and introduced a league format of 33 games spanning a full year, OB won bronze once more. Even though the team had many profiles and good players, the team lacked stability and in the 1997–98 season
, OB ended last with six season victories and were relegated to the second best league, the Danish 1st Division.
The club were runaway winners of the 1999 1st Division, and returned to the Superliga for the 1999–00 season
. OB won the 2002 Danish Cup with a 2–1 victory against F.C. Copenhagen at Parken Stadium
. Since their promotion 1999, OB's best league performance has been the second place, and silver medals, in the 2008–2009 season. In 2006 OB ended third, and awarded bronze medals, the first medals in ten years. Furthermore the club had fourth place finishes in 2003, 2004 and 2007.
In the season 06/07 OB unlucky ended up on a fourth place in the league, after a close race in the last rounds. OB won the Danish Cup defeating F.C. Copenhagen 2–1, which gave OB the possibility to qualify for the UEFA Cup
for the second season in a row.
In the season 07/08 OB once again ended on a fourth place, which gave a chance to qualify to the UEFA Cup through the Intertoto Cup. On the 19th and 26 July 2008 they played the English Premiership side Aston Villa in the third round of the Intertoto Cup, for the right to play in the second round of the UEFA Cup. OB managed a 2–2 home draw on the 19th but a 1–0 away defeat on the 26th, so missed out 2–3 on aggregate to Aston Villa.
OB finished second in the 08/09 season which led to a two games Genoa
in the UEFA Europa League. First game at Stadio Luigi Ferraris
resulted in a 3–1 defeat and the home game gave a 1–1 draw. The next season 09/10 OB once again finished second in the league. After a fantastic start of the season the club disappointingly did not take the first place, due to a string of lost and drawn games in the spring of 2010.
OB have been drawn to take on Scottish Motherwell F.C.
in the 4th qualifying round of the 2010/11 Europa League.
club Real Madrid
to reach the quarterfinal of the tournament.
In the first round, OB won both the home and away game 3-0 against Estonia
n FC Flora Tallinn
. In the second round they drew 1–1 in the away game against Northern Irish
club Linfield
and won home 5–0, including two long range goals by defender Steen Nedergaard
. In the third round, the played German
team 1. FC Kaiserslautern
, where OB managed a 1–1 draw in Germany, and with a 0–0 draw at home, OB advanced due to the away goals rule
.
In the fourth round, the opponent was Spanish
club Real Madrid
, which at that time had Danish national team captain Michael Laudrup
on the team. The first match was played at a sold-out Odense Stadion, and OB surprisingly scored on a corner kick
in the first half. In the second half, Real Madrid quickly scored two goals, but OB managed to come back into the game, when they equalized to 2–2. Shortly before full time, Real Madrid scored to 2–3, which was the final result of the game.
Due to the away goals rule, OB needed to win with a margin of two goals to advance to the quarter-finals. Ulrik Pedersen scored for a 1–0 lead to OB, and with a good goalkeeping by Lars Høgh, OB kept Real Madrid from scoring. With a goal by Morten Bisgaard
shortly before stoppage time, OB achieved the needed 2–0 victory, and advanced to the quarter-final. OB's victory attracted attention in great parts of Europe
and in Denmark the event was named The Miracle in Madrid.
In the quarter-final, OB met Italian
team Parma FC
. In the first game away in Parma
, OB and Lars Høgh almost prevented the Italians from scoring, but Steen Nedergaard committed a penalty which Parma converted and thus won the game 1–0. The second leg in Odense ended a 0–0 draw, which meant the end of OB's European adventure.
Kasper Bøgelund
Jonas Borring
Jesper Christiansen
Lars Elstrup
Christian Eriksen
John Eriksen
Thomas Helveg
Lars Høgh
Viggo Jensen Ulrik Laursen
Richard Møller Nielsen
Allan Nielsen
Per Pedersen
Thomas Sørensen
Brian Steen Nielsen
Jess Thorup
Bernard Mendy
Roy Carroll
Baye Djiby Fall
Mwape Miti
Andrew Tembo
----
Odense won 7–0 on aggregate.
----
----
Villarreal won 5–0 on aggregate.
----
Odense won 3–1 on aggregate.
----
----
Odense won 2–2 on aggregate and away goal.
----
----
Odense won 6–1 on aggregate.
----
----
Odense won 3–2 on aggregate.
----
Group D
----
----
----
Odense won 5–0 on aggregate.
----
Odense won 5–1 on aggregate.
----
Sparta Prague won 4–3 after penalty shootout.
----
Odense won 4–1 on aggregate.
----
----
Aston Villa won 3–2 on aggregate.
Odense won 7–3 on aggregate.
----
Genoa won 4–2 on aggregate.
Odense won 5–3 on aggregate.
----
Odense won 3–1 on aggregate.
----
Odense won 5–4 on aggregate.
----
Villareal won 3–1 on aggregate.
----
Group K
----
----
----
----
----
Denmark
Denmark 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 football
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...
club based in the town of Odense
Odense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
. The club has won three Danish championships
Danish football champions
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...
and five Danish Cup
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...
trophies. OB play in the Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
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...
and their home field is TRE-FOR Park in Odense on Funen
Funen
Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the...
. OB's clubhouse is located in Ådalen near Odense River
Odense River
The Odense River is a river located on the island of Funen, in central Denmark. It is about 60 kilometers long and is named after the Funish capital, Odense, which it passes through. Boats can be rented by the river, offering a scenic ride to Fruens Bøge...
.
Early history
OB were founded on 12 July 1887 as Odense Cricketklub, with cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
the only sport. In 1889
1889 in football (soccer)
The following are the association football events of the year 1889 throughout the world.-AsiaEurope:...
, football and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
departments were included in the club, and it changed name to the present Odense Boldklub. The club were then located in Munke Mose (The Monks bog) in Odense. OB moved to Ådalen in 1968
1968 in football (soccer)
The following are the football events of the year 1968 throughout the world.-Events:*Copa Libertadores 1968: Won by Estudiantes de La Plata after defeating Palmeiras on an aggregate score of 2-0....
, where the club still trains today.
In 1916
1916 in football (soccer)
The following are the football events of the year 1916 throughout the world.-Events:Numerous national championships in Europe are suspended for the duration of the First World War, with a notable exception of the Netherlands, which continues throughout the hostilities.-Winners club national...
, OB won the province championship for the first time and qualified to the semi-final of the Danish championship. They lost this match 3–9 to later champions B.93
Boldklubben 1893
Boldklubben af 1893 is a Danish football club currently playing in the Danish 2nd Division East. They play at the 7,000 seat Østerbro Stadion in Østerbro, Copenhagen.-Achievements:* Danish championship titles :...
from Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen 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...
.
1945–1975: Mixed results
When the Danish championship was reorganized after the Occupation of DenmarkOccupation of Denmark
Nazi Germany's occupation of Denmark began with Operation Weserübung on 9 April 1940, and lasted until German forces withdrew at the end of World War II following their surrender to the Allies on 5 May 1945. Contrary to the situation in other countries under German occupation, most Danish...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, OB were placed in the third best league, then named the Danish 3rd Division. After good help from the top goalscorers Svend Jørgen Hansen and Jørgen Leschly Sørensen
Jørgen Leschly Sørensen
Jørgen Leschly Sørensen was a Danish football player. He started as an amateur player in Danish football with Odense Boldklub and B 93, winning the 1945 Danish championship with B 93...
, the club were quickly promoted to the best league. Svend Jørgen Hansen became OB's first Danish national team player in 1942, while Jørgen Leschly Sørensen was sold to the professional Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
team Atalanta
Atalanta B.C.
Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy.They are nicknamed the Nerazzurri and the orobici...
in 1949
1949 in football (soccer)
The following are the football events of the year 1949 throughout the world.-England:for fuller coverage see 1948-49 in English football*First Division: Portsmouth*Second Division: Fulham*Third Division North: Hull City...
.
In 1951
1951 in football (soccer)
The following are the football events of the year 1951 throughout the world.- Winners club national championship :* Argentina: Racing Club* England: Tottenham Hotspur F.C.* Italy: A.C. Milan* Netherlands: PSV Eindhoven* West-Germany: 1...
, OB won their first medals, when the club won silver after runaway champions Akademisk Boldklub
Akademisk Boldklub
Akademisk 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:...
. Following the early success, it went down hill for the club. OB were relegated
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
to the second-tier Danish 2nd Division
Danish 2nd Division
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...
in 1955, and the team had a hard time regaining its position in the top of Danish football. Despite promotions to the Danish 1st Division
Danish 1st Division
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...
in 1957 and 1966, the club didn't succeed to permanently stay in the top-flight until the promotion in 1975.
It didn't help that the local rivals from B 1909
Boldklubben 1909
Boldklubben 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...
and B 1913
Boldklubben 1913
Boldklubben 1913 is a Danish football club currently playing in Danmarksserien. They play at Odense Atletik Stadion in Odense on Funen, which has a capacity of 8,000....
stayed in the top of the 1st Division in this period, where B 1909 won the 1959 and 1965 Danish championships. The intense local rivalry culminated in 1973, when 28,000 spectators watched the 2nd Division match between De Stribede and De røde (B 1909) on Odense Stadion. The match is still the spectator record for an OB home game.
In 1974, the club were in their first Danish Cup final, where the team lost 5–2 to Vanløse IF
Vanløse IF
Vanløse IF is a Danish football club currently playing in the Danish 2nd Division East.- Squad :As of December 1, 2009 -Achievements:*2 seasons in the Highest Danish League...
. Per Bartram from OB were awarded the title as Cup Fighter.
1975–1990: The golden years
In 1975, OB was once more promoted to the 1st Division. This time the club had the players to be a top team in the best league under the reign of coach Richard Møller NielsenRichard Møller Nielsen
Richard Møller Nielsen , nicknamed Ricardo, is a Danish former football player and football manager. His greatest triumph came when he coached the Danish national football team which surprisingly won the 1992 European Championship tournament. In 1995, he was knighted as Knight 1st Degree of the...
. Just two years later, OB won their first Danish championship in the 1977 season. OB's midfielder Allan Hansen
Allan Hansen
Allan Hansen is a Danish former football player who most notably played professionally for German team Hamburger SV, with whom he won the 1983 Fußball-Bundesliga and European Cup trophies...
was the top goalscorer in the 1st Division and he was awarded as 1977 Danish Player of the Year
Danish Player of the Year
The 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....
, a double triumph he repeated in 1981.
The championship win meant that OB played their first European matches in 1978. They competed in the 1978 European Cup
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...
, where they lost in the first round to PFC Lokomotiv Sofia
PFC Lokomotiv Sofia
PFC Lokomotiv Sofia is a Bulgarian football club from the capital city of Sofia, which currently competes in Bulgaria's top football league, the A PFG. It was founded on September 2, 1929 by a group of railway workers under the name Railway Sports Club . The club's home ground is the Lokomotiv...
from Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
.
In 1980, they won bronze and the Danish championship was won for the second time in 1982
Danish 1st Division 1982
The 1982 Danish 1st Division season was the 37th season of the Danish 1st Division league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
. As Ricard Møller Nielsen's OB team were one of the dominating teams in Danish football in this period, B 1909 finished last in the 1982 1st Division, and were relegated to the 2nd Division. This made OB the best team of the Funen region. In 1983 OB took the cup to win their – so far – only The Double
The Double
The 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...
(with the 82' championship).
The team's success was built on many talented Danish players, counting 1982 Danish 1st Division Talent of the Year Keld Bordinggaard
Keld Bordinggaard
Keld Tande Bordinggard is a Danish former football player and current football manager. He was most recently the head coach of the Danish national under-21 team from July 2006 until the U21 European Championship in June 2011...
. The most prolific OB player of the era was goalkeeper Lars Høgh
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...
, who was a constant part of the team from 1977 to 1999 as he played a club record of 817 total matches for the first team.
In 1989
Danish 1st Division 1989
The 1989 Danish 1st Division season was the 44th season of the Danish 1st Division league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
, the club won the Danish championship again ahead of defending champions Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF is a Danish professional football club based in Brøndbyvester, Brøndby, on the western outskirts of Copenhagen 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...
under new manager Roald Poulsen
Roald Poulsen
Roald Poulsen is a Danish football manager, who most prominently won the 1989 Danish championship with Odense BK and managed the Zambia national football team....
. The profiles of Roald Poulsen's team included, apart from Lars Høgh, the midfielder Ulrik Moseby
Ulrik Moseby
Ulrik Cappelen , known as Ulrik Moseby, is a Danish former association football player in the midfielder position. Born in Odense, he played 338 games for Odense Boldklub, winning the 1982 and 1989 Danish championships with the club...
, the big defender Johnny Hansen, and the young forward Per Pedersen
Per Pedersen (footballer)
Per Werner Pedersen is a Danish former football player, who played the majority of his career for Danish clubs Odense BK and Lyngby BK. Pedersen scored two goals in six games for the Danish national team between 1991 and 1997...
, who became the most expensive OB player sold, when he was bought by English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
team Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
for £2.3 million in 1997.
1991–: OB in the Superliga
Parken Stadium
Parken 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...
were under reconstruction in 1991, the final was played home at Odense Stadion. The cup success wasn't matched in the league, now known as the Danish Superliga. After the main tournament of the 1991–92 season
Danish Superliga 1991-92
The 1991-92 Danish Superliga season was the 2nd season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
, OB was relegated to the Qualifying League.
They finished in second place of the 1992 Qualifying League, and OB were back in the Superliga for the 1992–93 season
Danish Superliga 1992-93
The 1992–93 Danish Superliga season was the 3rd season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
. In that season, the club won silver medals after F.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen is a professional Danish football club in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is part of the Parken Sport & Entertainment....
and they won their third Danish Cup trophy in 1993.
As the Danish Football Association
Danish Football Association
The 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...
(DBU) restructured the Superliga before the 1995–96 season
Danish Superliga 1995-96
The 1995-96 Danish Superliga season was the 6th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
, and introduced a league format of 33 games spanning a full year, OB won bronze once more. Even though the team had many profiles and good players, the team lacked stability and in the 1997–98 season
Danish Superliga 1997-98
The 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....
, OB ended last with six season victories and were relegated to the second best league, the Danish 1st Division.
The club were runaway winners of the 1999 1st Division, and returned to the Superliga for the 1999–00 season
Danish Superliga 1999-2000
The 1999–2000 Danish Superliga season was the 10th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
. OB won the 2002 Danish Cup with a 2–1 victory against F.C. Copenhagen at Parken Stadium
Parken Stadium
Parken 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...
. Since their promotion 1999, OB's best league performance has been the second place, and silver medals, in the 2008–2009 season. In 2006 OB ended third, and awarded bronze medals, the first medals in ten years. Furthermore the club had fourth place finishes in 2003, 2004 and 2007.
In the season 06/07 OB unlucky ended up on a fourth place in the league, after a close race in the last rounds. OB won the Danish Cup defeating F.C. Copenhagen 2–1, which gave OB the possibility to qualify for the 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...
for the second season in a row.
In the season 07/08 OB once again ended on a fourth place, which gave a chance to qualify to the UEFA Cup through the Intertoto Cup. On the 19th and 26 July 2008 they played the English Premiership side Aston Villa in the third round of the Intertoto Cup, for the right to play in the second round of the UEFA Cup. OB managed a 2–2 home draw on the 19th but a 1–0 away defeat on the 26th, so missed out 2–3 on aggregate to Aston Villa.
OB finished second in the 08/09 season which led to a two games Genoa
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
in the UEFA Europa League. First game at Stadio Luigi Ferraris
Stadio Luigi Ferraris
Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris, also known as the Marassi from the name of the ward where is located, is a multi-use stadium in Genoa, Italy. It opened in 1911 and is one of the first and oldest stadiums still in use for football and other sports in Italy.Hosts since its birth the inside of Genoa,...
resulted in a 3–1 defeat and the home game gave a 1–1 draw. The next season 09/10 OB once again finished second in the league. After a fantastic start of the season the club disappointingly did not take the first place, due to a string of lost and drawn games in the spring of 2010.
OB have been drawn to take on Scottish Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
in the 4th qualifying round of the 2010/11 Europa League.
1994–95 UEFA Cup: The Miracle in Madrid
In the 1994–95 UEFA Cup, OB reached beyond the first round in a European tournament for the first time in club history. The team beat several opponents and most famously defeated SpanishSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
club Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
to reach the quarterfinal of the tournament.
In the first round, OB won both the home and away game 3-0 against Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n FC Flora Tallinn
FC Flora Tallinn
MTÜ JK FC Flora is an Estonian football club that was founded in 1990. FC Flora are a multiple winner of the Meistriliiga title and the Estonian Cup. They have for years been raising the most number of players for the national team, and have also grown players from their successful youth system...
. In the second round they drew 1–1 in the away game against Northern Irish
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
club Linfield
Linfield F.C.
Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....
and won home 5–0, including two long range goals by defender Steen Nedergaard
Steen Nedergaard
Steen Nedergaard is a Danish former professional footballer who played in the full-back position.Nedergaard spent the majority of his career in Denmark with Odense BK. He won 14 caps for the Danish under-21 national team, and was lauded as 1990 Danish under-21 Player of the Year...
. In the third round, the played German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
team 1. FC Kaiserslautern
1. FC Kaiserslautern
1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern, also known as 1. FCK, FCK or simply Kaiserslautern, is a German association football club based in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate. On 2 June 1900, Germania 1896 and FG Kaiserslautern merged to create FC 1900...
, where OB managed a 1–1 draw in Germany, and with a 0–0 draw at home, OB advanced due to the away goals rule
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
.
In the fourth round, the opponent was Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
club Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, which at that time had Danish national team captain Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup
Michael 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...
on the team. The first match was played at a sold-out Odense Stadion, and OB surprisingly scored on a corner kick
Corner kick
A corner kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football. It was first devised in Sheffield under the Sheffield Rules 1867...
in the first half. In the second half, Real Madrid quickly scored two goals, but OB managed to come back into the game, when they equalized to 2–2. Shortly before full time, Real Madrid scored to 2–3, which was the final result of the game.
Due to the away goals rule, OB needed to win with a margin of two goals to advance to the quarter-finals. Ulrik Pedersen scored for a 1–0 lead to OB, and with a good goalkeeping by Lars Høgh, OB kept Real Madrid from scoring. With a goal by Morten Bisgaard
Morten Bisgaard
Morten Bisgaard is a retired Danish professional football player, who played as a midfielder. He played eight games and scored one goal for the Denmark national football team, and represented his country at the 2000 European Championship...
shortly before stoppage time, OB achieved the needed 2–0 victory, and advanced to the quarter-final. OB's victory attracted attention in great parts of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and in Denmark the event was named The Miracle in Madrid.
In the quarter-final, OB met Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
team Parma FC
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
. In the first game away in Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
, OB and Lars Høgh almost prevented the Italians from scoring, but Steen Nedergaard committed a penalty which Parma converted and thus won the game 1–0. The second leg in Odense ended a 0–0 draw, which meant the end of OB's European adventure.
Current squad
Noted players
Eric Djemba-DjembaEric Djemba-Djemba
Eric Daniel Djemba-Djemba is a Cameroonian footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Danish side Odense BK and the Cameroon national football team. He has previously played club football in France, England and Qatar.-Nantes:...
Kasper Bøgelund
Kasper Bøgelund
Kasper Bøgelund Nielsen is a Danish footballer. He currently plays as a right back for AaB in the Danish Superliga...
Jonas Borring
Jonas Borring
Jonas Skov Borring is a Danish footballer currently playing for FC Midtjylland in the Danish Superliga.Borring was called up for the league national team, which plays a number of unofficial national team games in the United States, El Salvador and Honduras in January 2007, by national team manager...
Jesper Christiansen
Jesper Christiansen
Jesper Ringsborg Christiansen is a Danish professional footballer, who plays as a goalkeeper for IF Elfsborg in the Allsvenskan championship. He has previously played for Danish Superliga clubs Odense BK, Vejle BK, Viborg FF, and F.C. Copenhagen, winning four Superliga championships and two Danish...
Lars Elstrup
Lars Elstrup
Lars Dahl Elstrup is a Danish former professional footballer, who played for a number of Danish clubs, as well as Dutch club Feyenoord and Luton Town in England...
Christian Eriksen
Christian Eriksen
Christian Dannemann Eriksen is a Danish professional football player, currently playing as an attacking midfielder for Dutch side Ajax...
John Eriksen
John Eriksen
John Hartmann Eriksen was a Danish footballer. During his career he played for Svendborg FB and Odense BK in his native Denmark, Roda JC and Feyenoord in Holland, FC Mulhouse in France and Servette FC and FC Luzern in Switzerland.He won 17 caps and scored six goals for Denmark, and played in the...
Thomas Helveg
Thomas Helveg
Thomas Lund Helveg is a former Danish professional Association football player who played as a defensive midfielder and defender for Odense Boldklub in the Danish Superliga, with whom he won the 1989 Danish championship...
Lars Høgh
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...
Viggo Jensen Ulrik Laursen
Ulrik Laursen
Ulrik Rosenløv Laursen is a Danish former professional football player who ended his career playing for F.C. Copenhagen in the Danish Superliga. Laursen was predominantly used in the central defense, but was also competent as a left back.-Career:He began his career at Odense Boldklub, where his...
Richard Møller Nielsen
Richard Møller Nielsen
Richard Møller Nielsen , nicknamed Ricardo, is a Danish former football player and football manager. His greatest triumph came when he coached the Danish national football team which surprisingly won the 1992 European Championship tournament. In 1995, he was knighted as Knight 1st Degree of the...
Allan Nielsen
Allan Nielsen
-External links: *...
Per Pedersen
Per Pedersen (footballer)
Per Werner Pedersen is a Danish former football player, who played the majority of his career for Danish clubs Odense BK and Lyngby BK. Pedersen scored two goals in six games for the Danish national team between 1991 and 1997...
Thomas Sørensen
Thomas Sørensen
Thomas Løvendahl Sørensen is a Danish professional football goalkeeper, who plays for Premier League club Stoke City. He has previously represented Premiership teams Sunderland and Aston Villa....
Brian Steen Nielsen
Brian Steen Nielsen
Brian Steen Nielsen is a former Danish professional footballer from Denmark, who most notably played 66 matches as a defensive midfielder for the Denmark national team between 1990 and 2002, scoring three goals...
Jess Thorup
Jess Thorup
Jess Thorup was a Danish professional football Forward, who played for the two Danish Superliga sides OB and Esbjerg fB...
Bernard Mendy
Bernard Mendy
Bernard Mendy is a French footballer of Senegalese origin who plays for Danish club Odense Boldklub. He is a right back/right wing-back who is known for his blistering pace and constant overlapping runs.-Career:...
Roy Carroll
Roy Carroll
Roy Eric Carroll is a Northern Irish footballer who is currently playing for Greek Superleague club OFI Crete. He is a goalkeeper and is best known for his spells at Wigan Athletic and Manchester United, where he won the 2004 FA Cup...
Baye Djiby Fall
Baye Djiby Fall
Baye Djiby Fall is a Senegalese footballer who plays as a striker for Odense Boldklub on loan from Lokomotiv Moscow.- Career :...
Mwape Miti
Mwape Miti
Mwape Miti is a former Zambian football striker.He has played 246 matches and scored 109 goals for his team Odense BK, having joined them in the summer of 1997 from Power Dynamos. Prior to that he played for Mulungushi Chiefs. In the 2003-04 season he became joint top league goalscorer with 19...
Andrew Tembo
Andrew Tembo
Andrew Tembo is a Zambian football midfielder with Ølstykke in Denmark.Tembo previously played 284 matches and scored 15 goals for Odense BK, having joined them in the summer of 1997 from Olympique Marseille, where he had a short spell. Prior to that he played for Zamsure FC.Tembo has 35 caps for...
2004-05 Intertoto Cup
- Intertoto Cup
- First Round
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Odense won 7–0 on aggregate.
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- Second Round
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Villarreal won 5–0 on aggregate.
2006-07 Intertoto Cup And UEFA Cup
- Intertoto Cup
- Second Round
----
Odense won 3–1 on aggregate.
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- Third Round
----
Odense won 2–2 on aggregate and away goal.
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- UEFA Cup
- Second qualification round
----
Odense won 6–1 on aggregate.
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- First round
----
Odense won 3–2 on aggregate.
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- Group Stage
Group D
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 ParmaParma F.C. Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its... |
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
 OsasunaCA Osasuna Club Atlético Osasuna, known as Osasuna, is a Spanish football team based in Iruñea-Pamplona, in the autonomous community of Navarre.Founded in 1920, it currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at the 19,553-capacity Estadio Reyno de Navarra... |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
 LensRC Lens Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du... |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
 Odense |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | ||
| 4 | ||||||||
 Heerenveen |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 4 |
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2007-08 UEFA Cup
- First qualification round
Odense won 5–0 on aggregate.
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- Second qualification round
Odense won 5–1 on aggregate.
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- First round
Sparta Prague won 4–3 after penalty shootout.
2008–09 UEFA Intertoto Cup
- Second Round
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Odense won 4–1 on aggregate.
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- Third Round
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Aston Villa won 3–2 on aggregate.
2009–10 UEFA Europa League
- Third qualification round
Odense won 7–3 on aggregate.
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Genoa won 4–2 on aggregate.
2010–11 UEFA Europa League
- Third qualification round
Odense won 5–3 on aggregate.
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- Play-off
Odense won 3–1 on aggregate.
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- Group stage
EWLINE
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EWLINE
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2011–12 UEFA Champions League
- Third qualification round
Odense won 5–4 on aggregate.
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- Play-off round
Villareal won 3–1 on aggregate.
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2011–12 UEFA Europa League
- Group stage
Group K
EWLINE
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EWLINE
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UEFA club coefficient ranking
(As of 18 July 2011), Source: Bert Kassies website| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 101 |  Rosenborg BK |
19.375 |
| 102 |  Slavia Praha |
19.170 |
| 103 |  FC Zürich |
18.980 |
| 104 | Odense BK |
18.610 |
| 105 | Real Zaragoza Real Zaragoza Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points... |
18.465 |
| 106 |  Lokomotiv Moscow |
18.441 |
| 107 |  Unirea Urziceni |
17.664 |
Recent history
| Season | Pos. | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | P | Cup 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... |
Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | SL | 7 | 33 | 11 | 8 | 14 | 59 | 61 | 41 | ||
| 1997–98 | SL | 12 | 33 | 6 | 7 | 20 | 40 | 57 | 25 | relegated | |
| 1998-99 | 1D | 1 | 30 | 24 | 2 | 4 | 81 | 24 | 74 | promoted | |
| 1999–00 | SL | 9 | 33 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 42 | 44 | 43 | ||
| 2000–01 | SL | 7 | 33 | 13 | 7 | 13 | 49 | 45 | 46 | last 16 | |
| 2001–02 | SL | 6 | 33 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 56 | 51 | 49 | winner | |
| 2002–03 | SL | 4 | 33 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 55 | 50 | 48 | last 16 | |
| 2003–04 | SL | 4 | 33 | 16 | 9 | 8 | 66 | 46 | 57 | semi-final | |
| 2004–05 2004-05 in Danish football -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.... |
SL | 6 | 33 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 61 | 41 | 48 | 5th round | |
| 2005–06 2005-06 in Danish football -Events:* 13 July 2005: Brøndby IF won the League Cup at Brøndby Stadion. FC København ended second, and FC Midtjylland third.* 19 July 2005: The Superliga kicks off.* 28 July 2005: Esbjerg fB beats Estonian FC Flora Tallinn 7-2 agg... |
SL | 3 | 33 | 17 | 7 | 9 | 49 | 28 | 58 | quarter-final | |
| 2006–07 2006-07 in Danish football -Overview:From the 2006-07 season mergered B 1909, B 1913 and Dalum IF to FC FYN. All three clubs played in the 2005-06 season in 2nd Division West. FC FYN will also play in 2nd Division.... |
SL | 4 | 33 | 17 | 7 | 9 | 46 | 36 | 58 | winner | |
| 2007–08 2007-08 in Danish football The 2007-08 season in Danish football, starting July 2007 and ending June 2008.-Domestic honours:-European participation:For the first time since the 2002-03 season, the Danish clubs had obtained enough UEFA coefficient points to qualify the third place finisher of the Danish Superliga 2006-07 for... |
SL | 4 | 33 | 12 | 16 | 5 | 46 | 27 | 52 | last 16 | |
| 2008–09 | SL | 2 | 33 | 21 | 6 | 6 | 65 | 31 | 69 | 5th round | |
| 2009–10 | SL | 2 | 33 | 17 | 8 | 8 | 46 | 34 | 59 | semi-final | |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Danish Superliga The 2010–11 Danish Superliga season was the 21st season of the Danish Superliga championship, which decides the Danish football championship. It began on 17 July 2010 with the previous season's silver medalists from Odense facing Esbjerg and ended on 29 May 2011 with six simultaneous matches. F.C... |
SL | 2 | 32 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 55 | 39 | 55 | last 16 |
Honours
- Danish Football ChampionshipDanish 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...
- Winners (3):: 1977Danish 1st Division 1977-League standings:-References:*...
, 1982, 1989 - Runners-up (6): 1951, 1983, 1993, 2009Danish Superliga 2008-09The 2008–09 Danish Superliga was the 19th season of Danish Superliga league championship, which determines the winners of the Danish football championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. The season started on 19 July 2008 and ended on 31 May 2009. The defending champions were Aalborg...
, 2010, 2011
- Winners (3):: 1977
- Danish CupDanish 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...
- Winners (5):: 1983, 1991, 1993, 2002Danish Cup 2001-02The Danish Cups results of the 2001-2002 season. The final was played on May 9, 2002.The cup winner qualified for UEFA Cup qualification.-1st round:...
, 2007Danish Cup 2006-07The Danish Cups results of the 2006-2007 season. First round were played about August 9 and the final were played on May 17.The cup winner qualified for UEFA Cup qualification.-First round:... - Runners-up (1): 1974
- Winners (5):: 1983, 1991, 1993, 2002
- Danish Super Cup
- Runners-up (1): 2002
Achievements
- 50 seasons in the Highest Danish LeagueDanish SuperligaThe 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...
- 16 seasons in the Second Highest Danish LeagueDanish 1st DivisionThe 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...
- 1 season in Third Highest Danish LeagueDanish 2nd DivisionThe 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...
External links
- Official site (English page; rest of site in Danish)