BK Häcken facts for kids
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| Full name | Bollklubben Häcken | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Getingarna (the Wasps) | ||
| Founded | 2 August 1940 | ||
| Ground | Bravida Arena, Gothenburg | ||
| Capacity | 6,500 | ||
| Chairman | Anders Billström | ||
| Head coach | Jens Gustafsson | ||
| League | Allsvenskan | ||
| 2024 | Allsvenskan, 8th of 16 | ||
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Bollklubben Häcken, often called BK Häcken or just Häcken, is a professional football club from Gothenburg, Sweden. They play in Allsvenskan, which is the top football league in Sweden. The club was started on August 2, 1940. Häcken has played in Allsvenskan for 23 seasons, first joining the league in 1983.
The club is part of the Gothenburg Football Association. They play their home games at Bravida Arena. Their team colors, which you can see on their logo and uniforms, are yellow and black.
Contents
Club History
How it Started
BK Häcken began with a group of 14- and 15-year-old friends. They loved playing football and wanted to create a real team to join the national league. At first, they called themselves BK Kick. But another club already had that name. So, when they joined the Gothenburg Football Association, they changed their name to Bollklubben Häcken. This name came from a hedge (häck in Swedish) that grew around their practice field. Bollklubben Häcken officially started on August 2, 1940.
Early Years and Growth
After starting, the club mostly played friendly matches and youth games. But soon, they began playing at a senior level. By 1943, they joined the league system and quickly found success. Between 1944 and 1947, they won their league and moved up from west seniorclass 4 to seniorclass 1.
The 1950s started well for Häcken. They won Division 4 in 1950 and Division 3 the next year. This made them famous as a "comet team" in the national news. In 1953, they almost reached Allsvenskan but lost to Kalmar FF. In 1955, they set a record for the most fans at a Division 3 game against IK Oddevold, with 18,229 people watching.
The 1960s began with the opening of their new clubhouse, Häckensborg. Häcken was a stable Division 3 team for most of this decade. However, in 1967, they were moved down to Division 4 and faced some money problems.
The 1970s also started tough. The club dropped out of Division 4. They even talked about joining with another club, IF Warta, but Häcken's members voted against it. In 1971, they won Division 5. They then played in Division 4 until 1975, when they won it. In 1977, they won Division 3 with former Swedish player Agne Simonsson as their manager. This win helped them move up to Division 2. In 1978, BK Häcken also started a women's team.
Reaching the Top League
The 1980s started strong. Manager Agne Simonsson continued to bring success. Häcken won Division 2 and almost made it to Allsvenskan. They lost to IF Elfsborg in the play-offs. During one of these games, BK Häcken set a club record for their biggest home crowd with 19,205 fans.
In 1982, the club finished second in Division 2. This time, they played against IFK Norrköping for a spot in Allsvenskan. Häcken won 2–0 at home and tied 1–1 away. This meant they reached Allsvenskan for the very first time! However, their time in Allsvenskan was short. Their successful manager, Agne Simonsson, left, and the club finished last, moving back down to Division 2.
In the 1990s, BK Häcken won Division 1 Söder in 1990. They played GIF Sundsvall for promotion but lost despite a big home win. They also reached the final of the Svenska Cupen but lost 3–0 to Djurgårdens IF. In 1992, they finally made it back to Allsvenskan. They stayed for two years, finishing 6th in 1993. After being relegated in 1994, they returned to Allsvenskan in 1997 and again in 1999. In 1999, future star Kim Källström also played his first game for the club.
New Millennium Success
At the start of the 2000s, Häcken managed to stay in Allsvenskan after winning a play-off game in 2000. Manager Kjell Pettersson left, and Torbjörn Nilsson took over. In 2001, Häcken played its sixth season in Allsvenskan but was relegated to Superettan.
BK Häcken stayed in Superettan until 2004. They almost got promoted in 2002 and 2003. In 2004, they won Superettan and returned to Allsvenskan. In 2005, they brought in famous players like Teddy Lučić and Stig Tøfting. They finished 8th that year. However, in 2006, they were relegated again after losing a play-off.
In 2010, Häcken won the Fair Play award for Allsvenskan. This allowed them to play in the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League. In 2012, BK Häcken had their best league finish ever, coming in second place in Allsvenskan. That season, Ghanaian player Waris Majeed scored 23 goals, making him the league's top scorer.
In 2016, Häcken won their first major title by beating Malmö FF in the final of the Svenska Cupen. They won the cup again in 2019, defeating AFC Eskilstuna 3–0 at Bravida Arena.
The club made history in 2022 by winning the Allsvenskan title for the first time, becoming Swedish champions! They continued their success by winning the Swedish Cup for the third time on May 11, 2023, beating Mjällby AIF 4–1. On May 29, 2025, BK Häcken won the Swedish Cup again, defeating Malmö FF 4–2 in a penalty shootout after a 0–0 draw.
Club Rivals
Häcken has main rivals in Gothenburg. These are the other big teams: IFK Göteborg, GAIS, and Örgryte IS. IFK Göteborg is usually seen as their biggest rival.
They also have a smaller rivalry with IF Elfsborg from Borås. And within their home island of Hisingen, they have rivalries with local teams like IF Warta and Hisingsbacka FC, especially in youth games.
Club Achievements
League Titles
- Allsvenskan
- Champions: 2022
- Second Place: 2012
- Superettan
- Champions: 2004
- Second Place: 2008
- Division 1 Södra:
- Champions (2): 1990, 1999
- Second Place: 1997
- Division 1 Västra
- Champions: 1992
Cup Titles
- Svenska Cupen
- Winners (4): 2015–16, 2018–19, 2022–23, 2024–25
- Runners-up: 1989–90, 2020–21
European Games
- As of August 29, 2024
BK Häcken has also played in European competitions. Here's how they have done:
| Competition | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Champions League | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 50.00 |
| UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League | 35 | 11 | 8 | 16 | 43 | 56 | −13 | 31.43 |
| UEFA Europa Conference League | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 25 | 15 | +10 | 50.00 |
| Total | 47 | 17 | 11 | 19 | 76 | 71 | +5 | 36.17 |
Legend: GF = Goals For. GA = Goals Against. GD = Goal Difference.
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 | UEFA Cup | First qualifying round |  KR Reykjavik |
1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| Second qualifying round |  Dunfermline Athletic |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | ||
| First round |  Spartak Moscow |
1–3 | 0–5 | 1–8 | ||
| 2011–12 | UEFA Europa League | First qualifying round |  UN Käerjéng 97 |
5–1 | 1–1 | 6–2 |
| Second qualifying round |  Honka |
1–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | ||
| Third qualifying round |  Nacional |
2–1 | 0–3 | 2–4 | ||
| 2013–14 | UEFA Europa League | Second qualifying round |  Sparta Prague |
1–0 | 2–2 | 3–2 |
| Third qualifying round |  Thun |
1–2 | 0–1 | 1–3 | ||
| 2016–17 | UEFA Europa League | Second qualifying round |  Cork City |
1–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 |
| 2018–19 | UEFA Europa League | First qualifying round |  Liepāja |
1–2 | 3–0 | 4–2 |
| Second qualifying round |  RB Leipzig |
1–1 | 0–4 | 1–5 | ||
| 2019–20 | UEFA Europa League | Second qualifying round |  AZ |
0–3 | 0–0 | 0–3 |
| 2021–22 | UEFA Europa Conference League | Second qualifying round | Aberdeen |
2–0 | 1–5 | 3–5 |
| 2023–24 | UEFA Champions League | First qualifying round |  The New Saints |
3–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 |
| Second qualifying round |  KÍ |
3–3 (aet) | 0–0 | 3−3 (3–4 p) | ||
| UEFA Europa League | Third qualifying round |  Žalgiris |
5–0 | 3–1 | 8–1 | |
| Play-off round | Aberdeen |
2–2 | 3–1 | 5–3 | ||
| Group H | Bayer Leverkusen |
0–2 | 0–4 | 4th out of 4 | ||
 Qarabağ |
0–1 | 1–2 | ||||
 Molde |
1–3 | 1–5 | ||||
| 2024–25 | UEFA Conference League | Second qualifying round | F91 Dudelange |
6–1 | 6–2 | 12−3 |
| Third qualifying round |  Paide Linnameeskond |
6–1 | 1–1 | 7−2 | ||
| Play-off round | Heidenheim |
1–2 | 2–3 | 3–5 | ||
| 2025–26 | UEFA Europa League | First qualifying round |  Spartak Trnava |
2–2 | 1–0 | 3−2 |
| Second qualifying round |  Anderlecht |
Team Players
Current Squad
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Players on Loan
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Retired Jersey Numbers
2 – Johan Lind, defender (1995–2010)
Team Managers
Sven-Agne Larsson (1958–59)- Agne Simonsson (1977–82)
- Reine Almqvist (1983, 1989–93)
- Jan Sjöström (1984–86)
- Stefan Lundin (1989–91)
- Kjell Pettersson [sv] (1996–00)
- Torbjörn Nilsson (2001)
- Jörgen Lennartsson (2002–04)
- Stefan Lundin (2005 – Sept 06)
- Reine Almqvist (Sept 2006–07)
- Sonny Karlsson [sv] (2007–09)
- Peter Gerhardsson (2009–16)
- Mikael Stahre (2017)
- Andreas Alm (2018–21)
- Per-Mathias Høgmo (2021–2023)
- Pål Arne Johansen (2024)
- Joop Oosterveld (interim) (2024–)
See also
In Spanish: BK Häcken para niños
