Helsingborgs IF facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Helsingborgs IF

Full name	Helsingborgs Idrottsförening
Nickname(s)	Di Röe (the Red ones, in Scanian dialect)
Short name	HIF
Founded	4 June 1907; 118 years ago (1907-06-04)
Ground	Olympia, Helsingborg
Ground Capacity	16,500
Chairman	Fredrik Karlsson
Manager	Klebér Saarenpää
League	Superettan
2022	15th in Allsvenskan
Home colours Away colours

Helsingborgs Idrottsförening, often called Helsingborgs IF or just HIF, is a professional football club from Helsingborg, Sweden. They play in Superettan, which is Sweden's second-highest football league. The club was started in 1907.

Helsingborgs IF has won five national championship titles and five national cup titles. They also won the Allsvenskan league twice when that league didn't decide the national champion.

HIF was one of the first teams in Allsvenskan. From 1924 to 1968, they played almost every season in the top league and won it five times. In 1968, HIF was moved down to a lower league. Many thought they would quickly return, but they spent 24 seasons in lower leagues. Finally, in 1992, they were promoted back to the top division.

After returning to Allsvenskan in 1993, Helsingborg stayed in the top league until 2016. During this time, they won the league in 1999 and 2011. They have since returned to the top division twice, in 2019 and 2022. The club is part of the Skånes Fotbollförbund.

History of Helsingborgs IF

The HIF team in 1968

A chart showing how Helsingborgs IF has moved through the Swedish football league system. The gray colors show different league divisions.

Helsingborgs IF was created in 1907. It was formed when two clubs, Svithiod and Stattena, joined together. Their first game was on June 6, 1907, where they beat IFK Helsingborg 6–2.

A famous player named Otto Malm was a star for the team. In the 1911–12 season, he scored 69 goals in just 24 games! By the end of his time at HIF, he had played 500 games and scored an amazing 735 goals.

The year after the club started, John Pettersson became the club president. During his time, the club won the league five times. The team also changed their kit from white shirts and blue shorts to red shirts and blue shorts. They also won the Scandinavian Championships that year.

In 1914, the club reached the final of the Swedish Cup but lost. They were invited to play in the Swedish Series, but they said no. They believed playing friendly matches brought more fans. Also, their players were part-time, so regular away games were difficult.

In 1968, Helsingborg IF was moved down to the second division. At that time, they were the top team in the Allsvenskan marathon table (a ranking based on all-time points). In 1969, they won their second division league. However, they couldn't get back into Allsvenskan. The next few years were tough for the club.

In 1971, HIF was moved down again, this time to the third division. This was a very low point for the club. They spent over two decades outside of Sweden's top football league. But in November 1992, they finally returned to Allsvenskan. A young player, Henrik Larsson, helped them a lot.

When Norwegian manager Åge Hareide joined, things got much better. In his first year, HIF finished second in the league. Then, in 1999, they won Allsvenskan for the first time since 1941. They also had a successful run in the UEFA Champions League. This brought Helsingborg back to the top of Swedish football.

Between 2003 and 2010, HIF didn't have much success in Allsvenskan. But in 2007, they won the Swedish Cup. This was in Henrik Larsson's first season back with the team. In 2010, HIF finished second after their rivals Malmö FF. The next year, Helsingborg won Allsvenskan again. This championship was followed by four more national titles. This meant Helsingborg won five titles in a row, including their first ever treble in 2011.

In 2016, HIF was moved down to Superettan again. They spent two seasons there before returning to Allsvenskan in 2019. In their return season, HIF finished 10th.

HIF in European Competitions

HIF's second-place finish in Allsvenskan in 1995 meant they could play in a European football competition for the first time. In the 1996–97 Uefa Cup, they reached the third round. There, they lost to the Belgian team RSC Anderlecht.

After winning Allsvenskan in 1999, HIF got the chance to qualify for the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League. They beat Bate Borisov easily. Then, they faced the Italian giants Inter Milan. Helsingborg won the first game 1–0 at home. In the second game in Milan, Inter still hadn't scored by the 90th minute. Then, a penalty was given to Inter. Álvaro Recoba took the shot, but Sven Andersson made a huge save! This sent Helsingborg into the group stage.

In the group stage, Helsingborg played against Rosenborg BK, Paris Saint-Germain F.C., and FC Bayern Munich. They had a tough start with three losses. But then, they beat Rosenborg at home. They also drew 0–0 with FC Bayern Munich in Germany. Bayern Munich later went on to win the final of the tournament. Helsingborg was the only team they didn't beat at their home stadium.

Helsingborg returned to European football in the 2007–08 UEFA Cup. They had a memorable match against the Dutch team SC Heerenveen. After losing the first game 5–3, most fans thought it was over. But Helsingborg won the home game 5–1, with a goal from Henrik Larsson! They moved on to the group stage. They played well, beating Galatasaray and FK Austria Wien. They reached the round of 32, where they lost to PSV Eindhoven.

In 2011, Helsingborg won Allsvenskan again. This allowed them to try for the Champions League. They beat teams from Wales and Poland. In the final qualifying round, they played against the Scottish team Celtic F.C.. Helsingborg lost both games 0–2. However, this meant they qualified for the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League. They played well in the group stage but didn't make it to the next round.

Fans

The official song for Helsingborg is "På Gator Röda och Blå" by Björns Band.

A Tifo display by Helsingborg fans at a home game

Helsingborg fans showing the red and yellow Scanian flag

Players

First-team squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Kalle Joelsson 2 DF Jon Birkfeldt 3 DF Wilhelm Nilsson 4 DF Thomas Rogne 7 FW Arian Kabashi 9 FW Taylor Silverholt 11 FW Milan Rasmussen 13 FW Wilhelm Loeper 14 MF Lukas Kjellnäs 16 MF Ervin Gigović

No. Position Player 18 FW Anton Nilsson 19 DF Benjamin Örn 20 FW Dennis Olsson 21 MF Adrian Svanbäck 22 FW Chisomnazu Chika Chidi (on loan from GAIS) 23 DF William Westerlund 24 DF Daniel Bergman 25 MF Adam Hellborg 27 MF Benjamin Acquah 30 GK Nils Arvidsson

Out on loan

No. Position Player DF Simon Bengtsson (at AC Oulu until 31 December 2024) 33 FW Amar Muhsin (at IK Brage until 31 December 2024)

Retired numbers

No. Position Player 12 The 12th man (fans of the club) 17 FW Henrik Larsson (1992–1993, 2006–2009)

Managers

Honours

• Swedish Champions
  • Winners (5): 1932–33, 1933–34, 1940–41, 1999, 2011

League

• Allsvenskan:
  • Winners (7): 1928–29, 1929–30, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1940–41, 1999, 2011
  • Runners-up (7): 1927–28, 1948–49, 1953–54, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2010
• Superettan:
  • Winners (1): 2018
• Division 1 Södra:
  • Runners-up (3): 1990, 1991, 1992

Cups

• Svenska Cupen:
  • Winners (5): 1941, 1997–98, 2006, 2010, 2011
  • Runners-up (2): 1950, 1993–94, 2013–14
• Svenska Mästerskapet:
  • Runners-up (2): 1914, 1918
• Svenska Supercupen:
  • Winners (2): 2011, 2012
  • Runners-up (1): 2007

Records

Team records

• Most appearances in Allsvenskan: 349, Kalle Svensson (1943–62)
• Most goals scored in Allsvenskan: 140, Knut Kroon (1925–42)

Notable Swedish Club records

• Biggest win: 13–1 against IFK Eskilstuna on October 21, 1928
• Biggest half-time lead: 9–0 against IFK Eskilstuna on October 21, 1928
• Most goals scored by a home team in a season: 57, in the 1928–29 season
• Fastest hat-trick: 3 minutes by Knut Kroon against IFK Eskilstuna on October 21, 1928
• Most hat-tricks combined: 22 by Harry Lundahl (for Helsingborgs IF/IFK Eskilstuna)

See also

In Spanish: Helsingborgs IF para niños

• List of Helsingborgs IF players