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
2024	Superettan, 4th of 16
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.

HIF has won the Swedish national championship five times. They have also won the national cup five times. Helsingborgs IF was one of the first teams in the top league, Allsvenskan. From 1924 to 1968, they were almost always in the top division. They won the league five times during this period.

After 1968, HIF was relegated to lower leagues. They spent 24 seasons there before returning to the top division in 1992. Since then, they have won the league twice more, in 1999 and 2011. They were relegated again in 2016 and 2022 but returned to Allsvenskan in 2019 and 2022. The club is part of the Skånes Fotbollförbund.

Club History

HIF team photo from 1968.

A chart showing Helsingborgs IF's journey through the Swedish football league system. The different gray colors show different league divisions.

How HIF Started

Helsingborgs IF was formed in 1907. It was created when two clubs, Svithiod and Stattena, joined together. Their very first game was on June 6, 1907. They won 6–2 against their local rivals, IFK Helsingborg.

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

A 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.

Tough Times and Comeback

In 1968, Helsingborg IF was relegated from the top division. Many people thought they would quickly return. However, they spent 24 seasons in lower leagues. This was a very difficult time for the club.

In 1971, HIF was relegated again, this time to the third division. The club struggled for many years. But in November 1992, they finally made it back to Allsvenskan. A young player named Henrik Larsson helped them a lot.

Return to Glory

When Norwegian manager Åge Hareide joined, things started to get 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 time in the UEFA Champions League. This brought Helsingborg back to the top of Swedish football.

Between 2003 and 2010, HIF didn't win the league. However, they won the Swedish Cup in 2007. This was in Henrik Larsson's first season back with the team. In 2010, HIF finished second to their rivals, Malmö FF. But the next year, in 2011, Helsingborg won Allsvenskan again! They also won four more domestic titles, including the first-ever Swedish treble in 2011. This means they won three major trophies in one season.

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

Playing in Europe

HIF has played in many European football competitions. These are tournaments where top clubs from different countries compete.

Early European Adventures

In 1995, HIF finished second in Allsvenskan. This meant they qualified for a European competition for the first time. In the 1996–97 UEFA Cup, they reached the third round. They lost to the Belgian team RSC Anderlecht.

In 1998, Helsingborg played in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. They won against Vaduz in the qualifying round. Then they played against Chelsea F.C. from England. Chelsea won 1–0 after two close games.

Champions League Dream

After winning Allsvenskan in 1999, HIF got the chance to qualify for the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League. This is the biggest club competition in Europe. They easily beat Bate Borisov. Then they faced the Italian giants Inter Milan.

Helsingborg won the first game at home 1–0. The pressure was on Inter for the second game in Milan. Inter had many chances but didn't score. In the last minute, Inter was given a penalty. Álvaro Recoba took the shot, but Sven Andersson, HIF's goalkeeper, made a huge save! This sent Helsingborg through to 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 they improved, beating Rosenborg, drawing with Bayern Munich in Germany, and drawing with Paris Saint-Germain. Bayern Munich later went on to win the final that year.

More European Matches

Helsingborg returned to European football in the 2007–08 UEFA Cup. They had some exciting wins, including an 8–6 aggregate victory against Dutch side SC Heerenveen. They reached the group stage again. There, they beat Galatasaray S.K. and FK Austria Wien. They made it to the Round of 32, where they lost to PSV Eindhoven from the Netherlands.

In 2011, Helsingborg won Allsvenskan again. This gave them another chance to qualify for the Champions League. They beat teams from Wales and Poland. In the final qualifying round, they played against Celtic F.C. from Scotland. Celtic won both games, so Helsingborg went into the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League group stage instead. They played well but didn't qualify for the next round.

Team Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Johan Brattberg 2 DF Jon Birkfeldt 3 DF Wilhelm Nilsson 4 DF Marcus Gudmann 5 DF Simon Bengtsson 6 MF Samuel Asoma 7 FW Wilhelm Loeper 8 MF Ervin Gigović 9 FW Adam Akimey 10 FW Max Svensson 11 FW Milan Rasmussen 14 MF Lukas Kjellnäs

No. Position Player 15 DF Ture Görefält 18 MF Casper Ljung Hofvendahl 19 DF Benjamin Örn 20 FW Baker Amer 22 DF Max Bjurström 23 DF William Westerlund 27 DF Ebrima Bajo 29 FW Oscar Aga (on loan from Rosenborg) 30 GK Emil Rådahl 31 MF Alvin Nordin

Retired Jersey Numbers

Some jersey numbers are retired by the club to honor special players or groups.

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

Club Managers

The manager is like the head coach of the team. Here are some of the people who have managed Helsingborgs IF:

Club Achievements

Helsingborgs IF has won many important titles throughout its history.

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

League Titles

• Allsvenskan: (Sweden's top football league)
  • 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: (Sweden's second-highest league)
  • Winners (1): 2018

Cup Titles

• Svenska Cupen: (Swedish National Cup)
  • Winners (5): 1941, 1997–98, 2006, 2010, 2011
  • Runners-up (3): 1950, 1993–94, 2013–14
• Svenska Supercupen: (Swedish Super Cup)
  • Winners (2): 2011, 2012
  • Runners-up (1): 2007

Club Records

Team Records

• Most appearances in Allsvenskan: 349 games by Kalle Svensson (1943–62).
• Most goals scored in Allsvenskan: 140 goals by Knut Kroon (1925–42).
• Biggest win: 13–1 against IFK Eskilstuna on October 21, 1928.
• Fastest hat-trick: 3 minutes by Knut Kroon against IFK Eskilstuna on October 21, 1928.

Images for kids

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  A Tifo display by Helsingborg fans at a home game.

• 

  Helsingborg supporters showing the red and yellow Scanian flag.

See also

In Spanish: Helsingborgs IF para niños

• List of Helsingborgs IF players