Östers IF facts for kids
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| Full name | Östers Idrottsförening | ||
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| Founded | 20 April 1930 | ||
| Ground | Visma Arena, Växjö |
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| Capacity | 12,000 | ||
| Chairman | Sven Johannesson | ||
| Head coach | Srdjan Tufegdzic | ||
| League | Superettan | ||
| 2022 | 3rd | ||
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Östers Idrottsförening, often called Östers IF or just Öster, is a Swedish sports club from Växjö. They are best known for their football team. Currently, they play in Superettan, which is the second-highest football league in Sweden.
The club was started on April 20, 1930, as Östers Fotbollförening. In 1932, they changed their name to Östers IF. Besides football, the club has also had teams in ice hockey, bandy, and bowling in the past. Öster is connected to the Smålands Fotbollförbund, a local football association.
In 1968, Öster did something amazing. It was their very first season in Allsvenskan, the top Swedish league. They became the first team ever to win the national championship in their first try! This big win started their "golden age". This period lasted until the early 1980s, during which they won a total of four Swedish championships.
On March 31, 2011, Öster began building their new stadium, Myresjöhus Arena. It opened in August 2012. This stadium even hosted four games during the UEFA Women's Euro 2013 tournament.
Contents
The Story of Östers IF
The name Öster means "East" in English. The club was named after a part of the city of Växjö. In the early days of Swedish football, Öster was not in the top leagues. They first reached the third division in 1947.
Rising Through the Ranks
During the 1950s and early 1960s, the club worked hard to improve their football. They invited famous foreign teams like Flamengo and Juventus to play against them. This, along with more training, helped the team become strong in the second division.
In 1961, Öster had their first chance to join Allsvenskan, the top league. But they finished last in the promotion playoffs. Their big chance came six years later, in 1967. They beat IK Brage in a deciding game. A huge crowd of 26,404 fans cheered them on at home.
A Golden Era of Wins
In their first season in the top division, Öster surprised everyone. They won the league in 1968! Four teams finished with the same number of points, but Öster won because of their goal difference. After this championship, the club had ten years of strong finishes in Allsvenskan. Then, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, they became super dominant. They won the league three times in just four years!
After this very successful time, the team slowly started to decline. They were relegated to the second division in 1998. Since then, it has been hard for the club to stay in Allsvenskan. They have only made short, one-year appearances in the top league.
Meet the Team: Current Players
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The People Behind the Team
Coaching Staff
These are the people who help train and guide the team:
| Head Coach: |  Denis Velić |
| Assistant Coach: | - |
| Goalkeeper Coach: | Rasmus Ryden |
| Physical Coach: | Rikard Engström |
| Head of youth department: | Peter Wibrån |
Past Coaches of Östers IF
Here is a list of some of the coaches who have led Östers IF over the years:
- Bertil Bäckvall (1958–63)
Vilmos Varszegi (1967–73)- Bengt "Julle" Gustavsson (1973–74)
- Gunnar Nordahl (1975–76)
- Lars "Laban" Arnesson (1977–80)
- Bo Johansson (1980–82)
- Leif Widén (1982–85)
- Bo Johansson (1986–88)
- Peo Bild (1988–89)
- Hans Backe (1989–94)
- Nanne Bergstrand (1994–96)
- Andreas Ravelli (1997–98)
- Bo Axberg (1998)
- Jan Mattsson (1998–01)
Yevgeni Kuznetsov (2002–03)- Leif Widén (2003–04)
- Lars Jacobsson (2005–06)
Giles Stille (2007–08)- Yevgeni Kuznetsov (2008–09)
- Andreas Ottosson (2009–10)
- Ludwig Ernstsson (2010)
- Hans Gren (2010)
- Roar Hansen (2011–12)
- Andreas Thomsson (2013)
- Roberth Björknesjö (2013–14)
- Thomas Askebrand (2015–17)
- Christian Järdler (2018–Present)
Östers IF: Trophies and Wins
Östers IF has won many important titles throughout its history.
National Championships
- Swedish Champions
- Winners (4): 1968, 1978, 1980, 1981
League Achievements
- Allsvenskan (Top League):
- Winners (4): 1968, 1978, 1980, 1981
- Second Place (3): 1973, 1975, 1992
- Superettan (Second League):
- Winners (2): 2002, 2012
- Second Place (1): 2005
- Division 1 Södra (Third League):
- Winners (3): 1989, 2009, 2016
- Second Place (1): 2008
Cup Wins
- Svenska Cupen (Swedish Cup):
- Winners (1): 1977
- Second Place (4): 1974, 1982, 1985, 1991
- Allsvenskan play-offs:
- Second Place (1): 1983
Stadiums and Fans
Öster has played in two main stadiums. From 1966 to 2012, their home was Värendsvallen. Since 2012, they have played at the modern Visma Arena. Many fans come to watch Öster play, especially when they are in the top leagues.
See also
In Spanish: Östers IF para niños
