 | |||
| Full name | Aarhus Fremad Fodbold | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | |||
| Ground | Riisvangen Stadium, Aarhus N | ||
| Capacity | 5,000 (100 seated) | ||
| Chairman | Lars Kruse | ||
| Manager | Morten Dahm Kjærgaard | ||
| League | 1st Division | ||
| 2024–25 | 2nd Division, 1st of 12 (promoted) | ||
| Website | www | ||
Aarhus Fremad (Danish:[ˈɒːˌhuˀsˈfʁɑmˌɛð], "Aarhus Forward") is anassociation football club located inAarhus N, the northern part ofAarhus, Denmark. The club competes in theDanish 1st Division, the second tier of theDanish football league system. Aarhus Fremad competed in the lower divisions of Danish football until 1997, when the club miraculously reached theDanish Superliga after nine promotions in 13 seasons.
The club's home ground is theRiisvangen Stadium. TheEast Jutland club was originally formed as sports club in 1897, before being refounded as an independent association football club in 1947.
Aarhus Fodsportsforening "Fremad" was founded in 1897, but the football department was established in 1947 at the request of Wilhelm Østenfjeld, and admitted into the local football union,DBU Jutland, on 13 August 1947.[2] The first chairman of the football department was Mozart Hansen, and a number of players in its inaugural season were also active participants in the club's athletics andhandball departments, includingHelge Paulsen (former chief executive of theDanish Handball Federation) andJørgen Absalonsen (former chief executive of theJutland Handball Federation and former head coach of theDenmark women's national handball team.[2] Exact details about the first decades of the club's existence is sparse, except its location; the ground atLæssøesgades School close toIngerslevs Boulevard, located in theFrederiksbjerg neighbourhood in the southern parts ofAarhus.[3]
In 1969, Aarhus Fremad moved to its current home atRiisvangen Stadium in northern Aarhus after its former tenantsIK Skovbakken had moved toVejlby-Risskov Idrætscenter which was constructed in 1969.[2] This came into place afterVorrevangens Boldklub had declined a move to Riisvangen. At this point, Aarhus Fremad's colours were white shirts and black shorts and socks.
As noted in the club's first newer club magazine,Kartoffelmos, which was first published in 1975: "In 1973 the club had a closed team, the 'villa team', which did not have dealings with other members of the club. The board mainly consisted of members of this villa team, and the other members played their planned matches without being involved with the board." At an extraordinary general assembly in December 1973, the entire villa team opted out of Aarhus Fremad, and took with them a large number of other active members. This virtually meant that the entire board had left the club, and that the remaining members were without a board and without any knowledge of running a football club. Nonetheless, club member Leo Meyer was appointed new chairman of the board in April 1974.[2]
Following the fatal general assembly in December 1973, Aarhus Fremad only consisted of 9 members. The first team competed in Serie 5, the 10th tier division of Danish football, but did not have enough players to compete. The low membership resulted in lacking contributions, leaving the club in financial turmoil.[3] the club did not have enough players to form a team. A new three-person board consisting of Søren Pank, Leo Meyer and Henning Tødt was elected to straighten out the financial situation. The board, suffering from the lacking contributions resulting from the low membership the year before, had to pay the debts and cover expenses left from the former board.[3]
The same day as the new board was elected,Børge Toft took the position of head coach, which turned out to be a successful move for the club. Toft managed to attract new sponsors and active members, which meant that Fremad had 27 members at the end of 1974. Sponsors provided kits and footballs, which helped revive the struggling club.[3] The following years, the club attracted more members, and by 1980 Aarhus Fremad had 3–4 senior teams and 5–6 youth teams. The senior side competed in the 10th and 9th tier of Danish football between 1974 and 1980.[3]
Between 1980 and 1983, Aarhus Fremad landed in financial decline once again. This time, however, issues were resolved faster. With the aid ofAarhus Municipality the club was granted a new indoor facility atRiisvangen Stadium. Before, the club used the old German barracks left fromWorld War II. The new facilities led to an increase in active members which in turn strengthened the financial situation of the club. Due to these small victories, Aarhus Fremad set more ambitious targets for success on the field.[3]
Under head coach Kaj Jensen, the club promoted in back-to-back seasons, which would set in motion an unmatched run in Danish football of nine promotions over the course of 13 years. In 1987,Kim Poulsen took over as head coach, and a financial upturn meant that Aarhus Fremad could improve the first team by attracting better players. At the same time, ambitious Jan Hammerholt was elected as the new chairman of the board in 1988, which meant new prerequisites for the club. As the first Serie 3 club in Danish history, Fremad introduced sponsored cars for the first-team players. The players were also sent on training camp and the ambitions of the club soon grew.[3]
Multiple promotions quickly followed. In 1988, the club promoted to Serie 2 and a few years the club competed in Serie 1. New players arrived, strengthening the first-team squad and helping the once struggling club continue its surge throughout the Danish divisions. In 1992, the club reached theJutland Series, the fifth tier of theDanish football system. At the end of the first season in this division, Aarhus Fremad reached second place meaning direct promotion to theDenmark Series (fourth tier).[3]
After one season establishing themselves at the fourth level, the club was ready for another promotion in 1995 to theDanish 2nd Division West (third tier). This marked Fremad's first meeting with the Danish divisions. This promotion, however, also meant the departure of head coach Kim Poulsen who had been instrumental for the club's meteoric rise of seven promotions in eight years. As his replacement, Per Bie became new head coach with the goal of leading the club to further success on the field. This success came instantly, as Fremad with Bie in charge came in first place and reached another promotion – this time to theDanish 1st Division (second tier).[3] The club had attracted national attention during the last seasons and some of the better lower division players from regional clubs had joined the Aarhus Fremad first team during this period.
Alongside promotion to the second division,Aarhus Fremad FodboldApS was established in order to introduce professional contracts in the club. This would ensure that Fremad would be able to hold on to its players, who, because of their strong performances, had attracted interest from larger Danish clubs. In just 12 years, Aarhus Fremad had moved from the lowest tiers of Danish football to second division and professional football.[3]
The first team quickly accustomed to the second division and established itself in the top of the league during the first season. The many promotions from the years before culminated on 11 June 1997, when Aarhus Fremad facedSvendborg fB away atHøje Bøge Stadium in what would become the biggest accomplishment in club history. A 3–1 away win meant that Aarhus Fremad sensationally reached promotion to theDanish Superliga in the same year as the club celebrated itscentennial.[3]
Aarhus Fremad appointed formerBayern Munich andDenmark internationalViggo Jensen as their new head coach for the1997–98 Danish Superliga season. The club played its first match in the Superliga on 25 July 1997 against city rivalsAGF. The game ended in a 2–1 win on goals bySøren Hermansen andUlrich Gregers, who secured the win for Fremad at their temporary home field,Aarhus Idrætspark in front of 15,000 spectators.[4][5] On the field for Fremad were players such asBrian Priske,Henrik Bundgaard andKim Østergaard Nielsen, besides the goalscorers.[6] The club avoided relegation their first season in the Superliga, despite the death of chairman Hammerholt halfway through the season, a day before the first spring game againstAaB.[7] Hermansen, who scored in the season opener, ended the season with 19 league goals and was only surpassed in the league-topscorer standings byEbbe Sand fromBrøndby IF.
Aarhus Fremad suffered relegation after the1998–99 season, ending in 11th place.[3] This would mark the start of a long decline for the club.[3]
In 1999 the first team merged withSkovbakken IK to form the clubFC Aarhus with the goal of becoming one of the top clubs in Denmark. However, the merger only survived for six months, as the club had a debt of 1.8 millionDKK. Instead, the Fremad board decided to continue their professional department under the name of FC Aarhus for the next four years with the continued ambition of reaching the Superliga.
The beginning of the new millennium was a tumultuous time in FC Aarhus, as frequent replacements in the head coaching seat signalled.[3] Between 1999 and 2004, the club had six different coaching teams. A high point of this period occurred in the summer of 2002 when English footballing giantsManchester United won 5–0 over current FC Aarhus and former Aarhus Fremad players in a pre-seasonfriendly, with goals scored by e.g.Ruud van Nistelrooy,Diego Forlán andRyan Giggs.David Beckham also made an appearance during the match.[8][9]
In 2003, as bankruptcy threatened the project, FC Aarhus was disbanded and Aarhus Fremad resurrected, with the club going back to its traditional virtues with a strong focus on volunteers.[3] In 2004, the club relegated to theDanish third tier after five seasons in the second tier.
During the summer of 2004, 27-year oldAnders Gerber is appointed head coach before the2004–05 season. While the club ends in a mid-table finish the first season, the2005–06 season was markedly better, and Fremad reached promotion to thesecond highest football league, ending in second place only behindEsbjerg fB in the table. The first season back in the second tier was a positive surprise, and the club avoided relegation after a 3–1 away win in the final round of the competition overThisted FC on 24 June 2007.Martin Høgh scored a decisive brace in the 89th and 90th minute to secure another season in the second tier.[10] In thefollowing season Fremad relegated back to the 2nd Division again, ending in 15th place.[11] Head coach Anders Gerber leaves the club after the disappointing relegation, and becomes head coach forFC Fyn. His replacement was Polish former footballerKrzysztof Popczyński.[3]
Aarhus Fremad becomes a regular in the third highest football league the next few years under Popczyński, while the club continues to struggle financially. Mogens Kamp, who was the last in a series of contracted managers for Fremad during the 2000s, resigned on 1 September 2009 which meant a change in club structure.[12] Volunteers work to find new sponsors during this period, with one of these, Søren Østergaard, becoming the new manager for Aarhus Fremad on 1 February 2010.
In the seasons2010–11 and2012–13, Aarhus Fremad finished in 2nd place, narrowly missing out on promotion to the second tier. On 11 July 2013, Popczyński was sacked and former FC Aarhus head coachJesper Tollefsen was appointed as his replacement the same day.[13]Claus Christiansen took over as head coach 11 months later, when Tollefsen was sacked after a poor season in which the club suffered relegation to theDanish fourth tier, a division which Fremad had not competed in since 1995.[14] Fremad only played one season at this level, however, as they gained promotion back to the Danish third tier with five rounds left of the regular season. The last match of the season, a 5–0 home win overFC Djursland on 20 June 2015 meant the definitive return to the third tier after a season with only two losses and a +57 goal difference.[3] Since the2015–16 season Fremad has competed in the third tier.
The first half of the2019–20 season was documented in theTV 2/Østjylland documentary,Det Skal Nok Gå which featured first-team players and head coachMorten Mølkjær in their struggle for promotion to the second tier, as well as the events surrounding Aarhus Fremad's unlikely Superliga-tenure.[15][16] In December 2019, head coach Mølkjær moved toDanish 1st Division clubKolding IF after leading Aarhus Fremad to a first-place finish in their group before the winter break.[17] His replacement, Morten Dahm Kjærgaard, who came from a position as assistant coach in second division sideFC Fredericia was appointed in early January 2020.[18][19][20] Despite a strong finish to the season after the league had been suspended due toCOVID-19, Fremad finished second in the promotion group, losing out on goal difference toFC Helsingør who became the sole promoted team to theDanish 1st Division.[21]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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| Position | Staff[23] |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Lars Kruse |
| Board of Directors | Mikkel Sønderup Nicolai Thornemann Jesper Blicher Dahl Lars Kruse Mikkel Hemmer |
| Commercial manager | Andreas Damgaard |
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Morten Dahm Kjærgaard |
| Assistant coach | Rune Dall Jensen |
| Assistant coach | Stig Haaland |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Henrik Bundgaard |
| Team leader | Poul H. Kirkegaard |
| Team leader | Jørn "Figo" Pilgaard |
The person responsible for direction of the first senior team has traditionally been given the title ofhead coach/trainer. In 2003,Jens Tang Olesen was given the title ofmanager/sports director.[24]
| Name | Nationality | From | To | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan Mortensen |  Denmark | 1976 | 1977 | [2] |
| Bjørn Distler | Denmark | ~1978 | ~1978 | [2] |
| Jan Hammerholt | Denmark | 1979 | 1982 | |
| Kaj Jensen | Denmark | 1983 | 1986 | |
| Kim Poulsen | Denmark | 1987 1998 | 1995 1999 | [2] |
| Per Bie | Denmark | 1996 | 1997 | |
| Viggo Jensen | Denmark | ~1997 | ~1997 | |
| Peer Danefeld | Denmark | 1999 | 2000 | |
| Frank Pingel | Denmark | 1 July 2000 | 5 October 2000[25] | [26] |
| Henrik Bechmann and Henrik Gudmandsen † | Denmark | ~2000 | ~2000 | |
| Tom Matthiesen andOle Brandenborg † | Denmark | ~2001 | ~2001 | |
| Jesper Tollefsen | Denmark | 2001 10 July 2013[27] | 23 June 2003[28] 30 June 2014[14] | |
| Ole Brandenborg | Denmark | 23 June 2003[28] | 11 June 2004 | [29] |
| Anders Gerber | Denmark | 6 July 2004[30] | 27 June 2008 | [31] |
| Krzysztof Popczyński |  Poland | 27 July 2008[32] | 10 July 2013[33] | [2][3][34] |
| Claus Christiansen | Denmark | 30 June 2014[14] | 10 June 2017[35] | |
| Morten Mølkjær | Denmark | 16 June 2017[36] | 19 December 2019[37] | |
| Morten Dahm Kjærgaard | Denmark | 6 January 2020[38] | Present | [39] |
National leagues[edit]
| Cups[edit]
|
| Season | Pos. | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | P | Cup | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–1998 | SL | 10 | 33 | 9 | 6 | 18 | 51 | 73 | 33 | ||
| 1998–1999 | SL | 11 | 33 | 7 | 8 | 18 | 51 | 73 | 29 | relegated | |
| 7 seasons at lower levels | |||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | 1D | 11 | 30 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 33 | 45 | 31 | ||
| 2007–2008 | 1D | 15 | 30 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 22 | 43 | 28 | relegated | |
| 6 seasons at lower levels | |||||||||||
