The Most Successful Football Clubs In Denmark

Former European champions and the country which supplied us with Michael Laudrup, Peter Schmeichel, Christian Eriksen, and other iconic figures, Denmark has played a major role in the history of European football.

Their clubs are seldom among the football betting favourites in continental competitions. Instead, it’s a chilly away for their opponents, with the potential for an occasional upset.

Clubs in Denmark aren’t the richest, nor have they enjoyed much success in UEFA competitions over the years. The football is competitive, though, and the crowds are often impressive.

Kjøbenhavns Boldklub

Joint record holders with 15 national titles, Kjøbenhavns Boldklub also have the most runner-up placings in the history of Danish football. Winning their first title in 1913, Kjøbenhavns Boldklub were crowned Danish champions at least once in every decade until the 1990s.

Having hit financial difficulties in the 1980s, Kjøbenhavns Boldklub won their final title in 1980. They merged with local rivals Boldklubben 1903 in 1991.

Twice winning back-to-back titles in the 1910s, KB were at their strongest before World War Two. A threepeat at the end of the 1940s and the start of the 1950s was the last time they won consecutive titles.

F.C. København

Betting favourites for the Superliga throughout the 21st century, F.C. København were only founded in 1992. The club was the result of the merger of Boldklubben 1903 and Kjøbenhavns Boldklub.

The history of F.C. København is complicated. While the club has only been operating under this name since the start of the 1990s, Boldklubben 1903 and Kjøbenhavns Boldklub each had over a century of history.

Alongside domestic dominance in Denmark, København have had some big European nights, including draws with Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund in 2023/24. They also reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League in 2019-20.

Brøndby IF

Winning all 11 of their league titles since 1985, Brøndby IF completed a threepeat at the end of the 1990s, following on from five titles in a seven-year span in the second half of the 1980s and first part of the 1990s.

During that period, The Boys from Vestegnen reached the last eight of the European Cup and made the semis of the UEFA Cup. While Brøndby’s successes have been less frequent in the 21st century, the club has remained competitive in the league and Danish Cup, including being named Danish champions for an 11th time in 2020/21.

While Brøndby have rarely made it beyond the qualifying rounds of European competition in the 21st century, the club has still produced some well-known players like Daniel Agger and Christian Nørgaard and many other Denmark stars over the years.

AB

The nine-time Danish champions are known as ‘AB’ rather than the club’s full name of Akademisk Boldklub Gladsaxe. Currently languishing in the third tier of Danish football, AB haven’t won a league title since 1967 but still sit as the fourth-most successful team in the country.

Competitive throughout the first half of the 20th century and for a chunk of the second half of the century, AB’s recent history has been defined by financial issues. Under CEO Per Frimann, the club invested massively in its playing staff, leading to consecutive third-placed finishes in 1999 and 2000.

Economic problems impacted the on-field product, however, causing AB to slide down the divisions. With Frimann gone, the club was rescued from bankruptcy in 2012, leading to a name change. In 2022, Five Castles Football Group bought the club.

Boldklubben af 1893

Commonly known as B. 93, Boldklubben af 1893 was initially founded as a cricket club in the late 19th century. It only took a few years before a football club was created, with the football team going on to win nine league titles between 1915 and 1946.

Former glories have not been enough to keep Boldklubben af 1893 relevant. Like AB, financial issues led to relegations. Boldklubben af 1893 haven’t competed in the topflight since 1998/99, and that drought doesn’t look like it will end any time soon.