Östersunds Fotbollsklubb, commonly known simply as Östersunds FK, Östersund (Swedish pronunciation: [œstɛˈʂɵnːd]) or (especially locally) ÖFK, is a Swedish professional football club located in Östersund, Sweden, that plays in the Swedish second tier, Superettan. The club was formed in 1996 as a merger of several Östersund clubs. The club is affiliated with the Jämtland-Härjedalens Fotbollförbund[2] and play their home games at Jämtkraft Arena. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are red and black, predominantly in stripes and with red shorts and socks.
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| Full name | Östersunds Fotbollsklubb | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Short name | ÖFK | ||
| Founded | 31 October 1996 | ||
| Ground | Jämtkraft Arena, Östersund | ||
| Capacity | 8,545[1] | ||
| Chairman | Peja Lindholm | ||
| Head coach | Magnus Powell | ||
| League | Superettan | ||
| 2023 | Superettan, 5th | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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From its creation, the club played mostly in the third tier of Swedish football but in 2013 Östersund achieved promotion to the second tier, Superettan, after achieving two consecutive promotions. In 2016 Östersund was promoted to the Swedish first tier, Allsvenskan, for the first time.[3] In 2017, Östersund won the Svenska Cupen and qualified for the UEFA Europa League. The club was relegated to Superettan in 2021.[4]
Name
editThe name 'Östersunds' is in a possessive clause in the Swedish language, which means it is incorrect to call the club anything other than Östersund in a short form based on the town name.
Background
editÖstersunds FK was created in 1996 when the three local clubs Ope IF, IFK Östersund and Östersund/Torvalla FF merged, aiming to create a club in that would be able to establish itself in the top two tiers of Swedish football. The next year Frösö IF also joined the project. The newly formed club started out their existence in the third tier in 1997 and Östersund/Torvalla FF ceased to exist as a consequence.[5] IFK Östersund, Ope IF och Östersund/Torvalla FF (ÖTFF). In 2000 a fifth club, Fältjägarnas IF, was also merged into the club.
During the 2000s the club started taking on an English flavour and in 2007 the director of football Daniel Kindberg used his friendship with coaches Roberto Martínez and Graeme Jones to start a cooperation with Swansea City where Östersund would loan young players from the club. Swansea also came over to Östersund to play the inauguration game at the newly built stadium.[6] After a poor 2010 season the club was relegated to the fourth tier for the first time ever.
In 2011 Daniel Kindberg returned to the role as director of football and increased financial backing from local companies which enabled the hiring of more full-time staff. Following Jones' recommendation the club also brought in young English manager Graham Potter[7] who was working at an English university at the time. Through several successful signings, some coming from Potter's connections at Nike Football Academy, the club was able to win both the fourth tier and then the third tier immediately the year after.[8] The club was promoted to Superettan for the 2013 season and finished 10th that season.
In January 2014 the club announced that they had signed a half-billion kronor deal with the government of Libya to develop and educate Libyan football players. Under the terms of the deal, Östersunds FK would train 250 young men from Libya every year, except the first year in which they will receive 60 students. Those players would be taught English and computer skills in addition to sports theory and football training. The deal was expected to raise Östersund FKs yearly profits by over 50%.[9] The deal with the Libyan state never came to life, thus meaning no students came to Östersund and no money was received by the club.[10]
On 27 October 2015, the club was promoted to Allsvenskan for the first time.[11] In 2017, they managed to win their first major trophy, Svenska Cupen, after defeating IFK Norrköping 4–1 in the final, also qualifying for the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League, marking their first appearance in a European competition tournament. In their Europa League debut in the second qualifying round on 13 July 2017, Östersund earned a shock 2–0 over Turkish giants Galatasaray at the Jämtkraft Arena and eliminated them after a 1–1 draw in Istanbul. Two goals by Saman Ghoddos in a win over PAOK on 24 August saw them qualify for the group stage at the first time of asking, at the same time making them the only Swedish representative in the season's UEFA competition and making Graham Potter the only British manager in the Europa League group stage. After losing only one game in their campaign, they finished second in a group featuring Athletic Bilbao and Hertha Berlin, becoming the first Swedish club to progress beyond the Europa League group stage. In the round of 32 they managed to beat English side Arsenal 2–1 away but were eliminated 4–2 on aggregate after losing the first leg 3–0.[12]
On 17 April 2018, club chairman (also the director of football) Daniel Kindberg was taken into custody by the Swedish Economic Crime Authority, suspected on probable cause of serious fraud and for assisting in serious gross accounting violations.[13] Together with two other people, Kindberg is suspected of submitting false invoices in several companies, according to the prosecutor.[14] Several of these companies have strong ties to Östersunds FK and the club's sponsorship deals.[15][16] Several years before, in 2014, Kindberg was subject to criticism when Östersundshem, the municipal housing company where he was the CEO, became a big sponsor of Östersunds FK.[17][18]
On 11 June 2018, Graham Potter left Östersunds FK to take over as manager of Swansea City after eight seasons in charge.
On 31 October 2021, they were relegated from Allsvenskan after their loss to Varberg BoIS. In the 2022 season, Östersunds FK managed to barely escape relegation from Superettan, the second tier of Swedish men's professional football. The team ended up in 14th place and therefore had to qualify which they did. Östersund played six seasons in Allsvenskan before they were relegated.[19]
Season to season
edit| Season | Level | Division | Section | Position | Movements | Svenska Cupen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Tier 4 | Division 2 | Norrland | 7th | ||
| 1998 | Tier 4 | Division 2 | Norrland | 2nd | Promotion Playoffs | |
| 1999 | Tier 4 | Division 2 | Norrland | 1st | Promotion Playoffs | |
| 2000 | Tier 4 | Division 2 | Norrland | 5th | ||
| 2001 | Tier 4 | Division 2 | Norrland | 3rd | ||
| 2002 | Tier 4 | Division 2 | Norrland | 5th | Round 1 | |
| 2003 | Tier 4 | Division 2 | Norrland | 2nd | DNQ | |
| 2004 | Tier 4 | Division 2 | Norrland | 4th | Round 1 | |
| 2005 | Tier 4 | Division 2 | Norrland | 2nd | Promoted | Round 3 |
| 2006[a] | Tier 3 | Division 1 | Norra | 11th | Round 2 | |
| 2007 | Tier 3 | Division 1 | Norra | 11th | Round 2 | |
| 2008 | Tier 3 | Division 1 | Norra | 10th | Round 2 | |
| 2009 | Tier 3 | Division 1 | Norra | 11th | Round 2 | |
| 2010 | Tier 3 | Division 1 | Norra | 13th | Relegated | Round 3 |
| 2011 | Tier 4 | Division 2 | Norrland | 1st | Promoted | Round 2 |
| 2012 | Tier 3 | Division 1 | Norra | 1st | Promoted | Round 2[b] |
| 2013 | Tier 2 | Superettan | 10th | |||
| 2014 | Tier 2 | Superettan | 5th | Group stage, 3rd | ||
| 2015 | Tier 2 | Superettan | 2nd | Promoted | Round 2 | |
| 2016 | Tier 1 | Allsvenskan | 8th | Group stage, 3rd | ||
| 2017 | Tier 1 | Allsvenskan | 5th | Winner | ||
| 2018 | Tier 1 | Allsvenskan | 6th | Semi-finals | ||
| 2019 | Tier 1 | Allsvenskan | 12th | Group stage, 2nd | ||
| 2020 | Tier 1 | Allsvenskan | 13th | Group stage, 2nd | ||
| 2021 | Tier 1 | Allsvenskan | 16th | Relegated | Quarter-finals | |
| 2022 | Tier 2 | Superettan | 14th | Round 2 | ||
| 2023 | Tier 2 | Superettan | 5th | Group stage, 4th |
European record
editOverall record
edit- Accurate as of 23 February 2018
| Competition | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Europa League | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 13 | +6 | 57.14 |
| Total | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 13 | +6 | 57.14 |
Matches
edit| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | UEFA Europa League | 2Q | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | |
| 3Q | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | |||
| PO | 2–0 | 1–3 | 3–3 (a) | |||
| Group J | 2–2 | 0–1 | 2nd | |||
| 1–0 | 1–1 | |||||
| 2–0 | 2–0 | |||||
| R32 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 2–4 |
- Notes
- 2Q: Second qualifying round
- 3Q: Third qualifying round
- PO: Play-off round
- GS: Group Stage
- R32: Round of 32
UEFA Team rank
editThe following list ranks the current position of Östersunds FK in UEFA ranking:
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 89 | 16.000 | |
| 116 | 12.330 | |
| 117 | 10.500 | |
| 118 | 10.000 | |
| 119 | 10.000 | |
| 120 | 10.000 | |
| 121 | 8.000 | |
| 145 | 6.000 | |
| 187 | 3.975 | |
| 188 | 3.975 |
As of 21 September 2020.[1]
Players
editFirst-team squad
edit- As of 15 July 2024[21]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable players
editThis list of notable players includes those who have either been named player of the year at the club,[22] or has become league top goalscorer, or went on to play in Allsvenskan (or for larger clubs abroad).
Alan Al-Kadhi
Alex Dyer
Alhaji Gero
Blair Turgott
Brian Wake
Brwa Nouri
Daryl Smylie
David Accam
Fouad Bachirou
Gabriel Somi
Lasse Mattila
Modou Barrow
Michael Tidser
Moon Seon-min
Saman Ghoddos
Player records
editTop 10 players with most games in ÖFK
edit| Nr | Name | Games | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 213 | 0 | |
| 2 | 212 | 10 | |
| 3 | 204 | 4 | |
| 4 | 193 | 15 | |
| 5 | 190 | 47 | |
| 6 | 184 | 58 | |
| 7 | 179 | 3 | |
| 8 | 172 | 7 | |
| 9 | 163 | 24 | |
| 10 | 154 | 23 |
Player of the season in ÖFK
edit| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1997 | |
| 1998 | |
| 1999 | |
| 2000 | |
| 2001 | |
| 2002 | |
| 2003 | |
| 2004 | |
| 2005 | |
| 2006 | |
| 2007 | |
| 2008 | |
| 2009 | |
| 2010 | |
| 2011 | |
| 2012 | |
| 2013 | |
| 2014 | |
| 2015 | |
| 2016 | |
| 2017 | |
| 2018 | |
| 2019 | |
| 2020 | |
| 2021 | |
| 2022 |
Top 10 players with most goals in ÖFK
edit| Nr | Name | Goals | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 58 | 184 | |
| 2 | 47 | 190 | |
| 3 | 41 | 93 | |
| 4 | 33 | 97 | |
| 5 | 26 | 33 | |
| 6 | 24 | 163 | |
| 7 | 23 | 154 | |
| 8 | 21 | 36 | |
| 8 | 21 | 68 | |
| 10 | 19 | 93 |
Management and boardroom
editTechnical staff
editAs of 24 January 2021[24]
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Boardroom
editÖstersunds FK (Föreningen)
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Östersunds FK Elitfotboll AB
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Coaches
editPer Joar Hansen (2021–2022)
Attendances
editIn recent seasons Östersunds FK have had the following average attendances:
* Attendances are provided in the Publikliga sections of the Svenska Fotbollförbundet website. [28] |
Honours
editLeague
edit- Superettan (Tier 2)
- Runners-up (1): 2015
- Division 1 Norra (Tier 3)
- Winners (1): 2012
- Division 2 Norrland (Tier 3)*
- Division 2 Norrland (Tier 4)*
- Winners (1): 2011
Cups
edit- Svenska Cupen
- Winners (1): 2016–17
* League restructuring in 2006 resulted in a new division being created at Tier 3 and subsequent divisions dropping a level. [29]
References
edit- ^ "Evenemangsarena: Jämtkraft Arena". www.ostersund.se. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
- ^ "Kontaktuppgifter och tävlingar – Jämtland-Härjedalens Fotbollförbund – Svenskfotboll.se". Archived from the original on 14 December 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
- ^ "Kontaktuppgifter och tävlingar 2013 – Östersunds FK". Archived from the original on 24 February 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ "TV: Från vinst mot Arsenal till allsvensk nedflyttning - här är ÖFK:s uppgång och fall". fotbollskanalen (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- ^ "Östersunds FF Historia" (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 17 September 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ "Östersunds satsar brittiskt" (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 13 August 2010. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ McRae, Donald (12 February 2018). ""Graham Potter: 'I've shown there's another path for English managers'" The Guardian 12 Feb 2018". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
- ^ "ÖFK Tillbakablick" (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ "Superettan klubb får en halvmiljard" (in Swedish). 8 January 2014. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
- ^ Sjölund, Fredrik (4 March 2015). "Libyen-samarbete skjuts upp ytterligare". Sveriges Radio (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 6 November 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
- ^ Calle Lindberg (27 October 2015). "Östersunds FK allsvenskt för första gången" (in Swedish). SVT Sport. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ^ "Playing Arsenal is like Christmas': How Graham Potter transformed Ostersund and inspired Sweden's north". The Independent. 14 February 2018. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ "Låt spelarna fokusera på matchen". Östersunds FK. 17 April 2018. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
- ^ "Uppgifter: Daniel Kindberg anhållen efter ekobrottsrazzian i morse". Östersunds-Posten. 17 April 2018. Archived from the original on 31 May 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
- ^ "Miljonsponsring till ÖFK från Kindbergs affärspartner utreds". Fotbollskanalen. 17 April 2018. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
- ^ Alamaa, Håkan; Sellén, Patric (17 April 2018). "Sollefteåföretagare betalade miljoner till ÖFK". SVT. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
- ^ "Östersunds FK: Underbar och älskad av alla?". Offside. 16 March 2016. Archived from the original on 5 August 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
- ^ "ÖFK-basen sitter på flera stolar - medger: "Min makt är enorm"". Fotbollskanalen. 24 October 2017. Archived from the original on 18 June 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
- ^ "Östersunds FK åker ur allsvenskan". www.aftonbladet.se (in Swedish). 30 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
- ^ "GAIS – Lagfacta – Östersunds FK". Retrieved 9 March 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Östersunds FK Team". Östersunds FK. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- ^ "Östersunds FF Klubben". Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ "Brian Wake – målkung i förbundsserierna". Archived from the original on 18 April 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ "Truppen 2015". Archived from the original on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
- ^ "Heta möten mot Vasalund". Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ "Östersunds FF Klubben". Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
- ^ "Swansea till Östersund!!!". Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ^ "Kontaktuppgifter och tävlingar – Svenska Fotbollförbundet – svenskfotboll.se". Archived from the original on 9 June 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
- ^ "GAIS – Lagfacta – Östersunds FK". Retrieved 9 March 2010.[permanent dead link]
External links
editMedia related to Östersunds FK at Wikimedia Commons
- Östersunds FK – official site