Silkeborg IF
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| Full name | Silkeborg Idraetsforening |
|---|---|
| Short name | SIF |
| Founded | 1917 |
| Ground | MASCOT Park, Silkeborg |
| Capacity | 10,000 |
| Chairman | Kent Madsen |
| Manager | Peter Sørensen |
| League | Danish Superliga |
| 2015–16 | Danish 1st Division, 2nd (promoted) |
Silkeborg IF (Full name: Silkeborg Idrætsforening, or SIF in short) is a professional Danish football club in Silkeborg, Denmark. The club was founded in 1917, reached the highest level of Danish football in 1987, and was during the 1990s one of the most successful football clubs in Denmark, finishing in first place in the league in 1993–94, third place in 1994–95, second place in 1997–98 as well as a Danish Cup victory in 2001. Silkeborg has participated in European games several times, and won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1996.
Founded in 1917, the football section of Silkeborg IF played in the top ranks of Jutland until a short visit in the third division in 1962. In 1966, however the team was promoted to the 2nd division of Danish football. In 1982, the club took the decisive step towards the Danish top football, as the company SIF Football Support A / S was founded, a professional company that would be responsible for professional football in Silkeborg. This resulted in a rise in 1987 to the country's top row, the 1st division. This came as a large surprise to most football enthusiasts and a reporter from the Danish newspaper Politiken wrote, "It will be a surprise if Silkeborg will win a corner kick." The team, however, played well and already in the third game of the season Silkeborg IF defeated Denmark's dominant team, Brøndby with a 1-0 win at home.
There were many vital matches in the 1993–94 season, but perhaps the most important game for Silkeborg was the tournament's third round match at home against Brøndby. Just before the game, the team's big name Jakob Kjeldberg had been sold to Chelsea, and when Brøndby put themselves ahead 2–0 early in the game, it looked difficult for the home team. But Silkeborg totally turned the match upside down and won 4–2 in front of an enthusiastic audience. During the rest of the fall SIF delivered one attractive game after another. The team lost only two of 18 matches and could overwinter in the first place of the Danish Superliga.
The playoffs were a thrilling affair. The superior play by the fall was followed by a more calculating style. On away SIF ran into a few serious defeats, but in turn Silkeborg Stadion was a fortress. Here, SIF won six out of seven games and conceded only one goal. In the second last round SIF could secure the championship with an away win against the only remaining competitor Copenhagen. Silkeborg fans flocked to the national arena, Parken Stadium, where the match was witnessed by the largest crowd in history of the Danish Superliga, namely 26,679. The many visiting SIF-fans, however, witnessed SIF scoring the first goal of the match but eventually losing 1–4.
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