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Henning von Tresckow

Henning Hermann Karl Robert von Tresckow (10 January 1901 – 21 July 1944) was a German military officer with the rank of major general in the German Army who helped organize German resistance against Adolf Hitler. He attempted to assassinate Hitler on 13 March 1943 and drafted the Valkyrie plan for a coup against the German government. He was described by the Gestapo as the "prime mover" behind the plot of 20 July 1944 to assassinate Hitler. He committed suicide at Królowy Most on the Eastern Front upon learning of the plot's failure.

Early life
Tresckow was born in Magdeburg into a noble family from the Brandenburg region of Prussia with 300 years of military tradition that provided the Prussian Army with 21 generals. His father, Leopold Hans Heinrich Eugen Hermann von Tresckow, later a cavalry general, had been present at Kaiser Wilhelm I's coronation as the emperor of new German Empire at Versailles in 1871. His mother, Marie-Agnes, was the youngest daughter of Count Robert von Zedlitz-Trützschler, a Prussian Minister of Education.

He received most of his early education from tutors on his family's remote rural estate; from 1913 to 1917, he was a student at the gymnasium in the town of Goslar. He joined the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards as an officer cadet aged 16 and became the youngest lieutenant in the Army in June 1918. In the Second Battle of the Marne, he earned the Iron Cross 2nd class for outstanding courage and independent action against the enemy. At that time Count Siegfried von Eulenberg, the commander of the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards, predicted that "You, Tresckow, will either become chief of the General Staff or die on the scaffold as a rebel."

Career
After World War I, Tresckow stayed with the famed Infantry Regiment 9 Potsdam and took part in the suppression of the Spartacist movement in January 1919, but resigned from the Weimar Republic Reichswehr Army in 1920 in order to study law and economics. He worked in a banking house and embarked on a world journey visiting Britain, France, Brazil and the eastern United States in 1924 before he had to abandon it to take care of family possessions back home. Like members of many prominent Prussian families, Tresckow married into another family with long-standing military traditions. In 1926, he married Erika von Falkenhayn, only daughter of Erich von Falkenhayn, the chief of the General Staff from 1914 to 1916, and returned to military service, being sponsored by Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg. Nevertheless, he was not a typical Prussian officer. He wore his uniform only when it was absolutely required and disliked the regimentation of army life. He liked to recite Rainer Maria Rilke, and spoke several languages, including English and French.

In 1934, Tresckow began General Staff training at the War Academy and graduated as the best of the class of 1936. He was assigned to the General Staff's 1st Department (Operations), where he worked in close contact with Generals Ludwig Beck, Werner von Fritsch, Adolf Heusinger and Erich von Manstein.

Later in 1939 and into 1940, he served as the second general staff officer of Army Group A under Gerd von Rundstedt and Erich von Manstein, culminating in the invasion of France in the spring of 1940. Tresckow played a role in the adoption of the Manstein Plan, which proved to be successful in the French campaign. Tresckow's former regimental comrade Rudolf Schmundt was Hitler's chief military aide, and it was through the Tresckow-Schmundt channel that Manstein's plan, after being rejected by Army High Command, was brought to Hitler's attention. He is also said to have worked on developing the Manstein Plan itself as Günther Blumentritt's deputy. After the fall of France, he did not share the euphoria that swept Germany and brought Hitler to the peak of his popularity. In October, he said in Paris to a secretary (the future wife of Alfred Jodl), "If Churchill can induce America to join in the war, we shall slowly but surely be crushed by material superiority. The most that will be left to us then will be the Electorate of Brandenburg, and I'll be chief of the palace guard."

From 1941 to 1943, he served under Field Marshal Fedor von Bock, his wife's cousin, and later Field Marshal Günther von Kluge as chief operations officer of the German Army Group Centre in Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. Subsequently, in October and November 1943, he served in combat as the commanding officer of Grenadier Regiment 442, defending the western bank of the Dnieper River in Ukraine. From December 1943 until his death in 1944, he served as Chief of Staff of the 2nd Army.

Heuaktion
As Chief of Staff of the 2nd Army, Tresckow signed an order on 28 June 1944 carrying out a plan originally conceived by Himmler, to abduct supposedly unaccompanied Polish and Ukrainian children in the so-called Heuaktion (Hay Action). Between 40,000 and 50,000 Polish and Ukrainian children aged 10 to 14 were kidnapped for Nazi Germany's forced labour programme. The order read in part "In operations against gangs, any boys and girls taken between ages 10 and 13 who are physically healthy, and whose parents either cannot be located or who, as persons unable to work, are to be sent to the area earmarked for remaining families (the dregs are to be sent to the Reich)."

The kidnapped children were used as forced workers in the Todt organisation, Junkers factories and in German handicrafts as part of an operation to "lower biological strength" of the enemies of Nazi Germany.

Kidnapping of children by Nazi Germany has been classified by the Nuremberg Tribunal as part of a systematic programme of genocide. Alfred Rosenberg, who also signed the documents for Heu Aktion, was found guilty by the Nuremberg Tribunal, and his signing of the document was mentioned in the final verdict.

Opposition to Adolf Hitler
Although initially supportive of Hitler because of his own opposition to the Treaty of Versailles, Tresckow was quickly disillusioned by 1934 by the events of the Night of the Long Knives (30 June to 2 July 1934) as well as its violence against the Jewish population.

In 1938, the Blomberg–Fritsch affair further strengthened his antipathy to the Nazis. He regarded the Kristallnacht, a state-sanctioned, nationwide pogrom of Jews, as personal humiliation and degradation of civilization.

He therefore sought out civilians and officers who opposed Hitler, such as Erwin von Witzleben, who dissuaded Tresckow from resigning from the Army, arguing that they would be needed when the day of reckoning came. By the summer of 1939, he told Fabian von Schlabrendorff that "both duty and honor demand from us that we should do our best to bring about the downfall of Hitler and National Socialism to save Germany and Europe from barbarism." In the campaign against the Soviet Union, Tresckow resumed his resistance activities with renewed urgency. He was appalled by the Commissar Order, of which he said: "Remember this moment. If we don't convince the field marshal (Fedor von Bock) to fly to Hitler at once and have these orders (Commissar Order) canceled, the German people will be burdened with a guilt the world will not forget in a hundred years. This guilt will fall not only on Hitler, Himmler, Göring, and their comrades but on you and me, your wife and mine, your children and mine, that woman crossing the street, and those children over there playing ball." He was likewise incensed by the treatment of Russian prisoners of war, and in particular by the mass shootings of Jewish women and children by the Einsatzgruppen behind the lines. When Tresckow learned about the massacre of thousands of Jews at Borisov, he appealed passionately to Field Marshal Fedor von Bock: "Never may such a thing happen again! And so we must act now. We have the power in Russia!"

Army Group Centre staff included Lieutenant Colonel Georg Schulze-Büttger, Colonel Rudolf Christoph Freiherr von Gersdorff, Major Carl-Hans Graf von Hardenberg, Lieutenant Heinrich Graf von Lehndorff-Steinort, Lieutenant Fabian von Schlabrendorff, Lieutenant Philipp Freiherr von Boeselager and his brother Georg Freiherr von Boeselager, Lieutenant Colonel Hans-Alexander von Voss and Lieutenant Colonel Berndt von Kleist among others, many of them from Tresckow's old Infantry Regiment 9. The headquarters of Army Group Centre thus emerged as the new nerve center of Army resistance.

At the end of September 1941, Tresckow sent his special operations officer Schlabrendorff to Berlin to contact opposition groups and declare that the staff of Army Group Centre was "prepared to do anything." This approach, made at the height of German expansion and the nadir of anti-Hitler opposition, represented the first initiative to come from the front and from the Army, as Ulrich von Hassell noted in his diary. Schlabrendorff continued to serve as liaison between Army Group Centre and opposition circle around General Ludwig Beck, Carl Friedrich Goerdeler and Colonel Hans Oster, the deputy head of Abwehr (German military intelligence) who was involved in a 1938 coup attempt against Hitler (Oster Conspiracy). Oster's recruitment of General Friedrich Olbricht, head of the General Army Office headquarters, in 1942 linked this asset to Tresckow's resistance group in Army Group Centre, creating a viable coup apparatus.

Plots against Hitler
It was decided that Tresckow's group would assassinate Hitler and thereby provide the 'spark' for the coup, which Olbricht would direct from Berlin. In late 1942, Olbricht indicated that he still needed about eight weeks to complete preparations for the coup. Shortly thereafter, Tresckow traveled to Berlin to discuss the few remaining questions and emphasize that time was running short. In the winter of 1943, Olbricht declared: "We are ready. The spark can now be set off." Tresckow assured the conspirators that he would take action at the first available opportunity.

It came on 13 March 1943, when Hitler finally visited troops on the Eastern Front at Smolensk after a few cancellations and postponements. Under the initial plan, a group of officers were to shoot Hitler collectively at a signal in the officers' mess during lunch but Kluge, commander of Army Group Centre, who had been informed about the plot, urged Tresckow not to carry it out saying, "For heaven's sake, don't do anything today! It's still too soon for that!" He argued that the German army and people were not ready to accept the coup and would not understand such an act. He also feared a civil war between the Army and SS, since Heinrich Himmler had canceled his visit and could not be killed at the same time.

Tresckow, however, had a backup plan. During the lunch in question, he asked Lieutenant Colonel Heinz Brandt, who was travelling with Hitler, whether he would be good enough to take a bottle of Cointreau to Colonel Helmuth Stieff (who was not yet a conspirator at that time) at Hitler's headquarters in East Prussia as a payment for a lost bet. Brandt readily agreed. The "Cointreau" was actually a bomb constructed of a British plastic explosive "Plastic C" placed into the casing of a British magnetic mine, with a timer consisting of a spring which would be gradually dissolved by acid. Before Hitler's Condor plane was to take off, Schlabrendorff activated the 30-minute fuse and handed the package to Brandt, who boarded Hitler's plane. After takeoff, a message was sent to the other Berlin conspirators by code that Operation Flash was under way, which they expected to take place around Minsk. Yet when Hitler landed safely at his East Prussian headquarters, it became obvious that the bomb had failed to detonate (the extremely low temperatures in the unheated luggage compartment probably prevented the fuse from working). The message of failure was quickly sent out and Schlabrendorff retrieved the package to prevent discovery of the plot.

A week later, on 21 March, Army Group Centre organised a display of Russian Army flags and weapons seized at the Eastern Front. It was exhibited at Zeughaus, military museum in Berlin, which Hitler was to visit on Heroes' Memorial Day with Himmler and Hermann Göring. Colonel Gersdorff volunteered to be the suicide bomber, intending to explode a bomb on his person near Hitler while serving as a tour guide. He had with him bombs with ten-minute fuses, knowing that Hitler was scheduled to be in the museum for 30 minutes. But at the last minute, just before Hitler was to arrive, the duration of his stay was reduced to just eight minutes as a security precaution. Hitler breezed through in two minutes. As a result, Gersdorff could not accomplish his mission, the assassination plan failed again, and he barely managed to get out and defuse the bombs.

Other plots similarly failed because of Hitler's irregular habits. Most importantly, they had no access to Hitler since he no longer visited the front, rarely visited Berlin and spent most of his time at the Wolf's Lair in East Prussia or the Berghof in Bavaria. Tresckow lacked the required clearance to enter either site and the extremely high security made any attempt impractical and unlikely to succeed. The elimination of Oster's group in April 1943 (his deputy Hans von Dohnanyi and Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer were arrested, and Oster was placed under house arrest) was a further setback.

Tresckow worked tirelessly to persuade army commanders such as Field Marshals Fedor von Bock, Günther von Kluge and Erich von Manstein to join in the conspiracy without much success. With unwitting help from Schmundt, he placed like-minded officers as their adjutants and staff officers to bring them closer to the conspiracy. Kluge sympathised with the conspirators and at times seemed ready to act, only to become indecisive at critical moments. Others refused outright, Manstein declaring, "Prussian field marshals do not mutiny." Nonetheless, no-one reported their treasonable activities to the SS.

Operation Valkyrie
Eventually, the conspirators came to rely more on the Reserve Army in Berlin and other districts to stage a coup against the German government. Olbricht now put forward a new strategy for staging a coup against Hitler. The Reserve Army had an operational plan called Operation Walküre (Valkyrie), which was to be used in the event that the disruption caused by the Allied bombing of German cities caused a breakdown in law and order, or an uprising by the millions of slave laborers from occupied countries now being used in German factories. Olbricht suggested that this plan could be used to mobilize the Reserve Army to take control of German cities, disarm the SS and arrest the Nazi leadership once Hitler had been assassinated. During August and September 1943, Tresckow took extended sick leave in Berlin to draft the "revised" Valkyrie plan with fine details and precise timetables. Revised orders and additional proclamations that would pin the blame for the uprising on the Nazi party were typed by Tresckow's wife, Erika, and his secretary, Countess Margarete von Oven, who wore gloves so as not to leave fingerprints. These 1943 papers were recovered by the Soviets after the war and finally published in 2007, showing Tresckow's central role in the conspiracy and the idealistic motivations of the resistance group at that time. Knowledge of the Jewish Holocaust was a major impetus for many officers involved.

But when Tresckow was assigned to command of a battalion on the Eastern Front in October 1943, he was no longer in position to actively plan or effect the coup. Even his promotion a month later to Chief of Staff of the Second Army did not bring him much closer. To gain access to Hitler, he proposed to his old comrade General Rudolf Schmundt, Hitler's chief adjutant and Army personnel chief, to create a new department of psychological and political warfare to evaluate data and make reports directly to the Führer. Schmundt, who was still well disposed toward his old friend but suspected that Tresckow disapproved of the Führer, quietly let the matter drop. Tresckow also applied to become General Adolf Heusinger's delegate in the Army High Command (OKH) during the latter's two-month leave, which would also give him access to Hitler's meetings, but Heusinger, who was earlier approached by conspirators, rejected it apparently for the same reason.

Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, who met Tresckow in August 1943 and worked together on revising Operation Valkyrie, took the responsibility for planning and implementing Hitler's assassination. By the time Stauffenberg was appointed Chief of Staff of the Reserve Army and was ready to carry out the assassination attempt, the Allies had already landed in Normandy. When Stauffenberg sent a message to Tresckow through Lehndorff to ask whether there was any point in making the attempt since there was no practical purpose to be served, Tresckow urged him not only to attempt the assassination but to go ahead with the coup in Berlin even if the assassination were to fail. He argued that there must be an overt act of German opposition to Hitler regardless of the consequences. He also told Philipp von Boeselager and Margarete von Oven that 16,000 people were being killed daily not as casualties of war but from being murdered by the Nazis, and Hitler had to be killed just to put an end to it. A few days before the coup attempt, Tresckow confided to a friend that "in all likelihood everything will go wrong". When asked whether the action was necessary nonetheless, he replied, "Yes, even so."

Death
When the assassination attempt on Hitler and the following coup in Berlin (the 20 July plot) had failed, Tresckow decided to commit suicide at the front in Królowy Most near Białystok on 21 July. His parting words to Schlabrendorff were:

To protect other conspirators, he staged an appearance of partisan attack by firing his pistols before detonating a grenade below his chin. He was buried in the family home in Wartenberg. When the Nazis learned about his connections to Operation Valkyrie in late August, his body was exhumed and taken to the crematorium in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. His wife was arrested on 15 August, and her children taken away under the Nazi policy of Sippenhaft (shared family guilt); however, early in October she was released and survived the war.

Personal life
In 1926, Tresckow married Erika von Falkenhayn, the daughter of Prussian general Erich von Falkenhayn and his wife, Ida ( Selkmann). General von Falkenhayn served as Prussian Minister of War during World War I as well as Chief of German General Staff. Tresckow and von Falkenhayn had four children, Mark, born 1927, Rüdiger, born 1928, Uta, born 1931 and Adelheid, born 1939.

After his suicide, his wife and daughters were arrested. His sons were already serving in the military. Mark would die in military service in 1945, almost a year after his father's suicide. The daughters were detained in a children's home in Bad Sachsa, Germany, together with several other children of the leaders of the 20 July plot.

Portrayals in media
Tresckow has been portrayed by the following actors in film:
 * Kenneth Branagh in the 2008 United States film Valkyrie''.
 * Ulrich Tukur in the 2004 German film Stauffenberg.

Awards and decorations

 * German Cross in Gold on 2 January 1943 as Oberst im Generalstab (in the General Staff) of Heeresgruppe Mitte

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FK Austria Wien

Fußballklub Austria Wien AG, known in English as Austria Vienna, and Austria Wien in German-speaking countries, is an Austrian professional association football club from the capital city of Vienna. It has won the most trophies of any Austrian club from the top flight, with 24 Austrian Bundesliga titles and 27 cup titles, although its rival SK Rapid Wien holds the record for most national championships with 32. Alongside Rapid, Austria is one of only two teams that have never been relegated from the Austrian top flight. With 27 victories in the Austrian Cup and six in the Austrian Supercup, Austria Wien is also the most successful club in each of those tournaments. The club reached the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final in 1978, and the semi-finals of the European Cup the season after. The club plays at the Franz Horr Stadium, known as the Generali Arena since a 2010 naming rights deal with an Italian insurance company.

Foundation to World War II
FK Austria Wien has its roots in Wiener Cricketer, established on 20 October 1910 in Vienna. The club was renamed Wiener Amateur-SV in December of that year and adopted the name Fußballklub Austria Wien on 28 November 1926.

The team claimed its first championship title in 1924. Wiener Amateur changed its name to Austria Wien in 1926 as the amateurs became professionals. The club won its second league title that year.

The 1930s, one of Austria Wien's most successful eras, brought two titles (1933 and 1936) in the Mitropa Cup, a tournament for champions in Central Europe. The star of that side was forward Matthias Sindelar, who was voted in 1998 as the greatest Austrian footballer.

The club's success was interrupted by the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938, with Austria taunted as "Judenklub". While Jewish players and staff at the club were killed or fled the country, Sindelar died under unresolved circumstances on 23 January 1939 of carbon monoxide poisoning in his apartment. He had refused to play for the combined Germany–Austria national team, citing injury (bad knees) and retirement from international matches. The club was part of the top-flight regional Gauliga Ostmark in German competition from 1938 to 1945, but never finished higher than fourth. They participated in the Tschammerpokal (the predecessor to the modern-day DFB-Pokal) in 1938 and 1941. Nazi sports authorities directed that the team change its name to Sportclub Ostmark Wien in an attempt to Germanize it on 12 April 1938, but the club re-adopted its historical identity almost immediately on 14 July 1938.

Post-World War II
Austria Wien won its first league title for 23 years in 1949, and retained it the following year. It later won a fifth title in 1953. The club won three-straight titles in 1961, 1962 and 1963. Forward Ernst Ocwirk, who played in five league title-winning sides in two separate spells at the club, managed the side to 1969 and 1970 Bundesliga titles. Other players of this era included Horst Nemec.

From the 1973–74 season, Wiener AC formed a joint team with FK Austria Wien, which was called FK Austria WAC Wien until 1976–77, when Austria Wien opted to revert to their own club's traditional name. The results of the joint team are part of the Austria Wien football history. From 1977 onwards, Austria Tabakwerke took over the sponsorship and Austria was competed under the new name Austria-Memphis.

The 1970s saw the beginning of another successful era, despite no league title between 1970 and 1976 as an aging squad was rebuilt. Eight league titles in eleven seasons from 1975–76 to 1985–86 reasserted its dominance. After winning the 1977 Austrian Cup, Austria Wien reached the 1978 European Cup Winners' Cup final, which they lost 4–0 to Belgian club Anderlecht. The following season, the club reached the semi-finals of the European Cup, losing 1–0 on aggregate to Swedish team Malmö FF. In 1982–83, Austria Wien reached the semi-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup, losing 5–3 on aggregate to Real Madrid.

Players at Austria Wien in this era included Herbert "Schneckerl" Prohaska, Felix Gasselich, Thomas Parits, Walter Schachner, Gerhard Steinkogler, Toni Polster, Peter Stöger, Ivica Vastić and Tibor Nyilasi.

Recent history
At the start of the 1990s, Austria Wien enjoyed its most recent period of sustained success: three-straight Bundesliga titles from 1991 to 1993; three Austrian Cup titles in 1990, 1992 and 1994; and four Austrian Supercup titles in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994. However, the club declined in the late 1990s due to financial problems which forced key players to be sold.

Austria Wien was taken over by Austro–Canadian billionaire Frank Stronach's Magna auto-parts consortium in 1999. Following deals with the Memphis cigarette company, the club was renamed FK Austria Memphis Magna. Stronach's investment in players, with a budget three times larger than the average in the league, saw a first Bundesliga title for ten years in 2002–03. Despite this, head coach Walter Schachner was fired. Although his replacement Christoph Daum could not retain the league title, he won the Austrian Cup.

In 2004, Memphis was dropped from the club's name. Austria Wien reached the UEFA Cup quarter-final in 2004–05, where they were eliminated by Parma. On 21 November 2005, Frank Stonach withdrew from the club. Consequently, several players (including top scorer Roland Linz, Vladimír Janočko, Joey Didulica, Libor Sionko, Filip Šebo and Sigurd Rushfeldt) were sold to other teams the following summer. The 2005–06 season nonetheless concluded with a Bundesliga and Cup double.

The loss of key players and a much lower budget for the 2006–07 season saw the club suffer. Despite losing 4–1 on aggregate to Benfica in the preliminary round of the UEFA Champions League, the team managed to qualify (against Legia Warsaw winning 2–1 on aggregate) for the group phase of the UEFA Cup. Former player and coach Thomas Parits became general manager. After the side lost three days later 4–0 away to Red Bull Salzburg, Partis terminated coaches Peter Stöger and Frank Schinkels. Georg Zellhofer replaced them. The season saw a sixth-place finish in the Bundesliga despite being in last place at Christmas. However, the club also won the Cup that year. The side improved the following season, finishing in third in the league.

The summer of 2008 brought notable changes. Twelve players left the club, including Sanel Kuljić and Yüksel Sariyar, who joined Frank Stronach's newly founded team FC Magna in Austria's second division. The Betriebsführervertrag ("operating contract") with Stronach's Magna company expired, letting the club reorganize. On 1 July 2008, the original name FK Austria Wien was reinstated, without a sponsor's name included for the first time in 30 years. The club also bought Chinese international Sun Xiang, the first Chinese player to play in the Bundesliga. In the 2012–13 season, Austria Wien won its 24th league title, ahead of holders Red Bull Salzburg, but lost the Austrian Cup final 1–0 to third-tier club FC Pasching.

In August 2013, Austria Wien qualified to the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time after defeating Dinamo Zagreb in the play-offs round. They were drawn against Porto, Atlético Madrid and Zenit Saint Petersburg, all of which have won European trophies in the 21st century. Austria finished last in the group after a loss to Porto at home (0–1), a draw against Zenit in Saint Petersburg (0–0), two losses against Atlético and an away draw against Porto, which eventually put the Portuguese side to the third place in the group. A consolation came when Austria defeated Zenit 4–1 at Ernst-Happel-Stadion.

Stadium
Austria Wien plays its home games at the Franz Horr Stadium, which has had a capacity of 17,000 since 2008, when a new two-tiered East Stand opened and renovations were made to the West Stand. The stadium was renamed the Generali Arena in a naming-rights deal with Italian insurer Generali announced at the end of 2010.

The stadium was originally built in 1925 for Slovan Vienna, a Czech immigrants' club, and was largely destroyed by the Allies in World War II. Austria Wien moved into the ground in 1973, playing its first match there on 26 August. The stadium was subsequently named for Franz Horr, chairman of the Viennese FA, following his death. The stadium was expanded with new or renovated stands in 1982, 1986, 1998 and, most recently, 2008.

Wien Derby

Austria Wien contests the Wien derby with Rapid Wien. The two clubs are two of the most supported and successful in the country, and are the only Austrian clubs to have never been relegated. They are two of the most culturally and socially significant clubs, both historically representing wider divisions in Viennese society. Both teams originate from Hietzing, the 13th district in the west of the city, but have since moved into different districts. Austria Wien is seen as a middle-class club, and before World War II, as part of the coffeehouse culture associated with the capital's intelligentsia. Rapid traditionally holds the support of the city's working class. The two clubs first met in a league championship match on 8 September 1911, a 4–1 victory for Rapid. The fixture is the most-played derby in European football after the Old Firm match in Glasgow and the Edinburgh Derby in Edinburgh, both in Scotland.

Domestic competitions

 * Austrian Bundesliga (24)
 * Champions: 1923–24, 1925–26, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1952–53, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2012–13

 * Austrian Cup (27)
 * Champions: 1920–21, 1923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26, 1932–33, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1966–67, 1970–71, 1973–74, 1976–77, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1985–86, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1993–94, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2008–09

 * Austrian Supercup (6)
 * Winners: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2003, 2004

 * Wiener Cup (2)
 * Winners: 1948, 1949

European competitions

 * Mitropa Cup (2)
 * Champions: 1933, 1936

 * Jeunesse et des Etudiants de Jeux Sportif (1)
 * Champions: 1959

 * European Cup Winners' Cup
 * Runners-up: 1978

Intercontinental competitions

 * Copa Rio
 * Semi-finals (2): 1951, 1952

Coaching history

 * 🏴 Jimmy Hogan (1911–12)
 * 🇦🇹 Hugo Meisl (1912–13)
 * Unknown (1914–18)
 * 🇦🇹 Johann Andres (1919–21)
 * 🇦🇹 Gustav Lanzer (1922–27)
 * 🇦🇹 Robert Lang (1928–30)
 * 🇦🇹 Karl Kurz (1930–31)
 * 🇦🇹 Rudolf Seidl (1931–32)
 * 🇦🇹 Karl Schrott (1933)
 * 🇦🇹 Josef Blum (1933–35)
 * 🇭🇺 Jenő Konrád (1935–36)
 * 🇦🇹 Walter Nausch (1936–37)
 * 🇦🇹 Matthias Sindelar (1937–38)
 * 🇦🇹 Josef Schneider (1939–40)
 * 🇦🇹 Karl Schneider (1941–42)
 * Unknown (1943–45)
 * 🇦🇹 Karl Geyer (1945)
 * 🇦🇹 Heinrich Müller (1946–54)
 * 🇦🇹 Walter Nausch (1954–55)
 * 🇦🇹 Leopold Vogl (1956–57)
 * 🇦🇹 Karl Adamek (1957–58)
 * 🇦🇹 Josef Smistik (1958–59)
 * 🇦🇹 Walter Probst (1959–60)
 * 🇦🇹 Karl Schlechta (1960–62)
 * 🇦🇹 Eduard Frühwirth (1962–64)
 * 🇦🇹 Ernst Ocwirk (1 July 1965 – 30 June 1971)
 * 🇦🇹 Heinrich "Wudi" Müller (1 July 1971 – 30 June 1972)
 * 🇦🇹 Karl Stotz (1 June 1972 – 15 March 1973)
 * 🇭🇺 Béla Guttmann (16 March 1973 – 31 May 1973)
 * 🇦🇹 Josef Pecanka (1973–74)
 * 🇦🇹 Josef Argauer (1974)
 * 🇦🇹 Robert Dienst (1974–75)
 * 🇦🇹 Johann Löser (1 Jan 1975 – 30 June 1975)
 * 🇦🇹 Karl Stotz (1 July 1975 – 30 June 1977)
 * 🇦🇹 Hermann Stessl (1 July 1977 – 31 May 1979)
 * 🇦🇹 Erich Hof (1 July 1979 – 31 March 1982)
 * Václav Halama (1 April 1982 – 30 June 1984)
 * 🇦🇹 Thomas Parits (1 July 1984 – 30 June 1985)
 * 🇦🇹 Hermann Stessl (1 July 1985 – 30 June 1986)
 * 🇦🇹 Thomas Parits (1 July 1986 – 30 June 1987)
 * 🇦🇹 Karl Stotz (1 July 1987 – 11 Oct 1987)
 * 🇦🇹 Ferdinand Janotka (12 Oct 1987 – 30 June 1988)
 * 🇦🇹 August Starek (1 July 1988 – 17 Nov 1988)
 * 🇦🇹 Robert Sara (17 Nov 1988 – 31 Dec 1988)
 * 🇦🇹 Erich Hof (1 Jan 1989 – 28 March 1990)
 * 🇦🇹 Herbert Prohaska (28 March 1990 – 9 June 1992)
 * 🇦🇹 Hermann Stessl (1 July 1992 – 31 May 1993)
 * 🇦🇹 Josef Hickersberger (1 July 1993 – 30 June 1994)
 * 🇩🇪 Egon Coordes (1 July 1994 – 30 June 1995)
 * 🇩🇪 Horst Hrubesch (1 July 1995 – 30 June 1996)
 * 🇦🇹 Walter Skocik (1 July 1996 – 15 April 1997)
 * 🇩🇪 Wolfgang Frank (26 April 1997 – 8 April 1998)
 * 🇦🇹 Robert Sara (interim) (9 April 1998 – 17 May 1998)
 * 🇸🇮 Zdenko Verdenik (17 May 1998 – 2 April 1999)
 * 🇦🇹 Friedrich Koncilia (interim) (2 April 1999 – 30 May 1999)
 * 🇦🇹 Herbert Prohaska (1 June 1999 – 3 May 2000)
 * 🇦🇹 Ernst Baumeister (interim) (3 May 2000 – 31 May 2000)
 * 🇦🇹 Heinz Hochhauser (1 June 2000 – 12 March 2001)
 * 🇳🇱 Arie Haan (12 March 2001 – 13 Aug 2001)
 * 🇦🇹 Anton Pfeffer (12 Aug 2001 – 21 Dec 2001)
 * 🇦🇹 Walter Hörmann (14 Aug 2001 – 31 Dec 2001)
 * 🇦🇹 Dietmar Constantini (interim) (1 Jan 2002 – 31 May 2002)
 * 🇦🇹 Walter Schachner (1 July 2002 – 4 Oct 2002)
 * 🇩🇪 Christoph Daum (4 Oct 2002 – 30 June 2003)
 * 🇩🇪 Joachim Löw (1 July 2003 – 24 March 2004)
 * 🇩🇰 Lars Søndergaard (March 2004 – May 2005)
 * 🇦🇹 Peter Stöger (6 May 2005 – 31 Dec 2005)
 * 🇦🇹 Frank Schinkels (1 Jan 2006 – 23 Oct 2006)
 * 🇦🇹 Georg Zellhofer (23 Oct 2006 – 19 March 2008)
 * 🇦🇹 Dietmar Constantini (interim) (19 March 2008 – 26 April 2008)
 * 🇦🇹 Karl Daxbacher (21 May 2008 – 21 Dec 2011)
 * 🇦🇹 Ivica Vastić (21 Dec 2011 – 21 May 2012)
 * 🇦🇹 Peter Stöger (11 June 2012 – 18 June 2013)
 * 🇭🇷 Nenad Bjelica (17 June 2013 – 16 Feb 2014)
 * 🇦🇹 Herbert Gager (interim) (16 Feb 2014 – 16 May 2014)
 * 🇦🇹 Gerald Baumgartner (1 June 2014 – 22 March 2015)
 * 🇦🇹 Andreas Ogris (22 March 2015 – 30 June 2015)
 * 🇩🇪 Thorsten Fink (1 July 2015 – 27 February 2018)
 * 🇩🇪 Thomas Letsch (27 February 2018 – 11 March 2019)
 * 🇦🇹 Robert Ibertsberger (11 March 2019 – 30 June 2019)
 * 🇦🇹 Peter Stöger (31 July 2020 – 5 June 2021)
 * 🇦🇹 Manfred Schmid (1 July 2021 – 5 December 2022)
 * 🇩🇪 Michael Wimmer (3 January 2023 – 13 May 2024)
 * 🇦🇹 Christian Wegleitner (interim) (13 May 2024 – 10 June 2024)
 * 🇦🇹 Stephan Helm (10 June 2024 – present)

title: FK Austria Wien


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Ricky Gutiérrez

Ricardo Gutiérrez (born May 23, 1970) is an American former shortstop in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played from 1993 through 2004 for the San Diego Padres (1993-1994), Houston Astros (1995-1999), Chicago Cubs (2000-2001), Cleveland Indians (2002-2003), New York Mets (2004) and Boston Red Sox (2004). He batted and threw right-handed. He was also the only Houston Astros player to get a base hit in Kerry Wood's 20-strikeout game.

Background
Gutiérrez was the Baltimore Orioles' second pick in the 1988 MLB Draft, the second of four compensatory supplemental selections between the first two rounds (28th overall). After falling behind Manny Alexander on the organization's depth chart at shortstop, Gutiérrez was sent to San Diego on September 4, 1992 to complete a transaction made four days earlier on August 31 when Erik Schullstrom was also dealt to the Padres for Craig Lefferts. Listed at 6'1", 195 pounds, Gutiérrez started his career at shortstop and became a valuable utility player later in his career. In the field, he had decent range and an above-average arm. He was a sharp line-drive hitter, and spent most of his career in the National League.

His most productive season came in 2001 with the Cubs, when he posted career-highs in batting average (.290), RBI (66), runs (76), hits (153) and games played (147). He finished the year leading the National League in sacrifice hits (17). He also had the fourth most sacrifice flies in the league (11), and was tenth in singles (117).

Boston Red Sox
On July 21, 2004, the Boston Red Sox acquired Gutiérrez from the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein lauded Gutiérrez as "a veteran with a tremendous makeup ... he'll fit in well as a utility guy for us." Gutiérrez wore number 16, the same number as other Red Sox players such as Jim Lonborg, Hank Johnson, Dave Sax and Bob Zupcic. His greatest offensive performance came on August 28, 2004 versus the Detroit Tigers. Gutiérrez, who filled in at second base while Mark Bellhorn took over at third for Bill Mueller, went 3 for 4 with a two-run single with the bases loaded in the fifth inning. Teammate Alan Embree was in awe: "He's been sitting a long time, to come off the bench and contribute like he did tonight was incredible."

After winning the World Series, Gutiérrez carried an industrial-sized broom to remind victory parade goers of the final tally (a 4-0 "sweep" of the St. Louis Cardinals). While with the Red Sox, Gutiérrez was a .275 hitter (11-for-40) with 3 RBI in 21 games, including 6 runs, 1 double, 1 stolen base, and a .310 on-base percentage. The Red Sox were 14-7 in games in which Gutiérrez appeared. Over an 11-season career, Gutiérrez was a .268 hitter (967-for-3632) with 38 home runs and 357 RBI in 1074 games, including 463 runs, 138 doubles, 25 triples, 49 stolen bases, and a .338 on-base percentage.

Personal life
Gutiérrez's nephew, James Jones, played in the National Basketball Association, and currently serves as the general manager for the Phoenix Suns. Gutiérrez is currently the third base coach of the Washington Nationals.

title: Ricky Gutiérrez


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Paul Edwards (politician)

Paul Edwards (born February 21, 1961) is a Manitoba politician and lawyer. He served as leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party from 1993 to 1996.

Early life and career
Edwards was born in Kingston, Ontario and was educated at Trent University and Queen's University. He later worked as a barrister and solicitor.

Political career
In 1988, Edwards was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for the Winnipeg riding of St. James, defeating his closest competitor, Progressive Conservative Jae Eadie, by 579 votes. He joined 19 other Liberals in forming the official opposition to the minority government of Progressive Conservative Premier Gary Filmon.

The 1988 election was a landmark for the Manitoba Liberal Party, in that it had previously been reduced to a marginal presence in the province. The unpopularity of Howard Pawley's New Democratic government in 1988 had given the party the support of many centre-left voters, and many believed that the Liberals had a chance to form government in the next election. This did not occur. The New Democratic Party recovered under Gary Doer's leadership, and the Liberals were reduced to only seven seats (out of 57) in the election of 1990. Edwards was re-elected in St. James, this time defeating Progressive Conservative candidate Joanne Thibault by 295 votes.

Liberal leader Sharon Carstairs was blamed by many in the party for squandering a chance to form government, and resigned as party leader in 1993. Subsequently, Edwards defeated MLA Kevin Lamoureux to become the party's new leader.

The Liberals initially appeared to have a reasonable chance of winning the 1995 election, placing a strong second to the Tories in early polls. They ran a poor campaign, however, and the NDP overtook them well before election day. The Liberals fell to three seats in the election of 1995: Lamoureux was re-elected in his constituency of Inkster, as were Neil Gaudry in St. Boniface and Gary Kowalski in The Maples. In another close race in St. James, Edwards lost to New Democratic candidate MaryAnn Mihychuk by 166 votes.

Resignation
He announced his resignation as party leader later in the year. He formally resigned in 1996, and subsequently returned to a legal practice.

Personal life
Edwards is married to Anne MacKay. They have four children: Beth, Evan, Wynn and Adam.

title: Paul Edwards (politician)


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FC Metalurh Donetsk

Football Club Metalurh Donetsk (Футбо́льний клуб «Металу́рг» Доне́цьк, ) was a Ukrainian professional football club based in Donetsk that went bankrupt in July 2015.

Club predecessor
Football came to the Donetsk region in the time of the Russian Empire when the industrialization of the country began. Numerous foreigners, particularly British workers, were forming their own football teams. In September 1911, at the factory of Novorossiysk Association (currently the Donetsk Steel Works Factory – DMZ) owned by John Hughes has created the Yuzovka Sports Society (YuSO) which contained a football club as well. The football club became one of the founders of the Donbas football league based out of Kramatorsk in 1913. The football team existed until 1919 and was liquidated due to the Russian Civil War. In the 1920s, the factory (known at time as Lenin Steel Works) revived the club as part of its own Lenin Sports Club which later carried the name of FC Metalists Stalino. One of the most prominent players of that period was Viktor Shylovsky who later became famous, however, playing for Dynamo Kyiv.

In 1929 based on the team in Stalino (today Donetsk) was created FC Dynamo Stalino. In 1936 based on FC Dynamo Stalino and FC Dynamo Horlivka there was created a united team of Donbas Vuhilnyky Stalino that participated in a spring football championship of 1936 in Group V (precursor of the Soviet Second League). During the season the club moved to Stalino (Donetsk) and changed its name to FC Stakhanovets Stalino.

Shakhtar Shakhtarsk
Metalurh takes its roots from the Football Club Prometei Shakhtarsk that was allowed to participate on the non-amateur level once Ukraine attained its independence. After a disappointing first season in the Second League, in the 1993 season Promotei placed fifth in the Third League and was promoted back to the Second League when the third place Antratsyt withdrew from competitions. Due to being sponsored by a Medita health clinic of Oleksandr Opryshchenko, in 1993 the club was renamed as Medita Shakhtarsk. However, in 1995 the club's owner was killed and Promotei returned under ownership of the state coal-mining company "Shakhtarantratsyt" under the name of Shakhtar Shakhtarsk.

Metalurh Donetsk
In 1996 a team of the Donetsk Metallurgical Factory replaced the insolvent FC Shakhtar Shakhtarsk during the 1995–96 season under the name of Shakhtar. In summer 1996 the Donetsk Regional Football Federation agreed to hand over the Shakhtar's past season achievements to the newly formed and already widely accepted Football Club Metalurh Donetsk. After placing second in the Druha Liha Group C, the club gained the promotion to the Persha Liha. In the next season, 1996–97, Metalurh won the Persha Liha championship and were promoted to the Vyscha Liha.

The club successfully started in the Top League and also improved significantly at the domestic Cup competition. Metalurh has obtained a few bronze medals in the league and since 1998 made through to at least the quarter-finals of the Ukrainian Cup. The club financially struggled between 1999 and 2001 being kept afloat by individual efforts of Mykhailo Lyashko and Vladyslav Helzin, who both in 2001 decided to create their own club (see FC Olimpik Donetsk).

In 2001 Metalurh was purchased by ISD, Ukrainian industrial corporation owned by Serhiy Taruta, one of the most wealthy businessmen in Ukraine and Europe. Throughout majority of the first decade of the new millennium, Metalurh's owners developed a close working relationship with well-known Ukrainian agent Dmytro Sylyuk, who soon became club's acting chairman and who gained much bad publicity for bringing so many foreign players into the club that they outnumbered domestic players. Many were brought in without the manager's consent, and were given overly generous pay, among them Yaya Touré, Andrés Mendoza, and Jordi Cruyff. Furthermore, while working with Metalurh, Selyuk lived in Barcelona and was a rare visitor to Ukraine. After Sylyuk's questionable signings, he was dismissed from his position and the majority of the players brought in by him also left. It later appeared that many of them had contracts with Sylyuk and not directly with the club.

After the era of Sylyuk ended, Metalurh's performance declined and a hunt for medals turned into a struggle for survival. However, in 2008, Bulgarian specialist Nikolay Kostov was brought in to rebuild the team. In his first season with the club, Kostov turned Metalurh's performance around and the club finished fourth in the league, which won them a spot in newly formed UEFA Europa League.

Bankruptcy and merger
Because of the war situation in the East Ukraine, on 17 June 2015, the Industrial Union of Donbas decided to merge both its clubs FC Metalurh Donetsk and FC Stal Kamianske. The new club was to be primarily based on the Kamianske team and to continue its participation under the name of FC Stal Kamianske. A number of Metalurh players, including Đorđe Lazić, Gabriel Araújo Carvalho, and Oleksandr Bandura, as well as members of the club's staff, such as Erik van der Meer and Vardan Israeltian, moved to Stal. However, on 11 July 2015 Metalurh declared bankruptcy, citing the economic difficulties caused by the fighting, although FC Stal Kamianske did indeed take its place in the Ukrainian Premier League.

Stadium
Metalurh has its own small stadium named after the club, Metalurh Stadium. For most domestic matches the club played at this stadium, which has a capacity barely in excess of 5,000. For games expected to draw a significantly larger crowd, Metalurh played at Shakhtar Stadium, owned by Shakhtar Donetsk, and mostly used for European competitions. A new stadium for Metalurh with a capacity of 17,500 was planned to be built in Makiivka, near Donetsk.

In the 2014–15 season, the club played their home games at Obolon Arena in Kiev due to the war in Donbas.

Rivalry
Metalurh's top rival is the neighboring club, and one of Ukraine's most successful teams, Shakhtar Donetsk. The two clubs have not only had a close history since the formation of Metalurh, but Metalurh has also played home games at Shakhtar's former venue, Shakhtar Stadium. The games between the two clubs have been dubbed by the fans and the media as the Donbass Derby. Shakhtar has been dominant in the rivalry from 1996 to 2006, winning all 18 matches between them.

Honours

 * Ukrainian First League
 * Champions (1): 1996–97
 * National Cup
 * Runners-up (2): 2009–10, 2011–12
 * Super Cup
 * Runners-up (1): 2011–12

League and Cup history
Information since Ukrainian independence

FC Metalurh Donetsk in European Competition
Metalurh Donetsk made its debut in European tournaments at the 2002–03 UEFA Cup, losing in the first round to Werder Bremen. The club has been back to the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League a total of seven times, the most successful being a run to the playoff round of the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League.

UEFA club coefficient ranking
As of 06.06.2015 (no ranking since 2015), Source:

Presidents

 * 1996 – 1999 Oleksandr Kosevych (president of Harant Donetsk (1992–1996))
 * 1999 – 2001 Mykhailo Lyashko
 * 2001 – 2015 Serhiy Taruta

Vice-presidents

 * 1996 – 1999 Yevhen Kanana
 * 1999 Mykhailo Kosevych (brother of Oleksandr Kosevych)
 * 1999 – 2001 Vladyslav Helzin
 * 2001 – 2002 Vardan Israelian
 * 2003 – 2008 Dmitriy Selyuk

General directors

 * 2001 – 2005 Yuriy Hriadushchiy
 * 2005 – 2015 Yevhen Haiduk

Sports directors

 * 2002 – 2015 Vardan Israelian

Managers

 * 🇺🇦 Yevhen Korol (1996–97)
 * 🇺🇦 Volodymyr Onyshchenko (1997–98)
 * 🇺🇦 Volodymyr Havrylov (1998)
 * 🇺🇦 Ihor Yavorskyi (1999)
 * 🇺🇦 Semen Altman (6 Aug 1999 – 31 Dec 2002)
 * 🇺🇦 Oleksandr Sevidov (1 Jan 2003 – 29 July 2003)
 * Wim Vrösch (interim) (2003–04)
 * Ton Caanen (1 Jan 2004 – 30 June 2004)
 * 🇷🇸 Slavoljub Muslin (1 July 2004 – 11 March 2005)
 * 🇺🇦 Vitaliy Shevchenko (interim) (11 March 2005 – 22 June 2005)
 * 🇺🇦 Oleksandr Sevidov (1 July 2005 – 13 March 2006)
 * 🇺🇦 Stepan Matviyiv (14 March 2006 – 30 June 2006)
 * 🇪🇸 Pichi Alonso (2006)
 * Co Adriaanse (12 Oct 2006 – 17 May 2007)
 * 🇧🇪 Jos Daerden (18 May 2007 – 3 Dec 2007)
 * 🇺🇦 Serhiy Yashchenko (interim) (7 Dec 2007 – 8 April 2008)
 * 🇧🇬 Nikolay Kostov (8 April 2008 – 13 Nov 2010)
 * 🇷🇺 Andrei Gordeyev (12 Jan 2011 – 3 May 2011)
 * 🇺🇦 Volodymyr Pyatenko (interim) (6 May 2011 – 23 Aug 2012)
 * 🇺🇦 Yuriy Maksymov (23 Aug 2012 – 7 Aug 2013)
 * 🇷🇺 Sergei Tashuyev (7 Aug 2013 – 22 May 2014)
 * 🇺🇦 Volodymyr Pyatenko (16 June 2014 – 20 June 2015)

title: FC Metalurh Donetsk


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HMS Dauntless

Five ships and one shore establishment of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Dauntless:

 * HMS Dauntless (1804) was an 18-gun sloop launched at Hull, England in November 1804. In 1807 she ran aground during a battle in the Vistula River and was forced to surrender to the French.
 * HMS Dauntless (1808) was a 26-gun sloop launched in 1808 and sold for breaking in 1825.
 * HMS Dauntless (1847) was a 24-gun (from 1854, 33-gun) frigate launched in 1847 and sold for breaking in 1885.
 * HMS Dauntless (D45) was a Danae-class cruiser light cruiser launched in 1918. She was used as a training vessel from 1943 before being sold for breaking in 1946.
 * HMS Dauntless was the WRNS training establishment at Burghfield, near Reading, Berkshire, from 1947 until 1981.
 * HMS Dauntless (D33) is a Type 45 destroyer launched on 23 January 2007 at the BAE Systems Govan shipyard in Glasgow, and commissioned in June 2010.

Battle honours
Ships named Dauntless have earned the following battle honours:
 * Baltic, 1854
 * Crimea, 1854–55
 * Atlantic, 1939

In popular culture

 * In the 2003 film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, a fictional HMS Dauntless appears as the flagship and pride of the Royal Navy. It is later revealed in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest that the ship was destroyed between the two movies by a hurricane.

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IF Elfsborg

Idrottsföreningen Elfsborg, more commonly known as IF Elfsborg or simply Elfsborg, is a professional football club based in Borås, Sweden, and is affiliated to the Västergötlands Fotbollförbund. They play in the Allsvenskan and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Swedish football. Their homeground is Borås Arena, where they have played since 17 April 2005.

The club was founded in 1904 by a group of 19 youngsters which all were 14–15 years old. Borås Fotbollslag was formed in Ordenshuset at Landala (today Knalleland) on 26 June 1904. The main protagonist in the formation, Carl Larson, who in addition to football also practiced athletics and wrestling. Claimed the reason was that the main sports club in the city, Borås Athletic and Sports Society, would not exert football in their program.

Carl Larson, however, found that there were too many clubs containing the city name Borås which contributed to the name change in 1906 by Riksidrottsförbundet to the current, IF Elfsborg. The name is derived from Älvsborg County where instead of making use of the modern spelling Älvsborg, they used the older spelling with an E. The same goes for the club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, yellow and black. Colors that are taken from Älvsborg Regiment, Elfsborg would not only represent a city but a whole region. A recurring motto of the club is "Vi Tillsammans" (We together).

The club's homeground Borås Arena is also called Elfsborg Fortress, since Elfsborg is Allsvenskan home strongest team in the 2000s (decade). It is one of two teams in Allsvenskan that has won against the Swedish national football team with 2–1 in the opening ceremony of Ryavallen (the other team is AIK 1979 with 3–2 ) and one of only two teams to win Allsvenskan as newcomers in 1961, the other team was Östers IF in 1968. Elfsborg have repeatedly participated for the qualifier to Champions League, Europa League and was as late as 2007 in 2007–08 UEFA Cup and was an overall winner in 2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup the following year. The club have won six national championships, the latest in 2012, and three national cups.

History
Borås Fotbollslag was formed on 26 June 1904, by a group of youngsters. In 1906 the name was changed to IF Elfsborg, because the founders felt there were too many teams with 'Borås' in their name. In 1926 Elfsborg won Västsvenska Serien, and defeated Halmstad BK in the play off, and was promoted to Allsvenskan for the first time. During the 1930s Elfsborg built a very strong team led by striker Sven Jonasson, who appeared in both the 1934 and 1938 World Cup. In 1936 Elfsborg won Allsvenskan for the first time, and two more titles followed soon after (1939 and 1940). During this period Elfsborg had as many as seven players in the Swedish national team.

The club also fielded a bandy team for decades. In 1920, 1924, 1927, 1932, 1934, and 1938, IF Elfsborg won the Västergötland bandy district championship.

In 1941 Elfsborg left Ramnavallen to play their home games at the newly constructed Ryavallen. The first game at the new ground was supposed to be a friendly between Sweden and Finland, but Finland's involvement in the Second World War prevented them from playing, so they were replaced by Elfsborg, who beat the Swedish national team 2–1.

In the mid-1940s Elfsborg came close to winning Allsvenskan again, but finished second three years in a row. By the late 1940s, Elfsborg's glory days were over, and the club was eventually relegated in 1954.

In 1960 Elfsborg won promotion after an impressive season with 20 wins in 22 games, and the club won Allsvenskan for the fourth time in 1961, becoming the first Swedish team to go straight from the second level to becoming champions. This was under the leadership of the legendary Sven Andreasson as chairman.

In 1977 Elfsborg reached second place, but the following years proved difficult for the club. In 1987 Elfsborg finished last in Allsvenskan, and did not return to the top flight until 1997. The team that won promotion contained several future Swedish internationals including Anders Svensson and Tobias Linderoth. Even though Elfsborg won their first two cup titles (in 2001 and 2003), the club struggled to stay in Allsvenskan in the following years. In 2005 Elfsborg spent a lot of money on building Borås Arena, and bringing back former players. The investments paid off and the fifth Championship was won in 2006 – the club's first Allsvenskan title for 41 years. The year after Elfsborg appeared in the Champions League qualifying stage for the first time, and subsequently reached the group stage in the UEFA Cup for the first time. On the way there they knocked out Linfield FC (Northern Ireland) and Debreceni VSC (Hungary) in the qualification stage of the Champions League before eventually being eliminated themselves by the hands of Valencia CF (Spain) in the last round. The club won the last round of qualifications for the Uefa Cup against FC Dinamo București (Romania).

In the group stage IF Elfsborg faced AC Fiorentina and Villarreal away and AEK Athens and FK Mladá Boleslav at Borås Arena and was knocked out.

In the following years, IF Elfsborg under the guidance of coach Magnus Haglund and his 4-2-3-1-formation have established themselves as a top club in Swedish football. The clearly stated ambition to finish top 4, qualifying for European football every year. In 2007, the club finished 4th securing a place in the last edition of the Intertoto-cup, from which they advanced but was surprisingly knocked out by St Patrick's Athletic F.C. in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup after conceding late goals in both legs.

The team bounced back though, competing for the title again until the very last round of 2008. In the end, injuries to key players like Anders Svensson and Stefan Ishizaki proved to costly, eventually having to settle for second place behind Kalmar FF. The following year, IF Elfsborg once again challenged for a place in European football, brushing aside Hungarian side Szombathelyi Haladás and Portuguese S.C. Braga before eventually falling in the last qualifying round against S.S. Lazio.

IF Elfsborg were big favourites for winning the 2009 but had problem capitalizing on their high possession and many chances and eventually ended up third behind AIK and rivals IFK Göteborg.

The following year expectations were still high, but due to a mediocre start (only nine points in the first 9 rounds), IF Elfsborgs 2010 campaign increasingly became an uphill struggle trying, but in the end failing to catch up to Helsingborgs IF and Malmö FF. Malmö FF eventually ended up champions with IF Elfsborg in fourth place.

2010 marked IF Elfsborg's fourth consecutive season in continental football. The team entered the Europa League second qualifying round in the seeded pot having no real difficulties eliminating Moldovan side FC Iskra-Stal (on an aggregate score of 3–1). The Macedonian side FK Teteks proved to be no real challenge in the following round with IF Elfsborg effectively seeing of their opponents in an emphatic 5–0 win first leg win.

The team seemed in good shape to make a serious challenge for reaching the Europa League group stage even though they would be unseeded in the last qualifying round. Unfortunately the draw was once again one of the worst possible. SSC Napoli was held to a 1–0 win away at Stadio San Paolo following a stellar effort by new Danish signing Jesper Christiansen, but the Italians proved too strong in the second leg where they cruised to a 2–0 victory, both goals scored by Uruguay international Edinson Cavani.

The 2010 season was a busy year for transfers, both in and out. Sweden international Emir Bajrami making his way to FC Twente during the summer and top goalscorer Denni Avdic moving to Werder Bremen during the January transfer window. Three players were signed from Danish clubs. Former hero Jon Jönsson was brought in from Brøndby IF during the summer to bolster the defense, goalkeeper Jesper Christiansen from FC København and right back Andreas Klarström from Esbjerg fB making a comeback to the club.

The club made some more signings during the 2010–2011 winter. Most notable were forward Lasse Nilsson from Vitesse Arnhem, central defender Andreas Augustsson from Randers FC and target man David Elm from Fulham F.C. Once again, many of the media pundits were thinking that IF Elfsborg were firm favourites to win the 2011.

In early spring former allsvenskan top goalscorer Fredrik Berglund decided to hang up his boots.

The 2011 campaign showed an IF Elfsborg seemingly set on playing a more straightforward counter-attacking game, at least away. This seemed to be a recipe for success since the team started grabbing a few more away wins here and there. after the first half of the season the team was trailing Helsingborgs IF at the top of the table. Young left winger Niklas Hult was the standout player during the first half of the season, quickly establishing himself in the team and being touted by some members of the press as "the new Freddie Ljungberg".

In continental football, IF Elfsborg entered the fray in the first qualifying round of the Europa League. CS Fola Esch were brushed aside after winning 4–0 in the first leg at home and drawing (1–1) away.

Colours and crest
Ever since Elfsborg was established they wore the main colour yellow with some strikes of black. The yellow and black color originates in Älvsborg, and it was Älvsborg Regiment that had yellow and black color on their flag, which meant that Elfsborg of course would play in these colors. So it became yellow shirts and black shorts. The costumes remained pure in the colors yellow and black with no club text scrolling on the chest or back. They were simply pure in their colors, and it remained so until the 1940s when trends over Sweden was to adorn their badge on the shirt. In this manner, they could strengthen their brand even more. For Elfsborgs part it was the classic black text Elfsborg in italics placed on the chest at the heart. From 1940 until 2007, almost 50 years, the classic text Elfsborg decorated chest. From 2007 there was a change to what is now the official club emblem there, an emblem derived from the 1970s and has appeared in several versions at most of Elfsborg sections. It is a crown of yellow and black with Elfsborg engraved in it and a football at the top. The reason for the change was mainly to promote the club brand. They wanted a brand that people and companies could associate themselves with – instead of a text as before. Elfsborgs reserve kit is red, and become so during a match against the Swedish national football team in 1941. In the beginning it was planned to be a match between the Finland national football team and the Swedish national football team in a celebration to Elfsborgs new arena Ryavallen. But Elfsborg had to replace a war-torn Finland due to the Second World War in a match against the Swedish national team. Amazingly enough, Elfsborg won with 2–1 and the story behind the red kit was that Sweden played in yellow which also Elfsborg did, so they had to change colors and red was the only one available on short notice, it was borrowed from Borås Wäferi who had a red and white kit. This eventually became a symbolic color due to the victory for Elfsborg and so it remained as a reserve kit. The colours red and white is also the symbol of the city Borås, their coat of arms is in the colours of red and white with the two scissors. Elfsborg became with this victory the only team in Allsvenskans history to ever beat the Swedish national football team.

Sponsorship
The shirts remained long without a major sponsor, which would obviously affect the economy. When IFE harrowed in Division 1 South in the early 1990s, Olle Blomqvist CEO of Ellos went in with large sums of money and saved the association by becoming the major sponsor. This was not necessarily because he is particularly interested in football, but because he knew the importance Elfsborg had to Borås and Sjuhärad. Ellos became such a strong sponsor that people jokingly began to Christen the team "Ellos" due to its presence on their shirts. In 2010, a survey showed that Elfsborg was second best team in Allsvenskan to acquire sponsorship money and to establish and maintain contact with their sponsor. The same year, Elfsborg broke a record in local sponsorships around Sjuhärad when its sponsor money increased from 28 to 33 million SEK.

It was not until recently that they signed a contract with major sportbrands. Elfsborg have significantly signed a contract with Umbro up to this date to use their collection of both soccer shoes and clothes. So strong was Umbro's sponsorship, that a section of Borås Arena became "umbrocorner". In earlier years, teams always sewed their own shirts, but with a contract from a major label, new shirts get released into the market each year– which is an economical advantage.

Ramnavallen
One of the first homegrounds to Elfsborg was a small pitch of grass in Folkparken (Ramnaparken today). However Elfsborg noticed quickly that it required more space to be on, both for training and matches. They went to Fristad and Fristads hed where they practiced and played, due to the more space. Next ground that was in Borås was Apotekarnas Mosse who would later become today's Ramnavallen.

Ramnavallen was completed in 1922 and then got Elfsborg finally run out on his long-awaited stadium, Ramnavallen. At its time, this was a very modern stadium even though it initially took only 2.700 spectators. Borås Tidning was lyrical about the contribution and described the stadium as impressive from the provincial point of view and because it had high international standards. Elfsborg first Allsvenskan league match on Ramnavallen was played in 1926 and guests were Örgryte IS. 3887 spectators came and saw Evert Lundqvist make the only goal for the guests. The next season became the first yellow and black premiere triumph on the new stadium. AIK came to Ramnavallen and were defeated with 2–1.

Elfsborg kept ramnavallen as a homeground until 1941 and during this time won three league titles. Attendance record of ramnavallen was against AIK 7 June 1936, the end game before the league gold, 16.348 spectators came to see Elfsborg win their first league title in history.

Ryavallen
Ryavallen was completed in 1941 and became first of all the new homeground of IF Elfsborg. But it was also Borås first major sports stadium, where the usual track and field could be exercised. Hence the athletics track along the pitch. Before one grandstand was demolished in 2005 the capacity was 19.400, to today's approximately 7,000. The old Ryavallen in Borås will get a facelift in 2012. Prior to Swedish Athletics Championship 2013, the current six running tracks widened to eight, and both seat grandstand and the earthworks plan is stripped to make room. The old legendary dikes on Ryavallen gets a proper scratch when Ryavallen upgraded for 13 million SEK. After the renovation, Ryavallen will not be approved to play football on by Swedish Football Association nor UEFA, it will in the future only be used for the purpose of athletics.

At one point came ryavallen to be used for a championship. During the 1958 FIFA World Cup, it hosted the matches between USSR and Austria, and between England and Austria. The Soviet Union won their match against Austria with 2–0, and England had a draw against Austria, 2–2. A championship where Sweden came as a surprise to the finals where they faced Brazil. It ended with a 5–2 loss, but an honorable second place which is the best Sweden performed in a World Cup. The most memorable event in Ryavallen was the gold game against Örgryte IS – 1961. Elfsborg faced Örgryte on Ryavallen and plays 1–1. When the final whistle sounded, it was clear that Elfsborg as first team come up from Division 2 and immediately won Allsvenskan gold. This made them historic. This was the fourth league gold for Elfsborg. Another very memorable moment of the more terrible degree was when the grandstand collapsed against IFK Göteborg – 1979. The reason was because of the high spectator pressure (19,170) the grandstand collapsed and 10 people had to get to hospital. A memorable moment of the weirder degree was an own goal by Husqvarna IF in the final minutes – 1958. Elfsborg played against Husqvarna IF and it is 0–1 with ten minutes left. A Husqvarna player receives the ball just outside his own penalty area. He then shoots, hard and accurate an untakeable shot into his own goal. No one understands why, and the match ends 1–1. In the newspaper the day after he explains that he was so tired that he did not know which side of the pitch he had found himself.

25 October 2004 would be a historic game before kickoff. Elfsborg met Hammarby and that was the last game ever at Ryavallen. The arena had become too old after 63 years of service. In 2005 Elfsborg moved to its new modern arena, Borås Arena, and ryavallen was converted completely to only fit for athletics. Even so, did Ryavallen reach the highest attendance record in history of Elfsborg, IF Elfsborg – IFK Norrköping – 1961. Record Audience 21,854 in this historic match. Elfsborg won the match with 3–0. After Ryavallen inaugurated in 1941 by Crown Prince Gustav Adolf V and Elfsborg struck as the only Allsvenskan team in the history Sweden national football team in the inaugural match by 2–1. That also completed a 63-year history in the last match against Hammarby with a win.

Borås Arena
Borås Arena is a football stadium in Borås, Sweden. It is the home ground of IF Elfsborg and Norrby IF and was opened on 17 April 2005. Borås Arena has an artificial turf pitch, and was changed to the most modern synthetic turf on the market during the UEFA Euro 2012 at a cost of £500 000. The capacity of the arena is 14,500–17,800 depending on usage, 14,800 is mostly the capacity during international matches, because Uefa would not approve the installation of seats on the standing because of fire risk which means a lower capacity is needed to be approved by Uefa. Borås Arena is located next to Elfsborgs old homeground Ryavallen, both of the stadiums are built together at the roofs, which means that the new stadium is still attached to the old historical Ryavallen.

The first construction started on 31 December 2003 and was inaugurated 17 April 2005 at a cost of £1,120 000. Which was very cheap at this time considering to be Sweden's most modern stadium at that time. It was an effort by Borås Municipality that went out as a lender to Elfsborg. A necessary investment for the club and the city, Elfsborg would own their own stadium by the company Borås Arena AB and would receive all revenues without any intermediaries from matches. Borås Arena didn't only open a new era for IF Elfsborg but also for other clubs in Allsvenskan, Elfsborg was the first club to build a new arena owned by their own investment company. Many other clubs have built new arenas copying the model Elfsborg set up, trying to own their arena which gives big economic resources. Borås Arena consists of four main grandstands; Knallelandsläktaren, Ålgårdsläktaren, Sjuhäradsläktaren and Elfsborgsläktaren. The first game at Borås Arena was between IF Elfsborg vs Örgryte IS on 17 April 2005 in the top Swedish league, Allsvenskan. The game ended in a 1–0 victory for Elfsborg, Daniel Mobaeck scoring the only and first goal in history on Borås Arena. The current record attendance is 17,070 and was set 4 July 2005 in a game between IF Elfsborg and Kalmar FF which marked the return of both Anders Svensson and Mathias Svensson. Anders Svensson also became the first on Borås Arena to score a hat-trick in the derby against rivals IFK Göteborg, Elfsborg won with Anders 3 goals, 3–1. The highest attendance on an international tournament was during the Champions League play-off against Valencia CF where 13,148 spectators came to see Elfsborg deal with the Spaniards. Elfsborg lost with 2–1, after a goal by Daniel Alexandersson.

The stadium was originally scheduled to be a tournament site for the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, but a sponsorship conflict with Max fast food chain's location at the stadium and official UEFA sponsor McDonald's, plus a contractual requirement for official sponsors to have a monopoly over the stadium's area, and a refusal to close the restaurant led to it losing its status as a site for the tournament. A strange conflict that led to Elfsborg and Borås Arena lost the championship as an arranger.

2006 was the highlight in Borås Arenas young history. The year when Elfsborg received dividends on their great effort by salvaging the club's 5th SM-Gold. An explicit goal from the club was to win SM-Gold by 2007 and this was accomplished a year in advance, 5 November 2006. The association was strengthened at all levels for a couple of years, not least organizationally and financially, with new sports director "Mr. Elfsborg" Stefan Andreasson, President-elect Bosse "Bank" Johansson and two billionaires as external funders. The new highly skilled (and young) manager couple Magnus Haglund and Peter Wettergren, who was employed before the 2004 season, was also of course in the club's big bet. The following year (2005) was also "Elfsborg Fortress", Borås Arena, completed while enlisted old heroes in the form of Anders and Mathias Svensson came back. Memorable matches this season on Borås Arena was at home the victory against Malmö FF (4–2), which many described as the best in the season and where Anders Svensson made the team's single best effort during the season. Another memorable match was the last and crucial one. Gold match at a packed Borås Arena against Djurgårdens IF where Joakim Sjöhage became gold shooter with the only goal which meant that over 40 years of waiting was over for the Elfsborgs fans.

Supporters
Already in the 1940s there was the legendary Elfsborg chant "heja di våra, inte di dära, trampa di främmatta pöjka på tära" on Ryavallen, at the time, including of a certain young Ingvar Carlsson, who later became prime minister. For a few years in the 1970s "Di Gule" played fantastic football and was in top contest of the Swedish Allsvenskan. At this time the British supporter culture retrieved from "Tipsextra" began to interfere and influence in Swedish football culture, with an impact even on Ryavallen in Borås, where the seating stand for many years was the busiest around Ryavallen and Elfsborg. A young supporter section was formed later on within Elfsborgs fanclub and the culture of being on the standing ground began to arise all along with the contemporary characteristic hat and striped scarf in Elfsborgs colours yellow and black. In the coming years, there was a small and disorganized supporter group who failed to make a big fuss.

Guliganerna
1991 underwent IF Elfsborg the club's probably heaviest period ever, the economy and the results weighted during the period in Söderettan. 21 November 1991, however, formed a collection of young men, a supporter compound that would become a familiar concept not only in Borås, but throughout Sweden: Guliganerna. Despite continued play in Söderettan and low public interest in all of Sweden the supporter group, Guliganerna, continued to grow. 1990s guliganer became not known for their quantity but for their faithfulness, to always be there wherever IF Elfsborg played. After the fan bus arrived late for an away game at some point in the mid-1990s, the players looked nervous on the stand and was worried that something happened, after this incident the players had the supporters promise to not be late for the games so as not to disturb the players focus. In 1997, was IF Elfsborg back in the top tier of Swedish football and that also meant an upturn for Guliganerna, in −97 was the first Elfsborg Tifo group founded, TGD (Tifosi Guligan Divisione), who had a few tifos before the members quit for various reasons in 1999, mainly because they had no financial backing. Year 2000 became the starting year of the great generation change that occurred in Elfsborgs supporterlines until now, a group of young boys founded the current tifo group, GTS (Guligan Tifo Support), and a more youthful profile became clear among Elfsborgs supporter sections.

2006 was 45-years of waiting over. The club had won national championship which also meant an increased interest around Elfsborg. In 2011 Guliganerna had their 20th anniversary celebrated, the tribute was made in connection with the game against Kalmar FF, the players wore specially made anniversary T-shirts and GTS arranged the most expensive tifo ever in the history of the club. Guliganerna also broke during the same year, a new member record of 1155 people, making Guliganerna Sweden fifth largest fan base in the 2011.

Elfsborgs main antagonist and rivalry is pointed against IFK Göteborg and has been so since all the way back in the 1920s. The geographical position between the cities makes it Elfsborgs only and closest derby also called "El Västico", which also reflects the attendance figures since it is almost always sold out in these games.

Guliganerna and Peking Fanz (supporters of IFK Norrköping) however has a completely own history among Swedish supporters, a history that stands as a thorn in the eyes of other supporter organizations in Sweden. This friendship is based on that Guliganerna in the 1990s invited visiting supporters before the match, Peking Fanz invited back several times and the friendship was born. Since this friendship was born, both supporter bases now often follow each other's games, which makes Guliganerna and Peking Fanz unique. Especially between Elfsborgs only ultras group Yellow Fanatics, there are strong links with the IFK Norrköping, Peking ultras.

1960–1980, playing in the UEFA Intertoto Cup and UEFA Cup

Elfsborgs advancement in European football began in 1961 after winning national championship the same year they qualified to the current UEFA Intertoto Cup. Elfsborg first resistance ever in a European Cup was against the German SC Tasmania 1900 Berlin, which they won with 2–3 away and the stunning 5–2 at home. The second match was against the classic Swiss team FC Basel, which began with a 1–2 loss at home but Elfsborg gathered forces and won in the returning game with 3–6 after a hat-trick by the fantastic player Henry Larsson. The last and final match was against the difficult beaten Sparta Rotterdam who before the facing Elfsborg had not lost a single game, the Dutch proved to be too difficult, it ended in a 2–5 loss at home and 4–3 away loss. But despite the loss Elfsborg ended as runners-up being the second team in the group and the tournament's big winner was Henry Larsson with his 8 goals and Lars Råberg with 6 his goals. Five years later, in 1966, continued Elfsborg adventures in Europe and the UEFA Intertoto Cup. The first opponent stood the German Borussia Neunkirchen for, a match which Elfsborg won both home and away with a total of 4–1. The second match against VSS Košice became a very different story, they lost 3–0 away and then crushed the opponents with 6–0 at home, after a hat-trick by Roger Carlsson. In the final group stage match against leaders Vorwärts Berlin was lost with 2–0 in both matches which meant that Elfsborg finally ended as third in the group.

Also the following year 1967 played Elfsborg in the UEFA Intertoto Cup where they in the first group stage match met the germans Werder Bremen. The first match ended in a 4–1 loss away, but the second game ended with a draw 2–2 at home. In the second game stood the Polish team Polonia Bytom for, where Elfsborg lost in both matches. But in the last match against the Swiss Grasshopper Club Zürich Elfsborg would take a memorable scalp, when they beat them at home with 5–2 after a hat-trick by Lars Heinemann. The return ended in a 3–1 loss and Elfsborg finished again in third place in the group. 1971 was a bad year out in Europe for Elfsborg, they met the teams Stal Mielec, Tatran Prešov and Vejle BK. They lost every game except against the Danish Vejle BK where they won both games with a total of 8–0, and once again Elfsborg ended as third in their group. The year after 1972 played Elfsborg in the UEFA Cup for the first time against the classic German champions Hertha Berlin in the first round, they lost with 3–1 at Olympic Stadium and with 1–4 at home.

1975 was Elfsborg worst year in European competition and the UEFA Intertoto Cup when they finished last in the group after you have met teams as Baník Ostrava, Celik Zenica and Vitoria Setúbal. Elfsborg still won at home against Baník Ostrava with 3–1 at home and a tie against Vitoria Setúbal. In 1978, Elfsborg participated once again in the UEFA Intertoto Cup and this year was slightly better than the last in 1975, Elfsborg won with a total of 5–3 against Norwegian Lillestrøm SK, and then a win against former Yugoslav Sloboda Tuzla. But against the giant Israeli Maccabi Netanya F.C. Elfsborg could not compete with, and lost the first game with 7–1 away but managed with a draw at home, 2–2. In 1978 was Elfsborg in the UEFA Cup for the second time when they stood against the French sovereigns RC Strasbourg. The first meeting won Elfsborg surprisingly with 2–0 at home, but in the returning game they lost with 4–1 in front of 31 000 spectators.

1980–2000, many years outside European football
1980, became Elfsborg best year ever in the UEFA Intertoto Cup when they won their group and became the winner of the tournament. This after they first won against FK Napredak Kruševac with a total of 4–2 and then against Slavia Sofia with a total of 3–1. German VfL Bochum became more difficult when the loss in the first meeting with 2–1 and then changed with a win at home 1–0, this meant that Elfsborg ended up as number one in their group. The following year, 1981, did Elfsborg participate in the UEFA Cup where they faced Scottish St Mirren F.C. The first match ended in a 1–2 loss at home who then followed up with a draw 0–0 in Scotland. 1983 Elfsborg would make their penultimate appearance in the UEFA Intertoto Cup, when they stood against the teams TJ Vitkovice, Trakia Plovdiv and Eintracht Braunschweig. It was a bad adventure where they only won against German Eintracht Braunschweig with 1–0 at home and play a draw against Trakia Plovdiv, this meant that Elfsborg finished as last in their group. Despite the poor performance 1983, they reached the UEFA Cup, 1984, where the opponents was Polish team Widzew Łódź, before 30 000 spectators played Elfsborg a draw away against the Poles, 0–0, also at home playing a heroic game with a draw 2–2 and but the Poles advanced furthermore, after more away goals.

2000–present
It would take almost 20 years before Elfsborg would participate in the European cups again, after the heaviest period in the club's history Elfsborg was now back at the top layer of Allsvenskan and participated in the UEFA Cup in 2001 after they won the national cup. They stood against JK Trans Narva in the first round, where they won with 1–3 away and then also won with 5–0 at home after a hat-trick by Stefan Andreasson. The second round was against one of the Polish giants Legia Warsaw where Elfsborg lost with a total of 10–2. After winning national cup once again, Elfsborg participated in the UEFA Cup in 2004 where the opponents in the first round was Glentoran F.C. who were beaten with a total of 3–1, in the next round Elfsborg stood against Croatian team NK Dinamo Zagreb, Elfsborg lost the first game away with 2–0 and then played a draw at home 0–0. After winning national championship in 2006 got Elfsborg for the first time participate in the UEFA Champions League. This occurred in 2007 when the first round was against Linfield FC where Elfsborg in the first match played a draw 0–0. To then win at home with 1–0 after a goal by Mathias Svensson. The second round was against Hungarian Debreceni VSC where they won away with 1–0 after a goal by Daniel Mobaeck. They secured promotion to the third round by playing 0–0 at home. The third round was against Spanish giants Valencia CF, where 50 000 spectators at the Mestalla Stadium saw Elfsborg lose with 3–0 after including goal by David Silva. Back at Borås Arena Elfsborg lost again with 2–1 after goals by Daniel Alexandersson and David Villa with Valencia's decisive 2–1 goal. After the excellent results in the UEFA Champions League became Elfsborg directly qualified for the 2007–08 UEFA Cup group stage where they stood against the teams FC Dinamo București, AEK Athens, ACF Fiorentina, FK Mladá Boleslav and Villarreal CF. Elfsborg won against FC Dinamo București with 2–1 and a draw against AEK Athens, 1–1. The following year 2008 achieved Elfsborg for the last time winning the UEFA Intertoto Cup by beating teams HB Tórshavn with a total of 2–1, Hibernian FC with a total of 4–0 and FK Riga with a total of 1–0. Which meant that they finished as group winners. That same year they also played UEFA Cup last time 2008–09 UEFA Cup when it was against the Irish St Patrick's Athletic F.C. but lost surprisingly with a total of 4–3. In 2009 Elfsborg started for the first time playing in the UEFA Europa League where they in the second round stood against Szombathelyi Haladás as they were defeated with a total of 3–0. In the third round was against Portuguese 2010–11 UEFA Europa League finalists S.C. Braga, as they beat them after a completely win by a total of 4–1. In the final play-off round Elfsborg stood against classic S.S. Lazio where they in the first meeting lost with 3–0 and then again after a heroic effort won with 1–0 after a goal by Denni Avdic.

Also the year after 2010 played Elfsborg in the UEFA Europa League where they stood against FC Iskra-Stal in the second round and won with the total of 3–1. The third round was against FK Teteks from Macedonia, a team that Elfsborg won easily against with a total of 7–1. The play-off round was once again against one of the classic Italian teams against Maradona's old club SSC Napoli. Elfsborg succeeded after a heroic performance by goalkeeper Jesper Christiansen to get away from the Stadio San Paolo with a 1–0 loss. Back at the Borås Arena Elfsborg lost anyway with 2–0 after two goals by Edinson Cavani who got his big breakthrough in this match. In 2011 Elfsborg played in the UEFA Europa League for the third consecutive year, and stood against CS Fola Esch in the first round which they won with a total of 5–1. The second round was against FK Suduva where they won easily with a total of 4–1. But in the third round Elfsborg lost surprisingly against the Norwegian Aalesunds FK with a total of 5–1 and failed to reach the play-offs. The same thing happened the year after in 2012. Even if Elfsborg had a perfect start in the qualification by winning a home game in the first stage against Floriana F.C. with 8–0, the biggest international victory in Elfsborgs history. The away game was just as easy, Elfsborg won with 5–0 and with a total of 13–0. In the second stage were the opponents FC Dacia Chişinău and Elfsborg lost the first game after a weak effort with 1–0. But won easy at Borås Arena with 2–0 and therefore advanced to the third stage. In the third stage it would be a Scandinavian battle, since the opponents were Danish AC Horsens. The first away game ended with a draw, 1–1, after Horsens received a penalty in stoppage time. But in their home game Elfsborg lost 2–3 and history was repeated from the previous year, Elfsborg failed once again to reach the play-offs.

European statistics
(As of 22 June 2015) A = appearances, GP = games played, W = won, D = drawn, L = lost, GF = goals for, GA = goals against.

Matches
(As of 26 August 2021)
 * Q = qualification round
 * R = round
 * Group = group stage
 * (a) = away goals rule

Notable players
This list of notable players includes those who received international caps for the Sweden national football team, made significant contributions to the team in terms of appearances or goals while playing for the team, or who made significant contributions to the sport either before they played for the team, or after they left.

The players are all listed according to when they debuted for IF Elfsborg:
 * List criteria:
 * Player has made more than 250 Allsvenskan league appearances for the club.
 * Player has scored more than 50 Allsvenskan league goals for the club.
 * Player has received more than 70 caps for the Sweden national team.
 * Star full.svg Player included in the Swedish football Hall of Fame.

Organisation
.

Technical staff
.

Youth section
.

Managerial history
Listed according to when they became managers for IF Elfsborg:
 * (C) – Caretaker
 * (FTC) – First-team coach

Notable managers
The managers are listed according to when they were first appointed manager for IF Elfsborg:

 * List criteria:
 * Won at least one major honour with IF Elfsborg.
 * Managed the team for at least 5 years.

Domestic

 * Swedish Champions:
 * Winners (6): 1935–36, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1961, 2006, 2012

League

 * Allsvenskan:
 * Winners (6): 1935–36, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1961, 2006, 2012
 * Runners-up (8): 1942–43, 1943–44, 1944–45, 1965, 1977, 2008, 2020, 2023
 * Division 1 Södra:
 * Winners: 1996
 * Runners-up: 1991
 * Division 2 Götaland:
 * Winners: 1960
 * Runners-up (4): 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1959
 * Division 2 Västsvenska Serien:
 * Winners: 1925–26
 * Runners-up: 1914–15, 1923–24

Cups

 * Svenska Cupen:
 * Winners (3): 2000–01, 2003, 2013–14
 * Runners-up (3): 1942, 1980–81, 1996–97
 * Svenska Supercupen:
 * Winners: 2007
 * Runners-up: 2014

European

 * UEFA Intertoto Cup:
 * Winners: 1980, 2008 (joint winner)
 * Runners-up: 1961

Records
In the 2013 Elfsborg played their 70th season in Allsvenskan from its inception in 1924 up to and including the 2013 season. This placing them on a 5th place of those teams who have participated in total seasons. They have also played top-flight football continually in Sweden since 1997, which currently is the 3rd longest top-flight tenure of any club in Sweden—the longest one is IFK Göteborg, since 1977.

The club is currently placed 5th in the all-time Allsvenskan table, "maratontabellen" in Swedish, which is a cumulative record of all match results, points, and goals of every team that has played in Allsvenskan since its inception in 1924–25. Furthermore, Elfsborg is placed 6th in the all-time medal table, with a total of 24 medals of different value – the most recent was received in 2012.

The player in IF Elfsborg who holds most club and national records is Sven Jonasson. In 409 games, most appearances ever in Elfsborg, he scored a total of 252 goals in Allsvenskan, which makes it an all-time record. He played in Elfsborg throughout his career, which started in 1927 and ended 1947, a total of 20 years. What's more, the most remarkable achievement is his unbreakable record of 344 games in consecutive. A record that was broken in a most unfortunate way, he missed his first game in 14 years because of failure to receive furlough during his military service. He was also the first goalscorer ever for the Sweden national football team in a worldcup. It was in the 1934 FIFA World Cup, where he scored two goals in Sweden's 3–2 victory against Argentina.

 * Most appearances, total: 409, 🇸🇪 Sven Jonasson
 * Most goals scored, total: 252, 🇸🇪 Sven Jonasson*
 * Most appearances in Sweden while playing for Elfsborg, total: 106, 🇸🇪 Anders Svensson*
 * Most consecutive games, total: 344, 🇸🇪 Sven Jonasson, 1927–41*
 * Biggest victory, Svenska cupen: 19–0 vs. Varbergs BoIS, 21 January 1996*
 * Biggest defeat, Allsvenskan: 0–7 vs. GAIS, 25 August 1926
 * Home victory, Allsvenskan: 10–1 vs. Degerfors IF, 28 August 1938
 * Away victory, Allsvenskan: 12–2 vs. IFK Eskilstuna, 19 April 1936*
 * International victory, UEFA Europa League: 8–0 vs. Floriana F.C., 5 July 2012*
 * Highest attendance, Ryavallen: 22,654 vs. IFK Norrköping, 1961
 * Highest attendance, Borås Arena: 17,070 vs. Kalmar FF, 4 July 2005
 * Highest attendance, Ramnavallen: 16,340 vs. AIK, 7 June 1936
 * Highest average attendance, season 1961: 14,608
 * Highest away attendance, Ullevi: 48 296 vs. IFK Göteborg, 2 June 1977

Allsvenskan all-time record.

Team records
IF Elfsborg top ten most goal scorers and appearances.

Most goals
League, Allsvenskan

Most Appearances
League, Allsvenskan

Literature

 * 75 år med Elfsborg, Arne Gullberg, 1979
 * Jubileumsskrift Elfsborg 90 år, Mats Segerblom, 1994
 * 1961 – guldåret, Mikael Häggström, 2001
 * ETTHUNDRA, Arne Gullberg mfl, 2004
 * Utmanarna – Så ska Elfsborg vinna SM-guld, Henrik Ystén, 2006
 * Guldknallen – IF Elfsborg guldlaget, Aftonbladet, 2006
 * Guldregn över Borås, Borås Tidning, 2006
 * Stå upp för Elfsborg, Per Samuelson, 2007
 * IF Elfsborg – en kramgo knalle, Mikael Hjerpe, Idrottsörlaget i Västerås AB, 2010
 * Guldbilagan, Borås Tidning, 2012

Official websites

 * Allsvenskan – Elfsborg at the Allsvenskan official site
 * Uefa – Elfsborg at the Uefa official site
 * Uefa – Elfsborg at the Uefa official site

title: IF Elfsborg