AC Horsens

Alliance Club Horsens (Danish: [æliˈɑŋsə ˈkʰlup ˈhɒːsn̩s]), commonly referred to as AC Horsens (Danish: [ɛˀˈse̝ˀ ˈhɒːsn̩s]) or simply Horsens, is a Danish professional football club based in Horsens, Central Denmark Region. Founded in 1994, as a superstructure on Horsens fS (founded 1915), Stensballe IK and FC Horsens, the club competes in the Danish 1st Division, the second tier of the Danish football league system. Both Stensballe IK and FC Horsens has later left the cooperation, and only Horsens fS remains.

AC Horsens

Full name	Alliance Club Horsens
Nickname(s)	Den gule fare (The Yellow Danger)
Founded	1994; 31 years ago (1994)
Ground	CASA Arena Horsens, Horsens
Capacity	10,400 (7,500 seated)
Chairman	William Harrison Binnie
Head coach	David Nielsen
League	1st Division
2023–24	1st Division, 8th of 12
Website	achorsens.dk
Home colours Away colours
Current season

History

When the new team started in 1994, Horsens fS had finished sixth in the 1994–95 1st Division season, which qualified AC Horsens to play for promotion to the 1994–95 Superliga through the 1994 Qualifying League.^[1] As AC Horsens only won two of 14 matches, and finished last in the Qualifying League, they missed their opportunity of instant promotion for the Superliga.^[2]

In the first half of the 1994–95 1st Division season, AC Horsens finished at the bottom of the table after winning only a single game, and did not proceed to the Qualification League. In the second half of the season, AC Horsens managed three victories, but finished dead last and were relegated to the 2nd Division.^[3] AC Horsens spent two seasons in the 2nd Division before winning promotion back to the 1st Division.^[4][5] From the 1997–98 1st Division season forward, AC Horsens established itself as a consistent part of the 1st Division,^[6] as they finished just below the promotion candidates for five consecutive seasons.^[1]

In July 2001, Horsens hired former Danish international Kent Nielsen as their new manager. The 2002–03 1st Division season did not go well for Den Gule Fare (The Yellow Danger). After the winterbreak halfway through the season, the club was close to relegation to the 2nd Division, but a good ending of the season secured an 11th place, seven points from the relegation zone.^[1][7] In the next season, ACH started out on amazing form. After 15 matches, AC Horsens were leading the 1st Division with 40 points, but a weak finish to the season saw the club surpassed by Silkeborg IF and Randers FC, who won promotion to the Superliga four points ahead of Horsens.^[1][8] In the 2004–05 1st Division season, Horsens finally succeeded in winning promotion. Though amassing only one point more than in the 2003–04 season, AC Horsens finished in the runner-up spot, trailing winners SønderjyskE by a single point.^[9]

In their first year in the Superliga, AC Horsens became famous for their strong defence, as they finished in 10th place and avoided relegation. They drew 13 of 33 matches; 8 of them ending 0–0. They conceded just 41 goals in 33 matches, a statistic only bettered by the defences of the top-three finishing teams that season.^[10]

The Superliga season of 2006–07 saw AC Horsens take an early lead over relegation rivals Vejle Boldklub and Silkeborg IF. In the spring of 2007, a slew of strong performances were followed by a series of disappointing defeats and draws, which again brought AC Horsens dangerously close to relegation. New offensive midfielder Henrik Hansen joined the squad midway through the season and became a key player, whereas striker and Canadian national Ali Gerba finished a half-year loan period in the summer of 2007 without being offered a contract. Instead, Brazilian Gilberto Macena from the Danish 2nd Division East team Holbæk B&I became the top scorer for AC Horsens, netting twelve times during the season.

The 2022–23 season proved challenging for Horsens. The team struggled to maintain a clean sheet from October 2022 to June 2023, conceding a league-high 58 goals. Ultimately, their relegation occurred due to goal difference, narrowly missing out to Lyngby, who had not won in the first 16 fixtures of the season.^[11][12]

Players

First-team squad

As of 14 March 2025^[13]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  CRO Matej Delač (captain) 4 DF  DEN Sebastian Hausner 8 MF  CIV Odilon Kouassi 9 FW  KOS Muhamet Hyseni 10 FW  DEN Sanders Ngabo 11 FW  DEN Sebastian Pingel 12 DF  CIV Christ Tapé 13 DF  DEN Mads Fenger 14 MF  DEN Julius Madsen 15 MF  DEN Oliver Kjærgaard 16 MF  GHA Abdul Moro 17 DF  SWE Adam Herdonsson 18 MF  DEN Frederik Christensen 20 MF  CRO Karlo Lusavec

No. Pos. Nation Player 21 FW  GHA Kwaku Karikari 22 FW  DEN Emil Frederiksen (loan from Rosenborg) 23 GK  MNE Filip Đukić 24 DF  NOR Ole Martin Kolskogen 25 DF  DEN Mikkel Kallesøe 26 FW  ISL Galdur Gudmundsson 28 DF  GAM Alagie Saine 31 GK  DEN Anders Hoff 33 DF  DEN Alexander Ludwig 34 DF  DEN Frederik Roslyng 45 FW  AUT Marvin Egho 98 MF  GUI Sory Traore 99 FW  GAM Omar Jarju — FW  COD Aime Azende

Other players other contract

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — DF  CIV Seniko Doua

No. Pos. Nation Player — DF  SWE Oliver Stanisic

Youth players in use 2024–25

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 23 MF  DEN Hjalte Toftegaard

No. Pos. Nation Player 35 MF  BEN Yamirou Ouorou

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 27 FW  NZL Elijah Just (at SKN St. Pölten until 30 June 2025) 30 GK  DEN Andreas Hermansen (at Egersund until 30 June 2025)

No. Pos. Nation Player 36 DF  DEN Angelo Nehmé (at Næstved BK until 30 June 2025) — DF  DEN Samuel Juel (at Skive IK until 30 June 2025)

Coaches

• Per Bie (1994)
• Christian Møller (1994–96)
• Kim Poulsen (1996–97)
• Troels Bech (1998–99)
• Kim Poulsen (1999)
• Uffe Pedersen (1999–2001)
• Kent Nielsen (July 2001 – December 2008)
• Henrik Jensen (Jan–June 2009)
• Johnny Mølby (July 2009 – June 2014)
• Bo Henriksen (July 2014 – Aug 2020)
• Jonas Dal (Aug 2020 – Dec 2020)
• Jens Berthel Askou (Jan 2021 – Jun 2023)
• Joakim Persson (Jun 2023 – Mar 2024)
• Claus Troelsen (Mar 2024 – Jun 2024)
• Martin Retov (Jul 2024 – Mar 2025)
• David Nielsen (Mar 2025 – present)

Achievements

• Danish Football Championship:
  • Bronze Medalists (1): 1967 (as Horsens FS)
• Danish Cup:
  • Finalist (1): 2011–12
• UEFA Europa League:
  • Qualified (1): 2012–13 (Playoff Round)
• UEFA Intertoto Cup:
  • Participation (2): 1968 (as Horsens FS), 1970 (as Horsens FS)
• 10 seasons in the Highest Danish League
• 34 seasons in the second highest Danish league
• 24 seasons in the third highest Danish league

European record

Season	Competition	Round	Club	1st leg	2nd leg	Aggregate
2012–13	UEFA Europa League	Third qualifying round	Elfsborg	1–1	3–2	4–3
		Play-off round	Sporting CP	1–1	0–5	1–6

Season overview

Season		Pos.	Pl.	W	D	L	GS	GA	P	Cup	Notes
1994 spring[2]	QL	8	14	2	4	8	14	30	11	Did not compete	Relegated
1994 autumn[3]	1D	10	18	1	6	11	15	50	8	Third round
1995 spring[3]	1D	8	14	3	6	5	15	26	12		Relegated
1995 autumn[4]	2D	6	14	5	3	6	27	29	18	Fourth round
1996 spring[4]	2D	3	14	6	6	2	27	14	24
1996 autumn[5]	2D	3	14	9	2	3	35	22	29	Second round
1997 spring[5]	2D	2	14	8	4	2	32	10	28		Promoted
1997–98[6]	1D	5	30	12	8	10	49	44	44	Fourth round
1998–99[14]	1D	6	30	13	5	12	47	44	44	Fourth round
1999-00[15]	1D	5	30	14	8	8	57	31	50	Fourth round
2000–01[16]	1D	7	30	11	10	9	41	38	43	Fifth round
2001–02[17]	1D	7	30	12	8	10	39	31	44	Third round
2002–03[7]	1D	11	30	9	9	12	45	49	36	Third round
2003–04[8]	1D	3	30	19	5	6	50	26	62	Quarter-final
2004–05[9]	1D	2	30	19	6	5	51	23	63	Semi-final	Promoted
2005–06[10]	SL	10	33	8	13	12	29	41	37	Fifth round
2006–07[18]	SL	10	33	6	10	17	29	53	28	Quarter-final
2007–08[19]	SL	5	33	14	10	9	47	43	52	Third round
2008–09[20]	SL	12	33	5	9	19	35	58	24	Quarter-final	Relegated
2009–10[21]	1D	1	30	21	3	6	67	27	66	Third round	Promoted
2010–11[22]	SL	9	33	9	10	14	29	40	37	Quarter-final
2011–12[23]	SL	4	33	17	6	10	53	39	57	Final	Qualified for 2012–13 UEFA Europa League
2012–13	SL	11	33	8	10	15	31	49	34	Semi-final	Relegated
2013–14	1D	5	33	15	7	11	60	48	52	Semi-final
2014–15	1D	6	33	10	12	11	43	42	42	Third round
2015–16	1D	3	33	18	6	9	52	34	60	Third round	Promoted
2016–17	SL	10	36	8	16	12	43	57	40	Fourth round
2017–18	SL	6	36	8	16	12	43	57	40	Third round
2018–19	SL	10	34	9	10	15	34	56	33	Fourth round
2019–20	SL	8	34	13	8	13	38	54	47	Semi-finals
2020–21	SL	12	32	5	9	18	30	59	24	Fourth round	Relegated
2021–22	1D	1	32	19	7	6	55	29	64	Fourth round	Promoted
2022–23	SL	11	32	7	7	18	33	58	28	round of 16	Relegated
2023–24	1D	TBD	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	TBD