Vejle Boldklub
Danish professional football club From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vejle Boldklub is a Danish professional football club based in Vejle in Jutland. Formed in 1891, the club is one of the most successful clubs in Danish football history, having won the Danish championship five times and the Danish cup title six times.
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| Full name | Vejle Boldklub | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | De Røde (The Reds) Jyllands Rubin (Ruby of Jutland) | ||
| Short name | VB | ||
| Founded | 3 May 1891[1] | ||
| Ground | Vejle Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 11,060 (7,567 seated) | ||
| Chairman | Tage Pedersen[2] | ||
| Head coach | Steffen Kielstrup Johnny Mølby | ||
| League | Danish Superliga | ||
| 2023–24 | Danish Superliga, 9th of 12 | ||
| Website | vejle-boldklub | ||
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Vejle Boldklub is famous for being the only Danish club to develop a European Footballer of the Year winner in Allan Simonsen who won it in 1977. The club is also famous for developing several international players such as Thomas Gravesen, Tommy Troelsen, Ulrik le Fevre, and John Sivebæk. On the European stage, Vejle Boldklub has played in the UEFA Champions League in 1972–73, 1973–74, 1979–80, and 1985–86. VB has also participated in the UEFA Cup Winners Cup and the UEFA Cup three times each. VB's most memorable moments in Europe so far has been reaching the UEFA Cup Winners Cup Quarter-finals in 1977–78, facing HNK Hajduk Split in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 in 1979–80, and beating Real Betis 1–0 in the first leg of the 1st round of the 1998–99 UEFA Cup tournament.
The club is based in the northern part of the city with the club's homeground being Vejle Stadium built in 2008. The stadium is located in Nørreskoven (the northern forest) which VB has called home since 1922. The club has played in red shirts and white shorts since 1911. The main rivals of Vejle Boldklub are AGF and AC Horsens.
In 2016, Andrew Zolotko acquired majority ownership of Vejle Boldklub, with Klaus Eskildsen retaining a minority stake. Zolotko became chairman the following year, joined on the board by Gert Eg, the club's record appearance holder. In 2025, Zolotko sold his shares to a local group led by Eskildsen.
History
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Perspective
The club was founded by 23 men from Vejle on 3 May 1891 as a cricket club. Football first became a part of the club's activities in 1902.
The first golden age
The period from 1910 to 1920 is often referred to[by whom?] as Vejle Boldklub's first golden age. In this period, the club took part in the Jutland championship final seven times and won it four times in 1912, 1913, 1914 and 1915.
The 1950s: A golden decade
About 15,000 people were seated at Vejle Stadium on 22 May 1952, when Vejle Boldklub secured promotion to the second best Danish league in a match against Odense KFUM. One of the central players in the Vejle team was Bent Sørensen, who later went on to become the club's first national team player.
On 10 May 1956, VB in front of 25,000 people in Parken, Copenhagen, met B93 in a qualification game for a place in the best Danish league. Once again Bent Sørensen scored the winner. After this VB played in the best Danish league for 36 years, which is the record.[citation needed]
In 1958, the club won its first Danish championship, and also went on to win the Danish cup. This made VB the first club in Denmark to win the Double. Among the stars in the squad was Tommy Troelsen and Henning Enoksen. Tommy Troelsen was only 17 years old when he played in the final.
Normally, 15,000–20,000 people attended the matches in Vejle those days. K.B. were beaten 8–3 and Odense Boldklub were sent home with a 7–2 defeat. The manager was Frits Gotfredsen and he was the man who started developing the attacking style of play that made VB the most popular club in Denmark in this period.
The 1959 season also offered great moments for the history books. The biggest triumph was without a doubt the cup win against AGF. 33,000 people came to the national arena to watch the match between the two great clubs from Jutland. VB won the game 1–0, but it has never been decided who scored the winner. Both the ball, Henning Enoksen and a couple of AGF players were in the net. However, it was a goal and VB could celebrate the club's second cup win in two years.
At the Olympic Games in Rome in 1960, four VB players were selected in the Danish side which sensationally won a silver medal. The four VB players were: Henning Enoksen, Tommy Troelsen, Poul Mejer and Poul Jensen (captain).
The 1970s: A triumphal march
In 1971,
Vejle Boldklub celebrated its 80 years jubilee and the players gave the club the best birthday present possible: the Danish championship trophy and the club's first ticket to the European Champions Cup. The trophy was won through great attacking football, and there was never any doubt that VB would win it.
Danish football followers were impressed with the new top side in Danish football and thousands of people came to Vejle to enjoy the charming football of Vejle Boldklub. Among the many stars in the team were Allan Simonsen and Flemming Serritslev. The manager was once again Frits Gotfredsen. He ended his amazing career in Vejle Boldklub after this big triumph.
In the 1972 season, VB went on to prove that the team was now on top of Danish football. The Danish championship in 1971 was followed up by another cup triumph and once again the Danish championship ended up in Vejle – The Double.
The title was won even more convincingly than the year before after ten straight victories in the spring half of the season. It was simply VB and the others. After the 1972 season, VB's biggest star, Allan Simonsen, joined German giants Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he was named European Footballer of the Year in 1977 – so far the only Danish player in history.
In the 1975 season, VB did not live up to the huge expectations in the league. However, the club delivered some great attacking football in the cup tournament and went on to win the final for the fourth time with a 1–0 victory over Holbæk. Club record holder, Gert Eg, scored with a great first timer, which qualified VB for the European Cup Winners Cup.
On 19 May 1977, Vejle Boldklub won its third cup final in only six years. The fifth cup triumph was won with a 2–1 victory against B1909. The goal scorers for Vejle was Ib Jacquet and Knud Nørregård. VB could now call itself the best cup team in Denmark – a status that was taken away from AGF.
Vejle reached the quarter-finals of the European Cup-Winners' Cup in the 1977–78 campaign.
In the 1978 season, Vejle Boldklub underlined its top position in Danish football by winning the Danish title for the fourth time in the club's history. Manager Poul Erik Bech and his players could celebrate the victory in Vejle before the last game as AGF and Esbjerg fB could no longer catch the reds. Among the stars in the team were Alex Nielsen, Tommy Hansen and Ulrik le Fevre, who later became the first player to score Tor des Jahres in the German Bundesliga.
The 1980s: The trophies are brought to Vejle
In 1978, Vejle Boldklub became the first team to win the Danish title after the involvement of money in Danish football. But as it turned out VB would find it difficult to adapt to the new times.
However, at the start of the decade VB continued in the footsteps of the successful 1970s teams. On 28 May 1981 Boldklubben Frem was beaten 2–1 in the cup final. This meant that the beautiful trophy – which Danish clubs had been fighting for since 1955 – was brought to Vejle permanently and placed in the club house in Nørreskoven.
In 1983, Allan Simonsen – named third best player in Europe the same year – returned to Vejle Boldklub. Simonsen had a big impact on the team and was a major influence as the club went on to win its fifth Danish title in 1984. With this victory the greatest trophy in Danish football found a permanent spot in the club house in Vejle next to the cup winners trophy. Among the biggest stars in the squad were John Sivebæk, Allan Simonsen and Steen Thychosen, who became the league top scorer with 24 goals.
After some indifferent seasons, in 1988, VB was taken over by four local businessmen. Once again the club started dreaming about titles and the fans were excited by the signings of star players such as Preben Elkjær, John Larsen and Keld Bordinggaard. However, the new manager Ebbe Skovdahl could not get the team to work together even though he had several star players in his side.
1991: A dark year
Vejle Boldklub's centenary was celebrated in the worst possible manner with relegation to the second tier for the first time since 1956. Many star players went to play for other clubs and a sad atmosphere of crisis descended upon Vejle. The four businessmen left the club, but ensured on their way out that it was not in dire straits. To turn things around VB hired their old star player Allan Simonsen as new manager. However, it was a thankless task for Simonsen, who started his managerial career with a defeat.
In 1994 the successful manager from 1981, Ole Fritsen, was named as the new manager of Vejle Boldklub. As a former youth coach in the club, Ole knew all about the many talented young players in VB, amongst which were Kaspar Dalgas and Peter Graulund. Ole started to build up a new team around these young players.
Vejle Boldklub was back in the top Danish league in 1995. Ole Fritsen's young team played impressive, charming and attacking football, which earned them runners-up medals in 1997 and qualification for the UEFA Cup on two occasions. For his fine work, Ole Fritsen was named Danish Manager of the Year in 1997.
2000s: Crises and rebuilding
At the beginning of the new millennium, VB was relegated from the Danish super league for the second time in the club's history. They were back after only one season in the first division, but it turned out to be a short respite as the club was relegated the same season. This proved to be the beginning of a serious crisis. In 2004, VB was almost relegated to the third tier division and the club was threatened with bankruptcy. This resulted in desperate attempts to save the club through amalgamations with clubs in the north, south, east and west.
But, in late 2004, another turning point was reached when a group of visionary businessmen reconstructed the club's finances and launched the so-called four point plan: A new stadium, promotion to the Danish super league, income through business other than football and a new sponsor strategy. In 2006, VB was back in the first division. However, the club made a dreadful start to the season with nine defeats in a row. But a successful second half of the season pointed it in the right direction and optimism returned.
Today, VB draws together the most successful businesses in south-east Jutland, which makes the club potentially one of the wealthiest in Danish football. And where the club earlier had to look in vain for local support, today it is seen as an attractive investment.
In spring 2008, Vejle Boldklub opened the gates to its new modern stadium. It retains the name of Vejle Stadium and is still located in Nørreskoven.
On 5 June 2008, VB achieved a record in scoring the highest number of points to win the Danish 1st Division. Promotion to the Superliga was secured with 78 points from 30 matches.
By the 32nd round of the 2008–09 season, it was clear VB would be relegated to play in the Danish 1st Division during the 2009–10 season.
2010–12: Merger with Kolding FC
On 8 December 2010, Vejle Boldklub announced that the club known as Vejle Blodklub would merge with Kolding FC and from July 2011 would be known as Vejle Boldklub Kolding. This would mark an end for Vejle Boldklub and the beginning of yet another Danish fusion club.[3]
2012: Resurrection
In November 2012, Kolding IF withdrew from the agreement with Vejle Boldklub.[4] This resulted in the dissolution of Vejle Boldklub Kolding, and Vejle Boldklub inherited the merger club's licence in the Danish 1st Division for the upcoming 2013–14 season.[5]
2013–16: Fighting to return to the Danish Superliga
From the start of the season in the summer of 2013, Vejle Boldklub once again played under the name VB in the Danish tournament. After four seasons in the 1st division the club was still chasing a promotion to the Danish Superliga, but neither the seasons 2013–14 and 2014–15 were any great success. In the first season, VB built a new team under head coach Tonny Hermansen, but was only able to secure a middle position. A couple of players from outside the club came in the following season, but the results did not improve and VB changed coach in the autumn of 2014. Swedish Klebér Saarenpää got better results and what for a long time looked like a bad position in the lower half, was saved with a good spring. Especially the Faroese Jóan Símun Edmundsson became a great player for VB and he secured the club many points in the spring.
In the 2015–16 season, it was again the ambition was yet again to fight for promotion. Despite the strengthening of the team with several new players up to the season, the Vejlensers chased after AC Horsens, Silkeborg and Lyngby who eventually secured promotion for most of the season. Profile Jóan Símun Edmundsson only played in the autumn before he was sold to Odense Boldklub. In the spring, the VB head coach changed six games before the end of the season. Sports director Steen Thychosen took over the responsibility in a last attempt to catch up with the top teams, but it turned out not to be enough. VB defeated AC Horsens in all three matches of the season – especially the match at Vejle Stadium in March is one of the most memorable matches in Nørreskoven in the decade. After 0–0 at the break, VB won 4–3 on Anders Kaagh's match winning goal in the match's overtime.
2016–25: Zolotko era
On 28 June 2016, Vejle Boldklub underwent a change in ownership when Moldovan investor Andrew Zolotko acquired a majority stake in the club, while former player Klaus Eskildsen retained the remaining shares. Swedish coach Andreas Alm, formerly of AIK, was appointed head coach later that summer. He inherited a nearly rebuilt squad, with only six players returning from the previous season. Within just three weeks of pre-season, a new team comprising players from Europe, South America, and Africa was assembled. Results in the autumn were mixed, though individual performances stood out—most notably from Brazilian forward Dominic Vinicius, goalkeeper Pavol Bajza, Ivorian winger D'Avila Ba Loua, and local talents Agon Muçolli and Christian Kudsk. Despite early struggles, Vejle secured safety from relegation in the 31st round.
In 2017, Italian manager Adolfo Sormani took charge, bringing greater tactical structure and experience to the club. Technical director Jacob Krüger was also appointed and helped assemble a more competitive squad. Defensive stalwarts Mads Greve and Rasmus Lauritsen were added, along with Albanian midfielder Ylber Ramadani. Attackers Imed Louati and Allan Sousa, both signed earlier in 2017, found form alongside Dominic Vinicius. Vejle began the 2017–18 season strongly, maintaining a top-table position throughout the autumn.
During the winter break, the club sanctioned its first major player sales under Zolotko's leadership, transferring four players—including Vinicius to Beijing BSU and Victor Wernersson to IFK Göteborg. Despite these departures and a slow spring start, Vejle secured direct promotion to the Danish Superliga, clinching the title with a 2–0 away win over Thisted FC.
Returning to the top flight for the 2018–19 season after a nine-year absence, Vejle started brightly with five points from three matches but soon faltered. New arrivals included Gustaf Nilsson, Melker Hallberg, Sean Murray, Adam Jakobsen, and mid-season signings Vladlen Yurchenko and Nathan Oduwa. Despite promising performances, the team secured just four wins by the winter break. Reinforcements arrived in January—among them Kjartan Finnbogason, Malte Amundsen, Branko Ilić, and Mathias Hebo—but results remained inconsistent. In March, following a defeat to FC Copenhagen, Sormani resigned and was replaced by Romanian manager Constantin Gâlcă. Although results improved in the relegation group, Vejle finished last in their pool and were relegated from the Superliga following a 2–1 aggregate defeat to Hobro IK.
In February 2020, the club reported a record profit of DKK 11.5 million for the 2019 financial year. Key player sales—including Rasmus Lauritsen, Gustaf Nilsson, Bubacarr Trawally, and youth product Andreas Jungdal—contributed to the surplus, alongside growth in sponsorship and matchday revenues.
Following relegation, Vejle focused on building a promotion-ready squad. Key players such as Jacob Schoop, Finnbogason, Tobias Mølgaard, and Serhiy Hryn signed extensions, while new signings included Diego Montiel, Indy Groothuizen, and Lucas Jensen. Finnish defender Juhani Ojala joined later in the summer. After an inconsistent start, Vejle emerged as the most consistent side in the 1st Division. A memorable comeback win over Viborg FF—recovering from 0–2 down to win 4–3—capped off 2019. The strong form continued after the COVID-19 break in 2020, as Vejle secured promotion back to the Superliga.
2025–present: Return to local ownership
In February 2025, Zolotko sold his stake in Vejle Boldklub to a consortium of local investors led by former Vejle player Klaus Eskildsen.[2][6] The following month, he was appointed vice chairman of the newly formed board, with Tage Pedersen—chairman of Kopenhagen Fur—assuming the role of chairman.[7][8]
Honours
- Danish Championship
- Danish Cup
- Winners (6): 1957–58, 1958–59, 1971–72, 1974–75, 1976–77, 1980–81
- Runners-up: 1967–68
Europe
Summarize
Perspective
Vejle Boldklub made its debut in the 1973 European Champion Clubs' Cup. Vejle was put up against one of the biggest clubs in Europe at the time: Anderlecht from Belgium. Vejle gave the Belgians a good match, but the reds could not keep Anderlecht from progressing in the tournament.
The highlight of Vejle Boldklub's European history came in 1978, when the club went all the way to the quarter-finals in the UEFA Cup Winners Cup, where VB lost out to Dutch side FC Twente.
In the 1985–86 season, Vejle lost to eventual Champions' Cup winners FC Steaua București, after a first-leg tie: 1–1, 1–4.
The last time Vejle Boldklub played in Europe was in 1998–99, when the reds were drawn with Real Betis in the first round of the UEFA Cup. Betis came to Denmark with a great team including the star player Denílson. But against all odds VB won the first match against the Spanish stars as Peter Graulund scored the winner in the dying minutes of the game. However, in Sevilla VB could not follow up on the good result and lost 5–0.
Squad and players
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Perspective
Current squad
- As of 23 January 2025[9]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Youth players in use 2024-2025
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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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.
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Notable players
Recent history
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Perspective
| Season | Pos. | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | P | Cup | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | SL | 2 | 33 | 14 | 12 | 7 | 57 | 38 | 54 | ||
| 1997–98 | SL | 4 | 33 | 16 | 4 | 13 | 53 | 51 | 52 | ||
| 1998–99 | SL | 6 | 33 | 14 | 5 | 14 | 54 | 48 | 47 | ||
| 1999–00 | SL | 11 | 33 | 7 | 11 | 15 | 38 | 68 | 32 | 5th round | Relegated |
| 2000–01 | 1D | 2 | 30 | 17 | 8 | 5 | 73 | 37 | 59 | 5th round | Promoted |
| 2001–02 | SL | 11 | 33 | 6 | 10 | 17 | 38 | 72 | 28 | 4th round | Relegated |
| 2002–03 | 1D | 5 | 30 | 15 | 4 | 11 | 65 | 58 | 49 | 5th round | |
| 2003–04 | 1D | 12 | 30 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 44 | 59 | 30 | 3rd round | |
| 2004–05 | 1D | 5 | 30 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 59 | 51 | 49 | 3rd round | |
| 2005–06 | 1D | 1 | 30 | 19 | 6 | 5 | 62 | 32 | 63 | 3rd round | Promoted |
| 2006–07 | SL | 11 | 33 | 6 | 7 | 20 | 35 | 64 | 25 | 3rd round | Relegated |
| 2007–08 | 1D | 1 | 30 | 25 | 3 | 2 | 80 | 24 | 78 | Quarter-finals | Promoted |
| 2008–09 | SL | 11 | 33 | 4 | 13 | 16 | 30 | 59 | 25 | 3rd round | Relegated |
| 2009–10 | 1D | 10 | 30 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 33 | 34 | 33 | Semi-finals | |
| 2010–11 | 1D | 3 | 30 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 49 | 32 | 52 | 2nd round | |
| 2011–12 | 1D | 3 | 26 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 58 | 32 | 44 | Quarter-finals | |
| 2012–13 | 1D | 3 | 33 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 46 | 29 | 58 | 4rd round | |
| 2013–14 | 1D | 7 | 33 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 49 | 38 | 47 | Quarter-finals | |
| 2014–15 | 1D | 5 | 33 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 41 | 46 | 45 | 3rd round | |
| 2015–16 | 1D | 5 | 33 | 16 | 5 | 12 | 56 | 46 | 53 | 2nd round | |
| 2016–17 | 1D | 9 | 33 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 49 | 46 | 41 | 2nd round | |
| 2017–18 | 1D | 1 | 33 | 18 | 11 | 4 | 47 | 24 | 65 | 2nd round | Promoted |
| 2018–19 | SL | 13 | 32 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 34 | 53 | 28 | 4rd round | Relegated |
| 2019–20 | 1D | 1 | 33 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 63 | 31 | 68 | 2nd round | Promoted |
| 2020–21 | SL | 10 | 32 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 42 | 50 | 38 | Quarter-finals | |
| 2021–22 | SL | 11 | 32 | 7 | 8 | 17 | 31 | 60 | 29 | Semi-finals | Relegated |
| 2022–23 | 1D | 1 | 32 | 20 | 7 | 5 | 61 | 30 | 67 | Quarter-finals | Promoted |
| 2023–24 | SL | 9 | 32 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 32 | 36 | 36 | 4th Round |
Note: SL = Danish Superliga, 1D = Danish 1st Division
Achievements
- 43 seasons in the Highest Danish League
- 17 seasons in the Second Highest Danish League
- 9 seasons in the Third Highest Danish League
Coaches 1990–present
Ebbe Skovdahl (1990–1991)- Allan Simonsen (1991–1994)
- Ole Fritsen (1994–1999)
- Poul Erik Andreasen (2000)
- Keld Bordinggaard (2001–2002)
- Frank Petersen (2002–2003)
- Henrik Brandenborg (2003)
- Steen Thychosen (2003)
- Jens Tang Olesen (2004)
- Hans Lauge and Mogens Nielsen (2004)
- Frank Andersen (2004–2005)
- Lasse Christensen and Jesper Søgaard (2005)
- Kim Poulsen (2006–2007)
- Ove Christensen (2007–2009)
- Lasse Christensen and Ole Schwennesen (2009)
Mats Gren (2009–2011)- Viggo Jensen (2011)
- Nicolai Wael (2011–2013)
- Kim Brink (2013)
- Tonny Hermansen (2013–2014)
- Klebér Saarenpää (2014–2016)
- Steen Thychosen (2016)
- Andreas Alm (2016–2017)
Adolfo Sormani (2017–2019)
Constantin Gâlcă (2019–2021)- Carit Falch (2021)
- Peter Sørensen (2021–2022)
Ivan Prelec (2022–2024)- Mihai Teja (2024–2025)
- Steffen Kielstrup and Johnny Mølby (2025–Present)
Captains 2003–present
- Klaus Eskildsen (2003)
- Peter Degn (2003)
- Carsten Hemmingsen (2004)
- Steffen Kielstrup (2005)
- Jakob Bresemann (2005–2006)
- Bora Zivkovic (2006)
- Klebér Saarenpää (2007)
- Bora Zivkovic (2007–2008)
- Jimmy Nielsen (2008–09)
- Steffen Kielstrup (2010–2012)
- Jens Berthel Askou (2012–2013)
- Henrik Bødker (2013–2015)
- Niels Bisp Rasmussen (2015–2016)
- Steffen Kielstrup (2016–2017)
- Jacob Schoop (2017–2022)
- Denis Kolinger (2022)
Raúl Albentosa (2022–2024)- Oliver Provstgaard (2024–2025)
- Thomas Gundelund (2025–present)
References
External links
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