Danish Superliga

The Danish Superliga (Danish: Superligaen, pronounced [ˈsuˀpɐliːˌkɛˀn̩]) is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with two teams relegated.

Superliga

Founded	1991
First season	1991
Country	Denmark
Confederation	UEFA
Number of teams	12
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Danish 1st Division
Domestic cup(s)	Danish Cup
International cup(s)	UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League UEFA Conference League
Current champions	Copenhagen (15th title) (2022–23)
Most championships	Copenhagen (15 titles)
Most appearances	Rasmus Würtz (452)
Top goalscorer	Morten Rasmussen (145)
TV partners	Domestic Viaplay Group (TV3+, TV3 Sport, TV3 MAX) Discovery Networks Denmark (Canal 9, Eurosport 2) International Eleven Sports OneFootball
Website	superliga.dk dbu.dk
Current: 2023–24 Danish Superliga

History

Founded in 1991, the Danish Superliga replaced the Danish 1st Division as the highest league of football in Denmark. From the start in 1991, 10 teams were participating. The opening Superliga season was played during the spring of 1991, with the ten teams playing each other twice for the championship title. From the summer of 1991, the tournament structure would stretch over two calendar years. The 10 teams would play each other twice in the first half of the tournament. In the following spring, the bottom two teams would be cut off, the points of the teams would be cut in half, and the remaining eight teams would once more play each other twice, for a total of 32 games in a season.

This practice was abandoned before the 1995–96 season, when the number of teams competing was increased to 12, playing each other thrice for 33 games per Superliga season. For the first season of this new structure, Coca-Cola became the name sponsor of the league, which was then named Coca-Cola Ligaen. After a single season under that name, Faxe Brewery became sponsors and the league changed its name to Faxe Kondi Ligaen. Before the 2001–02 season, Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) became the head sponsor, and the name of the tournament changed to SAS Ligaen. From January 2015 the Danish Superliga is known as Alka Superliga, as the Danish insurance company Alka became name sponsor.^[1]

Logos used for naming rights agreements for the league:

•  
  Coca-Cola Ligaen
  (1995–96)
  Sponsor: Coca-Cola
•  
  Faxe Kondi Ligaen
  (1996–97 until 2000–01)
  Sponsor: Faxe Brewery
•  
  SAS Ligaen
  (2001–02 until 2009–10)
  Sponsor: SAS
•  
  Superligaen
  (2010–11 until 31 Dec 2014)
  No league sponsor
•  
  Alka Superliga
  (1 Jan 2015 until 2017–18)
  Sponsor: Alka
•  
  Superligaen
  2018–19
  No league sponsor
•  
  3F Superliga
  (Since 2019–20)
  Sponsor: United Federation of Danish Workers

Structure

From 1996 through 2016, the league included 12 clubs which played each other three times. The two teams with the fewest points at the end of the season were relegated to the Danish 1st Division and replaced by the top two teams of that division. During this era, each team played every other team at least once at home and once away plus once more either at home or away. The top six teams of the previous season played 17 matches at home and 16 away while the teams in 7th to 10th place plus the two newly promoted teams played 16 matches at home and 17 away.

Following the 2015–16 season, the league was expanded to 14 teams, accomplished by relegating only the last-place finisher in that season and promoting the top three teams from the 1st division. The 2016–17 season was the first for the new league structure. It began with the teams playing a full home-and-away schedule, resulting in 26 matches for each team. At that time, the league split into a six-team championship playoff and an eight-team qualifying playoff. All teams' table points and goals carry over fully into the playoffs.

In the championship playoff, each team plays the others home and away again. The top team at the end of the playoff is Superliga champion and enters the Champions League in the second qualifying round. The second-place team enters the Europa League in the first qualifying round. The third-place team advances to a one-off playoff match for another Europa League place. If the winner of the Danish Cup finishes in the top three, the match will instead involve the fourth-place team.

The qualifying playoff is split into two groups, with the teams that finished the regular season in 7th, 10th, 11th, and 14th in one group and those finishing 8th, 9th, 12th, and 13th in the other. Each group plays home-and-away within its group. The top two teams from each group then enter a knockout tournament, with each match over two legs. If the Danish Cup winner is among the top two finishers in either playoff group, it is withdrawn from the knockout playoff and its opponent automatically advances to the tournament final. The winner of that tournament faces the third-place (or fourth-place) team from the championship playoff in a one-off match, with the winner entering the Europa League in the first qualifying round.

The bottom two teams from each group then contest a relegation playoff with several steps, centered on a separate four-team knockout playoff, also consisting totally of two-legged matches:

• The third-placed teams in each group play over two legs, with the winners remaining in the Superliga and the losers advancing to a playoff final against the third-place team from the 1st Division.
• The bottom teams in each group play over two legs, with the winners advancing to a play-off final against the second-place team from the 1st Division, and the losers dropping to next season's 1st Division.
• The winners of each play-off final play in the next season's Superliga.

In the 2019–20 season, the number of teams was reduced from 14 to 12 teams. It began with all 12 teams playing a full home-and-away schedule, resulting in 22 matches for each team. At that time, the league split into a six-team championship playoff and a six-team qualifying playoff. All teams' points and goals carried over fully from the regular season into the playoffs. In both playoff groups, six teams play a full home-and-away schedule, resulting in ten matches (32 for the full season). The two bottom teams in the qualifying playoff are relegated to 1st Division, while the team finishing 7th plays against the lowest placed team from the Championship playoff, who failed to qualify directly to European Football, in a single match, to decide the final European spot from Denmark.

Teams

Current teams (2023–24)

 

 

Vejle

 

AGF

 

Brøndby

 

 

Midtjylland

 

Nordsjælland

 

Hvidovre

 

OB

 

Randers

 

Silkeborg

 

Lyngby

 

Viborg

 

Copenhagen

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Locations of teams in the 2023–24 Danish Superliga

Club	Finishing position last season	First season in top division	First season of current spell in top division
AGF	3rd	1918–19	2015–16
Brøndby	5th	1982	1982
Copenhagen	1st	1992–93	1992–93
Hvidovre IF	2nd in 1st Division	1965	2023–24
Lyngby	10th	1980	2022–23
Midtjylland	7th	2000–01	2000–01
Nordsjælland	2nd	2002–03	2002–03
OB	8th	1927–28	1999–00
Randers	6th	1970	2011–12
Silkeborg	9th	1988	2021–22
Vejle Boldklub	1st in 1st Division	1956-57	2023–24
Viborg	4th	1981	2021–22

Winners

See also: List of Danish football champions

Seasons

Season	Champions	Performance
		Pts	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
1991	Brøndby IF	26	18	10	6	2	26	15	+11
1991–92	Lyngby BK	32^[2]	14	9	2	3	22	7	+15
1992–93	F.C. Copenhagen	32^[2]	14	8	3	3	31	23	+8
1993–94	Silkeborg IF	31^[2]	14	8	2	4	23	15	+8
1994–95	AaB	31^[2]	14	7	4	3	30	13	+17
1995–96	Brøndby IF	67	33	20	7	6	71	32	+39
1996–97	Brøndby IF	68	33	20	8	5	64	39	+25
1997–98	Brøndby IF	76	33	24	4	5	81	33	+48
1998–99	AaB	64	33	17	13	3	65	37	+28
1999–2000	Herfølge BK	56	33	16	8	9	52	49	+3
2000–01	F.C. Copenhagen	63	33	17	12	4	55	27	+28
2001–02	Brøndby IF	69	33	20	9	4	74	28	+46
2002–03	F.C. Copenhagen	61	33	17	10	6	51	32	+19
2003–04	F.C. Copenhagen	68	33	20	8	5	56	27	+29
2004–05	Brøndby IF	69	33	20	9	4	61	23	+38
2005–06	F.C. Copenhagen	73	33	22	7	4	62	27	+35
2006–07	F.C. Copenhagen	76	33	23	7	3	60	23	+37
2007–08	AaB	71	33	22	5	6	60	38	+22
2008–09	F.C. Copenhagen	74	33	23	5	5	67	26	+41
2009–10	F.C. Copenhagen	68	33	21	5	7	61	22	+39
2010–11	F.C. Copenhagen	81	33	25	6	2	77	29	+48
2011–12	FC Nordsjælland	68	33	21	5	7	49	22	+27
2012–13	F.C. Copenhagen	65	33	18	11	4	62	32	+30
2013–14	AaB	62	33	18	8	7	60	38	+22
2014–15	FC Midtjylland	71	33	22	5	6	64	34	+30
2015–16	F.C. Copenhagen	71	33	21	8	4	62	28	+34
2016–17	F.C. Copenhagen	84	36	25	9	2	74	20	+54
2017–18	FC Midtjylland	85	36	27	4	5	80	39	+41
2018–19	F.C. Copenhagen	82	36	26	4	6	86	37	+49
2019–20	FC Midtjylland	82	36	26	4	6	61	29	+32
2020–21	Brøndby IF	61	32	19	4	9	58	38	+20
2021–22	F.C. Copenhagen	68	32	20	8	4	56	19	+37
2022–23	F.C. Copenhagen	59	32	18	5	9	61	35	+26

Relegations

Season	Relegated team(s)
1991	Ikast FS
1991–92	Vejle Boldklub
1992–93	Boldklubben Frem, Boldklubben 1909
1993–94	Viborg FF, B93
1994–95	Fremad Amager
1995–96	Ikast FS, Næstved BK
1996–97	Viborg FF, Hvidovre IF
1997–98	Ikast FS, Odense Boldklub
1998–99	Aarhus Fremad, B93
1999–00	Vejle Boldklub, Esbjerg fB
2000–01	Herfølge Boldklub, SønderjyskE
2001–02	Vejle Boldklub, Lyngby Boldklub
2002–03	Silkeborg IF, Køge BK
2003–04	Boldklubben Frem, AB
2004–05	Herfølge Boldklub, Randers FC
2005–06	SønderjyskE, Aarhus Gymnastikforening
2006–07	Vejle Boldklub, Silkeborg IF
2007–08	Viborg FF, Lyngby Boldklub
2008–09	AC Horsens, Vejle Boldklub
2009–10	AGF, HB Køge
2010–11	Randers FC, Esbjerg fB
2011–12	Lyngby Boldklub, HB Køge
2012–13	AC Horsens, Silkeborg IF
2013–14	AGF, Viborg FF
2014–15	FC Vestsjælland, Silkeborg IF
2015–16	Hobro IK
2016–17	Viborg FF, Esbjerg fB
2017–18	Lyngby Boldklub, Silkeborg IF, FC Helsingør
2018–19	Vendsyssel FF, Vejle Boldklub
2019–20	Hobro IK, Silkeborg IF, Esbjerg fB
2020–21	AC Horsens, Lyngby Boldklub
2021–22	Vejle Boldklub, SønderjyskE
2022–23	AC Horsens, AaB

Notable players

Top goalscorers

Season	Tally	Top scorer(s)
1991	11	Bent Christensen (Brøndby IF)
1991–92	17	Peter Møller (AaB)
1992–93	22	Peter Møller (AaB)
1993–94	18	Søren Frederiksen (Viborg FF)
1994–95	24	Erik Bo Andersen (AaB)
1995–96	20	Thomas Thorninger (AGF)
1996–97	26	Miklos Molnar (Lyngby BK)
1997–98	28	Ebbe Sand (Brøndby IF)
1998–99	23	Heine Fernandez (Viborg FF)
1999–00	16	Peter Lassen (Silkeborg IF)
2000–01	21	Peter Graulund (Brøndby IF)
2001–02	22	Peter Madsen (Brøndby IF) and Kaspar Dalgas (OB)
2002–03	18	Søren Frederiksen (Viborg FF) and Jan Kristiansen (Esbjerg fB)
2003–04	19	Steffen Højer and Mwape Miti (both OB), Mohamed Zidan (FC Midtjylland) and Tommy Bechmann (Esbjerg fB)
2004–05	20	Steffen Højer (OB)
2005–06	16	Steffen Højer (Viborg FF)
2006–07	19	Rade Prica (AaB)
2007–08	17	Jeppe Curth (AaB)
2008–09	16	Morten Nordstrand (F.C. Copenhagen) and Marc Nygaard (Randers FC)
2009–10	18	Peter Utaka (OB)
2010–11	25	Dame N'Doye (F.C. Copenhagen)
2011–12	18	Dame N'Doye (F.C. Copenhagen)
2012–13	18	Andreas Cornelius (F.C. Copenhagen)
2013–14	18	Thomas Dalgaard (Viborg FF)
2014–15	17	Martin Pusic (Esbjerg FB/ FC Midtjylland)
2015–16	18	Lukas Spalvis (AaB)
2016–17	23	Marcus Ingvartsen (FC Nordsjælland)
2017–18	22	Pål Alexander Kirkevold (Hobro IK)
2018–19	29	Robert Skov (F.C. Copenhagen)
2019–20	18	Ronnie Schwartz (Silkeborg IF/ FC Midtjylland)
2020–21	19	Mikael Uhre (Brøndby IF)
2021–22	17	Nicklas Helenius (Silkeborg IF)
2022–23	15	Patrick Mortensen (Aarhus GF) and Gustav Isaksen (FC Midtjylland)

All-Time topscorer(s)

The 10 most scoring players throughout the history of the Superliga. Latest update 30 December 2022.

Rank	Topscorer(s)	Goals	Club(s)
1.	Morten "Duncan" Rasmussen	145	AGF, Brøndby IF, AaB, FC Midtjylland
2.	Søren Frederiksen	139	Silkeborg IF, Viborg FF, AaB
3.	Peter Møller	135	AaB, Brøndby IF, FC København
4.	Heine Fernandez	126	AB, FC København, Silkeborg IF, Viborg FF
5.	Steffen Højer	124	OB, Viborg FF, AaB
6.	Frank Kristensen	109	FC Midtjylland, Ikast fS, Randers FC
7.	Peter Graulund	107	AGF, Brøndby IF, Vejle BK
8.	Søren Andersen	101	AGF, OB, AaB
9.	Nicklas Helenius	93	AaB, Silkeborg IF, OB, AGF
10.	Dame N'Doye	90	FC København

Most capped players

See also: Category:Danish Superliga players

Twenty players with most Superliga appearances

Rank	Player	Appearances	Club(s)
1	Rasmus Würtz	452	AaB, Copenhagen, Vejle
2	Hans Henrik Andreasen	397	OB, Esbjerg fB, Hobro
3	Per Nielsen	394	Brøndby
4	Jakob Poulsen	390	Esbjerg fB, AGF, Midtjylland
5	Jimmy Nielsen	375	AaB, Vejle
6	Jesper Hansen	374	Nordsjælland, Lyngby, Midtjylland, AGF
7	Michael Hansen	371	Silkeborg, OB, Esbjerg fB, Midtjylland
	Mogens Krogh	371	Ikast FS, Brøndby
9	Nicolai Stokholm	370	AB, OB, Nordsjælland
10	Arek Onyszko	363	Viborg, OB, Midtjylland
11	Johan Absalonsen	362	Brøndby, OB, Copenhagen, Horsens, SønderjyskE
12	Michael Nonbo	355	Næstved, AGF, Viborg, SønderjyskE
	Morten "Duncan" Rasmussen	355	AGF, Brøndby, AaB, FC Midtjylland
	Jonas Borring	355	OB, Midtjylland, Randers, Brøndby, Horsens
15	Anders Møller Christensen	351	Næstved, OB, Esbjerg fB
16	Kasper Risgård	344	AaB, Silkeborg
17	Thomas Augustinussen	342	AaB
18	Jens Jessen	341	AaB, Midtjylland
	Jakob Glerup	341	Viborg
20	Rasmus Falk	340	OB, Copenhagen
As of 25 July 2023^[3]

Most capped foreign players

Main article: List of foreign Danish Superliga players

Thirty foreign players with most Superliga appearances

Rank	Player	Nationality	Appearances	Club(s)
1	Arek Onyszko	Poland	362	Viborg FF, OB, FC Midtjylland
2	Jerry Lucena	Philippines	334	Esbjerg fB, AGF Aarhus
3	Karim Zaza	Morocco	322	FC København, OB, Brøndby IF, AaB
4	Rilwan Hassan	Nigeria	296	FC Midtjylland, SønderjyskE
5	Todi Jónsson	Faroe Islands	243	Lyngby BK, FC København
6	Pierre Bengtsson	Sweden	242	FC Nordsjælland, FC København, Vejle BK
7	Andrew Tembo	Zambia	218	OB
8	Kolja Afriyie	Germany	203	Esbjerg fB, FC Midtjylland
9	Izunna Uzochukwu	Nigeria	201	FC Midtjylland, OB
10	Espen Ruud	Norway	197	OB
11	Quincy Antipas	Zimbabwe	191	HB Køge, SønderjyskE, Brøndby IF, Hobro IK
12	Rúrik Gíslason	Iceland	181	Viborg FF, OB, FC København
13	Mwape Miti	Zambia	178	OB
14	Hallgrímur Jónasson	Iceland	174	SønderjyskE, OB, Lyngby BK
15	Bajram Fetai	Macedonia	167	Silkeborg IF, FC Nordsjælland, Lyngby BK
16	Rawez Lawan	Sweden	168	AC Horsens, FC Nordsjælland
17	Dan Eggen	Norway	167	BK Frem, Brøndby IF
18	Andreas Johansson	Sweden	162	AaB, OB
19	César Santin	Brazil	161	FC København
20	Abdul Sule	Nigeria	160	AB, AC Horsens
	Jacob Rinne	Sweden	160	AaB
As at the end of season 2021–22^[4]

Attendances

Season	Average	Total	Max	Min
1991	3,937	354,348	13,935	712
1991–92	4,428	646,510	16,500	1,014
1992–93	5,023	733,299	22,862	484
1993–94	4,739	691,855	26,679	475
1994–95	5,930	865,755	36,623	487
1995–96	5,689	1,126,414	39,640	704
1996–97	5,318	1,052,922	28,491	585
1997–98	5,519	1,092,688	33,124	939
1998–99	4,974	984,874	37,940	180
1999–2000	5,838	1,155,917	28,818	1,493
2000–01	5,837	1,155,662	40,281	1,003
2001–02	5,727	1,133,920	40,186	314
2002–03	7,307	1,446,752	40,254	800
2003–04	7,980	1,580,011	41,005	1,011
2004–05	8,589	1,700,532	40,654	843
2005–06	7,957	1,575,399	41,201	1,307
2006–07	8,108	1,605,367	40,463	1,799
2007–08	8,499	1,682,791	32,153	1,035
2008–09	8,815	1,745,308	32,856	1,609
2009–10	8,315	1,646,405	30,191	707
2010–11	7,049	1,395,616	28,387	1,017
2011–12	7,103	1,406,462	25,651	1,059
2012–13	6,760	1,338,465	33,215	0 ^[a]
2013–14	7,929	1,570,027	32,846	1,656
2014–15	6,932	1,372,511	32,526	1,201
2015–16	7,253	1,436,188	29,178	1,327
2016–17	6,002	1,500,380	26,686	1,044
2017–18	5,880	1,469,980	28,410	568
2018–19	6,581	1,618,965	33,134	1,012
2019–20	4,764	1,152,832	29,310	0 ^[b]
2020–21	1,193	229,136	10,966	0 ^[c]
2021–22	8,636	1,658,078	35,463	1,702
2022–23	10,289	1,975,454	35,820	2,507

1. Brøndby IF got a two matches ban on spectators due to unrest at a cup game against FC København.^[5]
2. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic some games were played without spectators and some games were played with a reduced amount allowed.^[6]
3. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic some games were played without spectators and some games were played with a reduced amount allowed.^[7]

See also

• List of Danish Superliga clubs
• Sports league attendances

Notes

1. "Officielt: Superligaen bliver til Alka Superligaen". from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
2. Tally includes points carried over from the first half of the season.
3. "Spilletid, all-time". SuperStats. from the original on 25 July 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
4. "UDLÆNDINGE MED FLEST SPILLEDE KAMPE, ALL TIME". superstats.dk. from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
5. Davidsen, Martin (25 March 2013). "DIF slår fast: Brøndby uden tilskuere i to kampe". Tipsbladet. from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
6. Muminovic, Arnela (5 June 2020). "Regeringen vil tillade 500 tilskuere til Superliga-kampe". Danmarks Radio. from the original on 19 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
7. Paaske, Søren (15 September 2020). "Nye corona-restriktioner: Færre tilskuere til Superliga-kampe". BT. from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Danish Superliga.

• Official website (in Danish)
• Guide to the Danish Superliga (in english)