Danish Women's League

Last updated
Danmarksturneringens Kvindeliga
Organising body Danish FA (DBU)
Founded1974;50 years ago (1974)
First season 1975
Country Denmark
Confederation UEFA
Divisions2 (1975–1980)
1 (1981–present)
Number of teams20 (1975–1980)
12 (1981–1992)
8 (1993–present)
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to Kvinde 1. division
Domestic cup(s) DBU KvindePokalen
(1992–present)
International cup(s) UEFA Women's Champions League
Current champions HB Køge (3rd title)
(2022–23)
Most championships Brøndby IF (12 titles)
TV partners Eurosport 2, Sport Live and Dplay (2020–2021) [1]
Viaplay/TV3 Sport
(2021–2024) [2]
Website kvindeliga.dk

The Danish Women's League (Danish : Danmarksturneringens Kvindeliga, Kvinde-DM Liga or Kvindeligaen) is a semi-professional top-flight league for women's football in Denmark. It is organised by the Danish Football Association (DBU) as part of the nation-wide Danmarksturneringen i kvindefodbold (Kvinde-DM) and is placed as the first division of the Danish football league system. [3] Clubs in the league must meet certain criteria concerning appropriate facilities and finances. [4] All of the league's clubs qualify for the proper rounds of the DBU KvindePokalen. The top teams of each season qualify for the UEFA Women's Champions League.

Contents

The division has changed its name on several occasions. It began as Danmarksturneringen i damefodbold (1975 until 1980), then Dame 1. division (1981 until 1992), Elitedivisionen (1993 until 2015–16) and the current name, Kvindeligaen, beginning with the 2016–17 season. [5] [6] Due to sponsorship arrangements, it was known as 3F Ligaen for fourteen seasons (2005–06 until 2018–19) and since the 2019–20 season as Gjensidige Kvindeligaen. [7] [8]

According to FIFA's 2023 Women's Benchmarking Report, the league in 2021-22 drew an average of 388 fans per game, 57% of players had signed compensated player contracts (of whom, the average annual salary was between $10-15k USD), and 29% of players made their primary living from football. [9] The league's status as semi-professional presented challenges for its return-to-play from the 2019-2020 COVID-19 pandemic, as initially in Denmark only fully professional sports were allowed to resume. [10] A rise in interest and participation in women's football has driven increased investment into the league in recent years, although the best players in Denmark still often depart for fully professional clubs abroad. [11]

Format

From 1994 to 2005/06 the league consisted of 8 teams playing each other 3 times and the best team then was awarded the championship. The last team was relegated with the second last team playing a playoff, against the second team of the Kvinde 1. division. 2006/07 was a transition year, because the league was extended to 10 teams. The last team after the season played a relegation match against the third placed team of the 1. division, for a place in Elitedivisionen. The top two teams of the 1. division were automatically promoted.

From 2007/08 to 2012/13 the league consisted of 10 teams. Those 10 teams played a double round robin as a regular season. After that there are 2 Playoff Groups. Place 1 to 4 of the regular season play the Championship Playoff. Place 5 to 10 play the Relegation Playoff. In the Playoffs, the points accumulated over the regular season are divided by 2 (rounding up if necessary). Those points are the starting points for the playoffs. The Championship group plays another round robin (6 matches each) with the winner being awarded the championship title. The Relegation Group plays a single round robin (5 matches each) after which, the bottom two clubs are relegated.

The 2013/14 season again was played only with eight teams. The top six after the regular season play a championship group, the seventh plays a relegation play-off and the eight placed team gets relegated.

Clubs

National champions

RankClubChampionsRunners-upWinning seasons
1 Brøndby IF 129 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2018–19
2 Fortuna Hjørring 1122 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2019–20
3 IK Skovbakken [lower-alpha 1] 106 1982, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1996–97, 1997–98
4 B 1909 55 1981, 1983, 1985, 1992, 1993
5 Ribe BK [lower-alpha 2] 51 1973, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1979
6 BK Femina 34 1975, 1977, 1980
7 HB Køge 30 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23
8 Odense BK Q [lower-alpha 3] 20 1999–2000, 2000–01
— BK Stjernen Svendborg 02
— Kolding IF [lower-alpha 4] 01
— BK Rødovre 01

The list also includes the national champions of 1973 and 1974 that were crowned before the establishment of a nationwide first division. [12] [13]

2023–24 season

Footnotes

  1. ↑ In January 2002 – halfway through the 2001–02 season – Hjortshøj-Egaa IF's two elite women's squads, playing in the national and regional top-flight leagues, merged with IK Skovbakken's women's youth department for economic reasons, transferring the league licenses from Hjortshøj-Egaa IF to IK Skovbakken Kvindefodbold. In July 2017, the women's football department of IK Skovbakken Fodbold merged with the women's football departments of Vejlby IK, becoming part of VSK Aarhus. The founding clubs' association football departments ceased to exist.
  2. ↑ Ribe BK&GF changed their name to Ribe BK in October 1993 due to Nørremarkens BK being merged into the club.
  3. ↑ The women's football department at Odense BK was detached from the club at the end of the 2015–16 season. In March 2016, the women's elite department, OB Kvinde Elite, was refounded as a separate association football club named Odense Q, assuming the league license of Odense BK beginning from the 2016–17 season. Odense Sport & Event bought Odense Q in June 2023. From the 2023/24 season, the team was integrated in the OS&E setup under the name Odense Boldklub Q.
  4. ↑ In mid-1996, Kolding BK's women's department was closed following a merger with Kolding IF. In 2000, Kolding BK once again fielded a senior 11-a-side, under the banner of Kolding IF. In the summer of 2006, Kolding BK took over the administration of Kolding IF's senior women's team, which continued to play under the Kolding BK banner. The then youth superstructure, known as KoldingQ, embraced Kolding BK's first senior women's team in August 2009, while the senior reserve teams continued playing under the Kolding BK banner. In July 2019, KoldingQ became a separate entity encompassing teams for seniors, under-18 and under-16. In September 2021, it was revealed that KoldingQ would merge and become part of Kolding IF, which occurred at the end of October 2021 – the first match under the Kolding IF Women banner was played on 1 November 2021.

Related Research Articles

Elitedivisionen 2015-16 was the 44th edition of Denmark women's football premier league. It is controlled by the DBU. It ran from 8 August 2015 to 18 June 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Odense Boldklub Q</span> Danish womens association football team in Odense, Denmark

Odense Q is a Danish women's football team from Odense, playing in Kvinde-DM Liga, the professional top-flight league for women's football in Denmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Funen Series</span> Football league

Funen Series for men, also known as Albani Series for men for sponsorship reasons, and often shortened to FS serien and FS Herre, is the highest division for men organised by the regional football association DBU Fyn (DBUF) and one of the fifth-highest divisions overall in the Danish football league system. The league, deciding the Funen Football Championship, was first introduced with the 1904–05 season and throughout the years the competition format have gone through several series of changes. At the time of the league's introduction, it was placed at the top of the Danish football league system featuring the best regional amateur teams of Funen, but has since been moved to its current status as the fifth best level in Danish football, after a short period as the sixth best level, now featuring lower ranking amateur teams including the reserve squads of clubs playing at the Danish third league tier or above.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DBU Funen</span>

DBU Funen is the local governing body for association football and futsal on Funen and the surrounding isles, Denmark. They are responsible for the governance and development of men's and women's football at all levels in the region. DBU Funen is a member of the Union of Local Football Associations in Denmark (FLU) under the Danish Football Association (DBU) and National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark (DIF). The headquarters is located in the western part of Odense. Clubs situated on Funen and surrounding areas, covering the postal codes between 5000 and 5999 can be accepted as members of DBU Funen. In 2017 the football association consisted of 158 clubs and 28,993 members with Dalum IF being the largest club membership-wise. Founded on 10 July 1904, it is the fourth oldest regional football association under the Danish FA and kept its original name, Fyns Boldspil-Union (FBU), until 1 February 2011, where it was changed to its current name, DBU Fyn.

Kolding IF Women is a women's football club from Kolding, Denmark, playing in Elitedivisionen, the premier Danish women's football league. The club is currently playing in the Danish top division, the Elitedivisionen, and they play their home matches at the Kolding Stadium. The team was previously named KoldingQ.

The 2019–20 Elitedivisionen also known as Gjensidige Kvindeligaen is the 48th season of the highest women's football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 8 teams each year in Denmark. Brøndby IF are the defending champions and FC Nordsjælland made their debut in the league.

The Danish football league system, also known as the football league pyramid, refers to the hierarchically interconnected league structure for association football in Denmark, in which all divisions are bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation. Within men's association football, the top two professional levels contain one division each. Below this, the semi-professional and amateur levels have progressively more parallel divisions, which each cover progressively smaller geographic areas. The top four tiers are classed as nationwide, while the fifth tier and below are classed provincial leagues. Teams that finish at the top of their division at the end of each season can rise higher in the pyramid, while those that finish at the bottom find themselves sinking further down. In theory it is possible for even the lowest local amateur club to rise to the top of the system and become Danish football champions one day. The number of teams promoted and relegated between the divisions varies, and promotion to the upper levels of the pyramid is usually contingent on meeting additional criteria, especially concerning appropriate facilities and finances.

Lene Christensen is a Danish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Rosenborg in the Toppserien and the Danish national team.

Katrine Svane is a Danish football player who plays as a goalkeeper for AGF in Denmark top-division Elitedivisionen and for the Denmark national team.

AGF Fodbold Women; commonly known as AGF, is a Danish women's football based in Aarhus, Jutland, who plays in the Danish top-division Elitedivisionen.

The 1964 Danish 3rd Division was the twenty-third season of the Danish third-tier association football division since its establishment in 1936 as part of the Danmarksturneringen's nation-wide league structure. Governed by the Danish FA, the season was launched on 26 March 1964 with two fixtures and concluded with the last four matches on 15 November 1964. Skovshoved IF and Hellerup IK entered as relegated teams from last season's second division, while Svendborg fB and Nakskov BK entered as promoted teams from the 1963 Kvalifikationsturneringen. The twelve teams in the division entered the 1964–65 Danish Cup in the cup tournament's first round proper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kvindedivisionsforeningen</span> Danish womens association football organization

Kvindedivisionsforeningen, shortened to KDF, is a trade, special interest and employers' organisation for women's professional association football in Denmark and the elite clubs that partake in the Women's League, Women's 1st Division, Women's 2nd Division and Women's Under-18 Tournament, representing their interests, primarily towards the Danish Football Association (DBU), the Danish Football Players' Association (SF) and the local municipalities. The association's secretariat is located at the offices of the Danish FA at Fodboldens Hus, DBU Allé 1 in Brøndby. While the national FA is the organiser of the women's nation-wide league and cup tournaments, the women's organisation has a say in their marketing, guidelines, structure and development. They have previously organised an unofficial football tournament, called Grand Prix turneringen.

The 2021–22 Danish Women's League, also known as Gjensidige Kvindeligaen, is the 50th season of the highest women's football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 8 teams each year in Denmark. HB Køge are the defending champions, as they took their first title in May 2021.

The Danish Women's 2nd Division is a semi-professional association football league for women and the third division in Denmark. It is organized by the Danish Football Association (DBU) as part of the nation-wide Danmarksturneringen i kvindefodbold (Kvinde-DM) and is positioned between the second-tier Kvinde 1. division and the fourth-tier Kvindeserien in the Danish football league system. All of the 2nd Division clubs qualify for the proper rounds of the DBU KvindePokalen. Contested by 14 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between the Kvinde 1. division and the Kvindeserien. At the conclusion of the regular fall season, the two group winners and four clubs from the second division qualify to the promotion play-offs in the spring season for four spots in the next season's second division, while four teams are relegated following the relegation play-offs. At the conclusion of the relegation play-offs, the winners of each group participate in a final to determine the winner of the 2nd Division. The highest level for reserve squads is the third tier.

The 2021–22 Danish Women's 2nd Division was the first season of the new Danish nation-wide third-tier association football division since its establishment in November 2020 as part of the revised Danmarksturneringen i kvindefodbold's nation-wide league structure. Governed by the Danish FA, the season was launched on 14 August 2021 with two fixtures in the preliminary round and concluded with the last five matches on 13 November 2021. Østerbro IF, Solrød FC, Ballerup-Skovlunde Fodbold, Fredensborg BK&IF, FC Damsø, JAI Fodbold, IF Lyseng, Aarhus 1900, IK Aalborg Freja and Fortuna Hjørring (II) entered as relegated teams from last season's second division, while Allerød FK, BK Fremad Amager, KoldingQ and Vejle BK entered as promoted teams from the last season's third-tier. The eleven first teams, excluding the reserve teams, in the division entered the 2021–22 Danish Women's Cup in the cup tournament's first round proper. The fixtures for the 2021–22 season were announced by the Danish FA's tournament committee and featured a twenty weeks long winter break.

The 2021–22 Danish Women's 1st Division was the thirteenth season of the Danish nation-wide second-tier association football division since its establishment in 1992 as part of the Danmarksturneringen i kvindefodbold's nation-wide league structure. The two or multiple group format of the second division was abolished and a single division format was reintroduced for the first time since the 2012–13 season and with fewer clubs partaking. Governed by the Danish FA, the season was launched on 7 August 2021 with two fixtures in the preliminary round and concluded with the last four matches on 20 November 2021. All eight teams in the league took part in the previous season with four teams, Odense Q, B.93, IF ASA and Sundby BK, proceeding to the Qualification League without gaining promotion to the first division. The clubs in the division entered the 2021–22 Danish Women's Cup in the cup tournament's first round proper. The fixtures for the 2021–22 season were announced by the Danish FA's tournament committee and featured a twenty weeks long winter break.

Laura Frederikke Worsøe Nielsen is a Danish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Kolding IF in the Danish Women's League and the Denmark national team.

References

  1. ↑ Muminovic, Arnela (29 May 2020). "Kvindernes bedste fodboldrække lander ny tv-aftale: Kampe vises på Eurosport" (in Danish). DR.dk. Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  2. ↑ "Stor 3-årig TV-aftale for Gjensidige Kvindeliga" (in Danish). Kvindedivisionsforeningen. 3 March 2021. Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "Propositioner for Danmarksturneringen i kvindefodbold (Kvinde-DM) (2020–21)". www.dbu.dk (in Danish). Dansk Boldspil-Union (DBU). June 2021. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  4. ↑ "DBUs Klublicenssystem : Licensmanual for Kvindeligaen 2021/2022" (PDF). www.dbu.dk (in Danish). Danish Football Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  5. ↑ Pedersen, Christine Møller (6 February 2016). "Kvindeligaen: DBU ændrer slutspillet i den bedste række" (in Danish). DR.dk. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022. Udover ændringen af slutspillet skifter den bedste danske liga, Elitedivisionen, nu navn til Kvindeligaen.
  6. ↑ "Ny turneringsstruktur for pige- og kvindefodbold" (in Danish). Dansk Boldspil-Union (DBU). 4 February 2016. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022. Fakta: Ændringerne i strukturen for kvinde- og pigehold,- hvis ikke andet nævnt, gældende fra sæson 16/17. 3F-ligaen: Formel ændring af navnet "Elitedivision" til "Kvindeliga"
  7. ↑ Import (30 June 2005). "Elitedivisionen bliver til 3F Ligaen" (in Danish). Tipsbladet.dk. Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  8. ↑ Sønnichsen, Thomas; Ipsen, Christian (30 July 2019). "Den danske kvindeliga indgår historisk aftale med ny sponsor" (in Danish). TV2 Sport. Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  9. ↑ "'Setting the Pace' FIFA Benchmarking Report (3rd Edition)". FIFA. 2023-08-18. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  10. ↑ Frigaard, Anders Melchior (8 May 2020). "Kvindeligaen kan måske genoptages: Afventer svar fra regeringen" (in Danish). DR / www.dr.dk. Archived from the original on 30 May 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  11. ↑ Tejwani, Karan (2022-05-10). "Analysing The Rise of Women's Football in Denmark". Breaking The Lines. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  12. ↑ Bernd Timmermann (4 January 2006). "Denmark (Women) 1999". RSSSF . Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  13. ↑ "Gjensidige Kvindeligaen". www.dbu.dk (in Danish). Dansk Boldspil-Union (DBU). 2021. Archived from the original on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.