{{Short description|Danish football club}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox football club | nickname = ''De orange ræve''<br>(The Orange Foxes) | ground = Lyseng Idrætscenter, Højbjerg, Aarhus Municipality, Denmark | capacity = | clubname = IF Lyseng | image = Lyseng logo.png | image_size = 130px | fullname = Idrætsforeningen Lyseng Fodbold | founded = {{Start date and years ago|df=y|1970|6|18}} | owner = | chairman = Tom Helligsøe | manager = Jesper Højlund | mgrtitle = Head coach | league = Danish 3rd Division | season = 2024–25 | position = Danish 3rd Division, 8th of 12 | website = {{URL|https://www.lyseng.dk/}} | pattern_b1 = | pattern_la1 = | pattern_ra1 = | pattern_sh1 = | pattern_so1 = | leftarm1 = 000000 | body1 = FFA500 | rightarm1 = 000000 | shorts1 = 000000 | socks1 = 000000 | pattern_b2 = | pattern_la2 = | pattern_ra2 = | pattern_sh2 = | pattern_so2 = | leftarm2 = 000000 | body2 = 000000 | rightarm2 = 000000 | shorts2 = 000000 | socks2 = 000000 }} '''Idrætsforeningen Lyseng Fodbold''' ({{IPA|da|ˈlyseŋˀ}}), commonly known as '''IF Lyseng''', is an association football club based in the suburb of Højbjerg, Aarhus Municipality, Denmark, that competes in the Danish 3rd Division, the fourth tier of the Danish football league system. The club's name comes from its home ground, which is located on the former land of Lysenggård, a farm in Højbjerg. The football department is the most notable one of Idrætsforeningen Lyseng, a major multi-sport club who compete in football, handball, volleyball, swimming and beach volleyball, among others.
Founded in 1970 as a merger of Skåde Boldklub and Kragelund Idrætsforening, the club is known for their iconic orange team colour, which was initially chosen as a compromise, as its parents clubs wore red and green, respectively. IF Lyseng is affiliated to DBU Jutland, the regional football association. The team plays its home matches at Lyseng Idrætscenter, where it has been based since 1975. The club spent most of its history in the lower regional tiers of Danish football, but reached promotion to the Danish 2nd Division, the third tier, for the first time in its history ahead of the 2017–18 season.
IF Lyseng has 1,200 paying members, making it one of the largest sports clubs in Jutland and Denmark as a whole.
== History == === Beginnings and merger === The roots of IF Lyseng go back to 1922. In Skåde, on the lands of estate owner Valdemar Rasmussen, a group of pupils attending Skåde Skole began playing association football after school. At first, this was mostly random kicking to a leather laced ball but soon an organised club was established, ''"Skåde Boldklub"'',<ref name="LysengFodboldHistorie">{{cite web |last1=Rasmussen |first1=Aksel |title=IF Lyseng Fodbold´s historie |url=https://www.lyseng.dk/klub/historie/if-lyseng-fodbold-s-historie/ |website=lyseng.dk |publisher=IF Lyseng |accessdate=20 May 2020 |archive-date=21 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221041021/http://www.lyseng.dk/klub/historie/if-lyseng-fodbold-s-historie/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> and a board was elected. Later, the team was allowed to use the pitch at Skåde Skole, popularly called the "hen house" (or "Hønsehuset" in Danish). Football quickly grew in popularity, and youths formerly of the athletics department began playing football instead.<ref name="LysengFodboldHistorie" /> In 1936, an association football pitch with a clubhouse (today the Marselisborg Hockey Club) was constructed next to Hotel Kragelund. The board of Skåde Boldklub immediately applied for a relocation to this ground, which was accepted under the conditions that a name change occurred, and Skåde Boldklub therefore changed its name to ''Kragelund Idrætsforening'' (Kragelund IF).<ref name="LysengFodboldHistorie" /> For two decades, the small Kragelund Stadium, surrounded by tall trees, was the setting the activities of Kragelund IF, until the parish of Holme-Tranbjerg bought six acres of land from Lysenggård Farm in 1955, on which two association football pitches and two handball courts were constructed on the exact area where Lyseng Idrætscenter is located today. At the same time, a new clubhouse was erected in the area; a wooden house which had previously functioned as a restaurant during the summers at Moesgård Beach.<ref name="LysengFodboldHistorie" />
In Holme, however, a club had also formed. At "the meadow" (or "Engen" in Danish), by Holme Skole, students had been playing football for decades, and a sports club was finally founded on 1 April 1953 named ''Holme Idrætsforening'' (Holme IF). Holme IF and Kragelund IF quickly became local rivals.<ref name="LysengFodboldHistorie" />
Following the Municipal Reform of 1970, many changes were implemented for sports in the area. At the executive level, the two clubs held multiple meetings on the subject of merging. These discussions resulted in a decision to merge, which was decided at a general executive meeting on 18 June 1970. Thus, Holme's red uniforms and Kragelund's green uniforms were, after having reached a compromise, replaced with an iconic orange colour. Then, the old "dance restaurant" at Moesgård Beach was transformed into Lyseng Idrætspark, where the club had its first home ground.<ref name="LysengFodboldHistorie" /> In the mid-1970s, there were talks about the clubhouse not being to date, and negotiations were initiated with the municipality on the construction of a new clubhouse. However, a fire in 1978 caused the clubhouse to burn down. Therefore, negotiations on building a new clubhouse were moved forward, and in the intervening period, outdoor locker room facilities at Lyseng Swimming Pool were used as an emergency solution.<ref name="LysengFodboldHistorie" />
In 1980, IF Lyseng initiated its new clubhouse, one of the most modern in Aarhus at the time.<ref name="LysengFodboldHistorie" />
=== Recent years === IF Lyseng spent most of its history in the lower regional tiers of Danish football, but surprisingly reached promotion to the Danish 2nd Division, the third tier, for the first time in its history ahead of the 2017–18 season.<ref name="oprykningstiften">{{cite web |last1=Høllsberg Markussen |first1=Maria |title=IF Lyseng skriver klubhistorie: Rykker op i 2. division |url=https://stiften.dk/artikel/if-lyseng-skriver-klubhistorie-rykker-op-i-2-division |website=stiften.dk |publisher=Århus Stiftstidende |accessdate=20 May 2020 |date=23 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Blond |first1=Mikael |title=Stor Aarhus-klub i 2. division for første gang |url=https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/stor-aarhus-klub-i-2-division-for-foerste-gang/ |website=bold.dk |publisher=bold.dk |accessdate=20 May 2020 |date=23 May 2017}}</ref> This feat was achieved under head coach Mick Andresen, who had coached the first team since 2011, where Lyseng was placed in the bottom of the Jutland Series, the fifth tier of Danish football.<ref name="stiften100518" /> Before his tenure as a manager, he had a short career as a footballer for AGF, the major club in the city.<ref name="oprykningstiften" />
The club made its first appearance in the third tier on 6 August 2017 in the home opener against Jammerbugt FC, which ended in a 1–2 loss.<ref name="bold060817">{{cite web |last1=Nøhr |first1=Mikkel |title=Jammerbugt fra land med sejr over Lyseng |url=https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/jammerbugt-fra-land-med-sejr-over-lyseng/ |website=bold.dk |publisher=bold.dk |accessdate=20 May 2020 |date=6 August 2017}}</ref> Issa Kharoub scored Lyseng's first goal ever in the division, a penalty kick in the 61st minute.<ref name="bold060817" /> The following week, however, the club achieved its first victory with a win in the local matchup against VSK Aarhus, bringing three points home to Højbjerg after a 1–2 win at Vejlby Stadion.<ref name="bold150817">{{cite web |last1=Nøhr |first1=Mikkel |title=Lyseng slog VSK Aarhus i lokalopgør |url=https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/lyseng-slog-vsk-aarhus-i-lokalopgoer/ |website=bold.dk |publisher=bold.dk |accessdate=20 May 2020 |date=15 August 2017}}</ref> In the autumn, Lyseng finished 7th out of 8 in Group 3, with only Odder IGF having a worse record – partly due to Odder being deducted six points for paying salaries to amateur players.<ref name="bold041117">{{cite web |last1=Nøhr |first1=Mikkel |title=2. Division: Overblikket over slutspil |url=https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/2-division-overblikket-over-slutspil_3/ |website=bold.dk |publisher=bold.dk |accessdate=20 May 2020 |date=4 November 2017}}</ref><ref name="bold300317">{{cite web |last1=Margren |first1=Sara |title=Odder fratrækkes 12 point |url=https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/odder-fratraekkes-12-point/ |website=bold.dk |publisher=bold.dk |accessdate=20 May 2020 |date=30 March 2017}}</ref> Therefore, the club competed in the relegation group during the spring of 2018,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Halkier Sørensen |first1=Emil |title=Trods nedrykningsspil peger pilen opad for Lyseng |url=https://stiften.dk/artikel/trods-nedrykningsspil-peger-pilen-opad-for-lyseng |website=stiften.dk |publisher=Århus Stiftstidende |accessdate=20 May 2020 |date=4 November 2017}}</ref> where they did not win a single game and thus suffered relegation to the Denmark Series after only one season at the third level.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Føns Foldager |first1=Emil |title=2. division: VSK kæmper på kanten |url=https://stiften.dk/artikel/2-division-vsk-k%C3%A6mper-p%C3%A5-kanten |website=stiften.dk |publisher=Århus Stiftstidende |accessdate=20 May 2020 |date=12 May 2018}}</ref>
Before relegation became a fact, head coach Andresen had agreed to step down from the position.<ref name="stiften100518">{{cite web |last1=Føns Foldager |first1=Emil |title=Lyseng træner om skidt forår: Ville gerne aflevere holdet i 2.division |url=https://stiften.dk/artikel/lyseng-tr%C3%A6ner-om-skidt-for%C3%A5r-ville-gerne-aflevere-holdet-i-2-division |website=stiften.dk |publisher=Århus Stiftstidende |accessdate=20 May 2020 |date=10 May 2018}}</ref> John Andersen was appointed as his replacement on 21 May 2018, with Johnny Jungquist becoming his assistant.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bentholm |first1=Anders |title=IF Lyseng har ansat ny chef-træner og assistent-træner til klubbens 1.hold |url=https://www.lyseng.dk/senior/danmarksserie-h/danmarksserie-h/if-lyseng-har-ansat-ny-chef-traener-og-assistent-traener-til-klubbens-1-hold/ |website=lyseng.dk |publisher=IF Lyseng |accessdate=20 May 2020 |date=21 May 2018 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == *[https://www.lyseng.dk/ Official website] {{in lang|da}} *[https://www.dbu.dk/resultater/klub/586/klubinfo IF Lyseng] – clubfacts at the Danish Football Association's database. {{in lang|da}}
{{Danish 3rd Division}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyseng Fodbold}} Category:IF Lyseng Fodbold Category:Association football clubs established in 1970 Category:Football clubs in Denmark Category:1970 establishments in Denmark Category:Sport in Aarhus