Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna Eskilstuna, commonly known as IFK Eskilstuna, or, especially earlier, Eskilstuna-Kamraterna, is a Swedish football club located in Eskilstuna, Södermanland County. In their early seasons, IFK played in Allsvenskan, the top division of the Swedish football league, but now plays in Division 3, the fifth tier of Swedish football. IFK Eskilstuna are affiliated with the Södermanlands Fotbollförbund.
Background
IFK Eskilstuna was founded on 9 September 1897 as the 7th Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna. In the beginning, IFK Eskilstuna practiced athletics, especially running events, and had a ground in Djurgården in Eskilstuna. Speed skater Herman Söderbäck won the national championship titles in 500 metres in 1900 and 1906. IFK Eskilstuna severals sports in the first half of the 20th century, among them handball, ice hockey and cross-country skiing and orienteering.
The football team was started in 1901 and played in the 1910 Svenska Serien. The club maintains a long rivalry with Eskilstuna City FK. In 1910, IFK participated in the first Svenska Serien along with IFK Göteborg, Örgryte IS, AIK and IFK Norrköping. Their first championship final match took place in 1921, when IFK defeated IK Sleipner 2–1 at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium before 11,695 spectators. They competed in another championship final match in 1923, which resulted in a 5–1 loss to AIK.
IFK competed in the very first Allsvenskan season in 1924–25, and played a further 13 seasons in the Allsvenskan from 1924–25 to 1928–29, from 1930–31 to 1935–36, in 1942–43, in 1957–58, and in 1964. Their best season was in the 1931–32 Allsvenskan when they finished in fifth place. The marathon table of Allsvenskan teams shows IFK in 23rd position, their last season at the highest level being in 1964.
The club also played bandy and was playing in the then Swedish top-tier league Division 1 for two years in the 1930s.
IFK reached the Allsvenskan qualifying stage in 1981 after winning Division 2 Norra by pipping Örebro SK to the top position. However, IFK failed to win the play-offs against Kalmar FF to progress to the higher level. The 1987 season proved another near miss when IFK finished in second place, to second place in Division I Norra; Djurgarden. In 1988 history was repeated, this time IFK finished second to Örebro SK.
In 1992, IFK were relegated from Division 1 and subsequently have competed in the middle divisions of the Swedish football league system. The club currently plays in Division 3 Västra Svealand which is the fifth tier of Swedish football. They play their home matches at the Tunavallen in Eskilstuna.
In November 2024, Armin Suljic took over as head coach for the club after Kent Andersson and Sebastian Larsson, who had led the team to relegation from the 2024 Division 2.
The club has an active youth section. In 1970 and 1985, the junior team won the Swedish Junior Championship. Famous footballers who have played for IFK Eskilstuna include Kenneth Andersson and Sebastian Larsson.
Season results SeasonLevelDivisionSectionPositionMovements1923–24Tier 2Svenska Serien Östra Gruppen 3rd1924–25Tier 1 Allsvenskan 9th1925–26Tier 1 Allsvenskan 9th1926–27Tier 1 Allsvenskan 7th1927–28Tier 1 Allsvenskan 10th1928–29Tier 1 Allsvenskan 11thRelegated1929–30Tier 2Division 2 Norra 1stPromoted1930–31Tier 1 Allsvenskan 9th1931–32Tier 1 Allsvenskan 5th1932–33Tier 1 Allsvenskan 6th1933–34Tier 1 Allsvenskan 9th 1934–35Tier 1 Allsvenskan 10th1935–36Tier 1 Allsvenskan 12th Relegated1936–37Tier 2Division 2 Östra 6th1937–38Tier 2Division 2 Östra 8th1938–39Tier 2Division 2 Östra 2nd1939–40Tier 2Division 2 Östra 3rd 1940–41Tier 2Division 2 Östra 1stPromotion Playoffs1941–42Tier 2Division 2 Östra 1stPromotion Playoffs – Promoted1942–43Tier 1 Allsvenskan 12thRelegated1943–44Tier 2Division 2 Östra 1stPromotion Playoffs1944–45Tier 2Division 2 Östra 6th1945–46Tier 2Division 2 Östra 5th1946–47Tier 2Division 2 Östra 7thRelegated1947–48Tier 3Division 3Östra6th1948–49Tier 3Division 3Östra3rd1949–50Tier 3Division 3Östra7th1950–51Tier 3Division 3Östra3rd1951–52Tier 3Division 3Östra4th1952–53Tier 3Division 3Östra3rdPromoted1953–54Tier 2Division 2Svealand 3rd1954–55Tier 2Division 2Svealand 2nd1955–56Tier 2Division 2Svealand 5th1956–57Tier 2Division 2Svealand 1stPromotion Playoffs – Promoted1957–58Tier 1 Allsvenskan 11thRelegated1959Tier 2Division 2Svealand 3rd1960Tier 2Division 2Svealand 5th1961Tier 2Division 2Svealand 5th1962Tier 2Division 2Svealand 5th1963Tier 2Division 2Svealand 1stPromotion Playoffs – Promoted1964Tier 1 Allsvenskan 11th Relegated1965Tier 2Division 2Svealand 3rd1966Tier 2Division 2Svealand 3rd1967Tier 2Division 2Svealand 3rd1968Tier 2Division 2Svealand 4th1969Tier 2Division 2Svealand 3rd1970Tier 2Division 2Svealand 5th1971Tier 2Division 2Svealand 6th1972Tier 2Division 2Mellersta 3rd1973Tier 2Division 2Norra 8th1974Tier 2Division 2Norra 8th1975Tier 2Division 2Norra 3rd1976Tier 2Division 2Norra 8th1977Tier 2Division 2Norra 6th1978Tier 2Division 2Norra 4th1979Tier 2Division 2Norra 7th1980Tier 2Division 2Norra 7th1981Tier 2Division 2Norra 1stPromotion Playoffs1982Tier 2Division 2Norra 8th1983Tier 2Division 2Norra 11th1984Tier 2Division 2Norra 9th1985Tier 2Division 2Norra 5th1986Tier 2Division 2Norra 9th 1987Tier 2Division 1Norra 2nd1988Tier 2Division 1Norra 2nd1989Tier 2Division 1Norra 9th1990Tier 2Division 1Norra 12th1991Tier 2Division 1Östra 7thSpringTier 2Division 1Östra (Höst) 3rdAutumn1992Tier 2Division 1Östra 5thSpringTier 2Division 1Östra (Höst) 7th Relegated – Autumn1993Tier 3Division 2Västra Svealand7th1994Tier 3Division 2Västra Svealand5th1995Tier 3Division 2Västra Svealand7th1996Tier 3Division 2Västra Svealand3rd1997Tier 3Division 2Västra Svealand3rd1998Tier 3Division 2Västra Svealand7th1999Tier 3Division 2Västra Svealand10thRelegated2000Tier 4 Division 3 Västra Svealand3rd2001Tier 4 Division 3 Västra Svealand6th2002Tier 4 Division 3 Västra Svealand2ndPromotion Playoffs2003Tier 4 Division 3 Västra Svealand6th2004Tier 4 Division 3 Östra Svealand6th2005Tier 4 Division 3 Västra Svealand2nd Promoted2006*Tier 4 Division 2 Östra Svealand6th2007Tier 4 Division 2 Östra Svealand8th 2008Tier 4 Division 2 Södra Svealand12thRelegated2009Tier 5 Division 3 Södra Svealand7th2010Tier 5 Division 3 Västra Svealand4th2011Tier 5 Division 3 Södra Svealand2ndPromotion Playoffs2012Tier 5 Division 3 Södra Svealand4th 2013Tier 5 Division 3 Västra Svealand5th2014Tier 5 Division 3 Södra Svealand10thRelegated2015Tier 6 Division 4 Södermanland3rd 2016Tier 6 Division 4 Södermanland1st Promoted2017Tier 5 Division 3 Västra Svealand5th2018Tier 5 Division 3 Västra Svealand3rd2019Tier 5 Division 3 Södra Svealand1stPromoted2020Tier 4 Division 2 Södra Svealand * League restructuring in 2006 resulted in a new division being created at Tier 3 and subsequent divisions dropping a level.
Attendance statistics
In recent seasons IFK Eskilstuna have had the following average attendance statistics:
SeasonAverage attendanceDivision / SectionLevel2005484 Div 3 Västra Svealand Tier 42006693 Div 2 Östra Svealand Tier 42007533 Div 2 Östra Svealand Tier 42008372 Div 2 Södra Svealand Tier 42009172 Div 3 Södra Svealand Tier 52010236 Div 3 Västra Svealand Tier 52011708 Div 3 Södra Svealand Tier 52012329 Div 3 Södra Svealand Tier 52013? Div 3 Västra Svealand Tier 52014208 Div 3 Södra Svealand Tier 52015? Div 4 Södermanland Tier 62016222 Div 4 Södermanland Tier 62017196 Div 3 Västra Svealand Tier 52018228 Div 3 Västra Svealand Tier 52019? Div 3 Södra Svealand Tier 52019 Div 2 Södra Svealand Tier 4 * Attendance statistics are provided in the Publikliga sections of the Svenska Fotbollförbundet website.
The attendance record at Tunavallen was set in 1963 when 22,491 spectators attended the match with GAIS.
Achievements Swedish Champions Winners (1): 1921
League Division 1 Norra: Runners-up (2): 1987, 1988
Cups Svenska Mästerskapet: Winners (1): 1921 Runners-up (1): 1923
Footnotes A. The title of "Swedish Champions" has been awarded to the winner of four different competitions over the years. Between 1896 and 1925 the title was awarded to the winner of Svenska Mästerskapet, a stand-alone cup tournament. No club were given the title between 1926 and 1930 even though the first-tier league Allsvenskan was played. In 1931 the title was reinstated and awarded to the winner of Allsvenskan. Between 1982 and 1990 a play-off in cup format was held at the end of the league season to decide the champions. After the play-off format in 1991 and 1992 the title was decided by the winner of Mästerskapsserien, an additional league after the end of Allsvenskan. Since the 1993 season the title has once again been awarded to the winner of Allsvenskan.
Notes
External links IFK Eskilstuna – Official website IFK Eskilstuna – Football website