Umeå supply Swedish success

With the second qualifying round of the UEFA Women's Cup starting next month, uefa.com is taking a detailed look at each of the 16 clubs seeking to progress to the quarter-finals and beyond. Today the first of the Group B contenders, and one of two teams to have won the competition twice, 2006/07 runners-up Umeå IK.

The roots of the Umeå success story lie in the old sports organisation Tegs Idrottsklubb. Founded in 1917 by the 17-year-old Helge 'Pippi' Boström, the club's primary sports were athletics, cross-country skiing, football and bandy, although cycling, swimming, gymnastics and boxing had been added to their specialities by 1924.

New home
Most of these activities took place at the sports stadium of the local military regiment. However, that was to change with the inauguration in 1925 of the Gammliavallen, which remains the home of Umeå's famous women's football team to this day. Financial problems were a recurring theme in the club's early years. An exhibition game against Hungarian side Szeged FC eased debts in 1936, while the wrestling section's hosting of 'Dancefestivities in Baggböle' every weekend from 1958 also provided a vital financial boost.

Changing priorities
Football was only a small part of the club in the beginning, but as time wore on the organisation underwent a number of changes. In 1960 the athletics section was discontinued, as all the athletes joined rival sports association IFK Umeå. In 1963 the bandy division also closed. Men's football would be Umeå's primary concern in the following years, but the start of a collaboration with nearby Mariehems SK in 1992 marked the end of the men's football set-up and turned the focus back on to the women's team, who played their first season in the Swedish top flight in 1996.

Growing prowess
Umeå were relegated after that first term, but bounced back immediately to kick-start a period of unprecedented success. They won their first Swedish title in 2000 and secured a league and cup double in the next campaign. They made it a hat-trick of championships in 2002 and participated in the inaugural UEFA Women's Cup, losing the final to 1. FFC Frankfurt.

European champions
Although they had to settle for second place in 2003 behind Djurgården/Älvsjö despite losing just one game all season, they eliminated Frankfurt from the Women's Cup before defeating Fortuna Hjørring of Denmark 7-1 in the final to become the champions of Europe. The following year they repeated the trick, again as domestic runners-up, lifting the Women's Cup with a sensational 8-0 aggregate triumph against Frankfurt.

Run ends
Their European run was brought to an end by arch-rivals Djurgården/Älvsjö the subsequent term, with a 3-1 quarter-final reverse over two legs. That meant an absence from the Women's Cup but they reclaimed the Swedish crown in 2005, winning 21 and drawing the other of their 22 games. They had an identical record in the 2006 Damallsvenskan, finishing 21 points ahead of Djurgården/Älvsjö, but although they reached a record fourth UEFA Women's Cup final they lost 1-0 on aggregate to Arsenal LFC after conceding late in a windy home first leg. Still, they look on course to again claim the league title and with players including Hanna Ljungberg and Marta, they boast a stellar lineup and their games are regularly televised.