1925–1961: Beginnings Hvidovre Idrætsforening was formed in 1925. Initially, the team started by playing private matches against neighbouring towns, including military teams from
Avedørelejren. Hvidovre was not affiliated with any
governing body, but in order to generate more interest in the matches, they organised private cup tournaments. In 1933, notable figures Johannes Nielsen and Otto Larsen recognised the abundant talent within the player roster of Hvidovre, which led them to exert additional efforts to secure the club's affiliation with the
Kjøbenhavns Boldspil-Union (KBU). Their endeavours proved successful, and starting from 1934, Hvidovre became a part of the B-Division, the second tier of the regional association. In 1941, Hvidovre sought to enhance their team by bringing in qualified coach
Niels Hansen from the Frem youth academy, who emphasised technical skills and ball control during training sessions. They experienced notable achievements, such as winning the A-Division and
Copenhagen Series, but they were not able to secure a place in Danmarksturneringen immediately. Finally, in 1949, after some years of continuous effort, Hvidovre managed to secure their place in the prestigious nationwide Danmarksturneringen. The club gained national recognition by winning DBU's first taentturnering, and players like
Leif Sørensen showcased their potential. The club then played its first European club tournament match on 9 November 1966, in the
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, a 5–1 away loss to
Eintracht Frankfurt. In
1967, Hvidovre surprisingly eliminated
Swiss champions,
Basel from the
European Cup with an aggregate score of 5–4. In the following round, they sensationally managed to draw Spanish powerhouse
Real Madrid 2–2 in front of 40,663 spectators at
Københavns Idrætspark. However, Hvidovre were helpless in the return match. In front of 90,000 spectators at
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in
Madrid,
Los Blancos won 4–1. Nevertheless, after both Aabech and their coach,
Arne Sørensen, departed from the club, Hvidovre were relegated from the first division the following year. In 1979, Hvidovre made a comeback to the top league, with
John Sinding taking charge as the coach. Undoubtedly, the most significant match for the club during this pariod was the encounter with
Serie A club
Juventus in the
1982–83 European Cup. In the first leg on Danish turf, Hvidovre suffered a 4–1 defeat at Københavns Idrætspark in front of an audience of over 30,000 spectators. However, in the subsequent match at
Stadio Comunale in
Turin, they surprisingly managed to salvage a 3–3 draw despite being down 3–1 initially. At that point in time, Juventus boasted several players who had won the World Cup with Italy the previous summer:
Dino Zoff,
Claudio Gentile,
Antonio Cabrini,
Gaetano Scirea,
Marco Tardelli, and
Paolo Rossi. Furthermore, Juventus also featured
Zbigniew Boniek from Poland and
Michel Platini from France on their squad, both of whom had played pivotal roles in the
1982 World Cup. Hvidovre's standout player during this period was their striker,
Michael Manniche, who was eventually transferred to Portuguese club
Benfica in 1983. In 1984, Hvidovre succeeded in acquiring talented young goalkeeper,
Peter Schmeichel, from
Gladsaxe-Hero Boldklub. He would later go on to be regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, mainly known for his successful spell at
Premier League club
Manchester United. Hvidovre competed a total of 17 seasons in the
Danish top division from 1965 to 1985, winning three
Danish championships and one
Danish Cup title during this period. Despite being relegated from the first division in 1985, they managed to bounce back the following year with Peter Schmeichel on the team. However, Schmeichel later moved to
Brøndby after the promotion, and Hvidovre was relegated once again in 1987.
1988–present: Ups and downs ,
Copenhagen in 2022. Thereafter, the club experienced a considerable downturn, resulting in their first-ever relegation to the fourth-tier
Denmark Series in 1990. However, with Jan Kalborg as the head coach, the club made a comeback to the newly established top-tier, the
Danish Superliga, for a solitary season in
1996–97. From 1997 to 2003, Hvidovre played in the second-tier league, the
Danish 1st Division, and during the period from 2000 to 2002, Peter Schmeichel invested in the club. Nevertheless, when the former national team goalkeeper withdrew his support from the project, the financial foundation for top-tier football crumbled, leading Hvidovre to experience another relegation to the Denmark Series in 2004. In 2007, Hvidovre returned to the Danish 1st Division after a 1–1 draw against
FC Fyn. At the end of the
2022–23 season, Hvidovre secured promotion to the Danish Superliga after
Sønderjyske drew 3–3 against
Næstved Boldklub. Their promotion meant a return to the first tier for the first time since 1997. Hvidovre's return to the Superliga for the
2023–24 season proved difficult. By late October, they were at the bottom of the league with just three points from 13 games, tying a negative Superliga record. They also set a new low for the fewest goals scored after 13 games, with only five goals. Head coach
Per Frandsen remarked, "The only positive is that we might be in
Trivial Pursuit." The team's poor form continued, and their relegation back to the 1st Division was confirmed on 12 May 2024, following a 2–2 draw against
Randers. ==Players==