AIK - HOME SHIRT 2004
Allmänna Idrottsklubben, known to everyone simply as AIK, were founded in Stockholm in 1891 by Isidor Behrens, the club's full name translating as "The General Sports Club" to reflect its open-to-all founding spirit. Nicknamed Gnaget (roughly "the Gnawing"), the black-and-yellow side played their home football at the Råsunda Stadium in Solna, the grand old ground that had staged the 1958 World Cup final between Sweden and Brazil. Their fiercest rivalry is the tvillingderbyt, the twin derby, with Djurgården, a club founded in the very same year.
The 2004 Allsvenskan season, during which this classic home shirt was worn, was an annus horribilis for AIK. Englishman Richard Money resigned after just three games and was replaced by Patrick Englund, a hero of the club's 1990s side but a man with no managerial experience whatsoever. Battling a long injury list and a badly underperforming squad, AIK finished 13th of 14, winning only five of their 26 matches and collecting 25 points, and were relegated from the Swedish top flight for the fourth time in their history.
The drama of the run-in is what supporters remember most. After a pitch invasion during the derby against Hammarby, AIK were ordered to play their final home game against Örgryte behind closed doors. In front of empty stands they lost 3-0, a result that confirmed their relegation, with the newspaper Sportbladet describing the eerie atmosphere at the deserted Råsunda as the "Valley of the Shadow of Death".
If 2004 was misery, the response was emphatic. Rikard Norling took charge, and after a shaky start the reshaped side went on a 15-game unbeaten run to win promotion at the first attempt, sealing their return with three games to spare. For a club of AIK's stature the drop had been a genuine shock, but the immediate bounce back restored the pride of one of Stockholm's grand old institutions.
Follow the club on X: @AIKfotboll
