page_title: VSK Aarhus
section_title: Finding foothold in the third tier (2016–present)
hierarchical_section_title: VSK Aarhus / History / Finding foothold in the third tier (2016–present)
caption_attribution_description: Dansk: Vejlby/Risskov Centret
context_page_description: Vejlby Skovbakken Aarhus is a Danish football club based in Risskov, a neighbourhood in Aarhus. The club was founded in 2016 when the football departments of Vejlby IK Fodbold and Idrætsklubben Skovbakken decided to merge. Skovbakken is a major multi-sport club who besides football also compete in basketball, handball, badminton, tennis, and volleyball, with many honours won in these departments.
  The men's team of VSK competes in the Danish 2nd Division, the third tier of the Danish football league system, while the women's team play in the Elitedivisionen, the highest division. Both teams' home ground is Vejlby Stadium which has a capacity of 5,000.
context_section_description: Building upon the license of IK Skovbakken, VSK Aarhus would in their debut season compete in the 2016–17 Danish 2nd Divisions (third highest division). They were placed in Group 3, which counted eight teams from Jutland, of which three, including VSK, were from the greater Aarhus area. Poul Lyse and Michele Demontis, who had worked as assistants under former head coaches Jakob Michelsen and Ole Brandenborg, had taken over as head coaching team in 2011, and would continue in this position for VSK in the new season. Lyse and Demontis had formerly been awarded 2014 Coaches of the Year in the Danish 2nd Division, and had achieved good results for Skovbakken during their tenure in view of the club's non-professional status. During the summer of 2016, the first team had lost eight players to other clubs, and would rely heavily on promoted youth team players for the season. The first official game in competition for VSK was a Danish 2nd Division away match against Brabrand IF on 5 August 2016 at Brabrand Stadion in front of 248 spectatators; a match which ended in a 3–0 loss to VSK. Four days later, on 9 August, the club faced local rivals Aarhus Fremad in the Danish Cup away at Riisvangen Stadion, where VSK parent club IK Skovbakken had its home ground between 1939 and 1969. In front of 321 spectators, midfielder Oscar Scott Carl scored VSK's first goal in competition in the 61st minute to tie the game 1–1 after Mathias Valentin had scored the opening goal for Aarhus Fremad. The teams stayed level at 1–1 and the match went to a penalty shoot-out, which VSK won 5–4 to advance to the second round. On the following matchday in the league, on 13 August at home at Vejlby Stadium against Jammerbugt FC, Anders Kjeldgaard scored the first league goal for VSK to secure a 1–1 draw. At the halfway mark of the season, VSK had finished sixth out of the eight teams with 11 points after 14 matches, and would thus compete the spring season in the relegation group. The club managed to haul in 33 points in 22 matches during the spring, finishing in fifth place of the table, eight points clear of the relegation zone. In the cup, VSK had beat Kolding IF 4–3 at home on 30 August 2016 after knocking out Aarhus Fremad. In the third round, the club faced Danish Superliga club AaB home at Vejlby Stadium on 26 October. Despite a strong showing by the home team, the match ended in a 0–1 loss which ended VSK's first cup run.
  Prior to the 2017–18 season, head coaches Lyse and Demontis signed two-year contract extensions. The latter stated that he saw a realistic chance of the team playing for promotion during its second season. The first team squad had almost been kept intact throughout the summer transfer window, and had been strengthened by the acquisition of forward Shawn Rathcke Memory who had been signed from lower tier club FC Skanderborg. Once again placed in Group 3, their season kicked off on 5 August 2017 with a 1–1 away draw against FC Sydvest 05. Results worsened during the fall season and as a result of the disappointing start to the season, Lyse and Demontis were sacked as head coaches on 8 November 2017. Demontis would instead continue in the role as director of football as well as assistant coach for the first team. The head coaching change occurred after VSK had finished sixth in the table – seven points from the promotion group – and would therefore once again compete in the relegation group in the spring. In the cup, VSK had knocked out Linde Boldklub in the first round away at Langhøjskolen with a 12–0 win. In the second round, they faced local Danish Superliga team AGF on 29 August, a game that was televised, which VSK lost 1–4.  During the winter transfer window, the club lost several of their key players: team captain Henrik Brodersen left for Kolding IF, while forward Frederik Høgh and left back Jacob Torp moved to local rivals Aarhus Fremad. Demontis later criticised Torp and Høgh for their move, calling it "incomprehensible", as Fremad played at the same level, also competing in the relegation group. On 25 January 2018, the club
caption: Entrance to the Vejlby-Risskov sports complex, which holds Vejlby Stadium, the home ground of VSK Aarhus.
exif: {"Image ImageWidth": "5497", "Image ImageLength": "2091", "Image XResolution": "300", "Image YResolution": "300", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image DateTime": "2014:06:22 16:43:58", "Image Make": "Canon", "Image Model": "Canon EOS 5D Mark III", "Image Software": "PaintShop Pro 16,00", "Image Copyright": "Villy Fink Isaksen CC BY-SA 3.0", "Image InterColorProfile": "[]", "Image ExifOffset": "158", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "3886", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "3698", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "5497", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "2091", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2014:06:22 15:51:10", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2014:06:22 15:51:10", "EXIF SubSecTime": "929", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "00", "EXIF SubSecTimeDigitized": "00", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/2000", "EXIF FNumber": "22", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Program Normal", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "3200", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "11", "EXIF ApertureValue": "9", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "-1/3", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "3", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "24", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Manual", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard"}