Esbjerg forenede Boldklubber, commonly known as Esbjerg or EfB, was established in 1924, after two previously existing clubs from the city, Esbjerg Boldklub and Esbjerg Amatørklub, merged together. Over the years, Esbjerg have been one of Denmark's most successful teams and have spent most of their history in the top flight. The club also owns a major professional ice hockey team in the country.
The team's golden era spanned the 1960s, under the management of both Rudi Strittich and Arne Sørensen. Over the course of the first half of the decade, Esbjerg won their first Danish league title in 1961 and then went on to dominate the next few years, adding further titles in 1962, 1963 and 1965. In 1964, despite not winning the championship, the club lifted the Danish Cup for the first time, beating Odense KFUM in the final of the competition. In 1968, they finished as league runners up, but would have to wait over ten years for their next league victory.
That fifth league success came about in 1979, as Esbjerg finished six points ahead of their nearest challengers, Kjøbenhavns Boldklub. In total, the team have lifted the Danish Cup three times, with their most recent success in the competition coming in 2013, when they beat Randers FC 1-0 in the final.
Jens Petersen, Ole Kjær and Jens Jørn Bertelsen are amongst the most notable footballers to have played for the team and all three players won Danish Player of the Year awards while representing the club. Other well-known former Esbjerg players include Danish internationals Carl Bertelsen, Jens Jørgen Hansen, Jan Kristiansen and Martin Vingaard.
Esbjerg play their home matches at Blue Water Arena, formerly known as Esbjerg Stadion. The stadium opened in 1955 but has undergone renovations on multiple occasions since 1999. It is currently able to hold 18,000 supporters in total, with 11,451 seated places.
