On the way there they knocked out Linfield FC (Northern Ireland) and Debreceni VSC (Hungary) in the qualification stage of the Champions League before eventually being eliminated themselves by the hands of Valencia CF (Spain) in the last round.

In the group stage IF Elfsborg faced AC Fiorentina and Villarreal away and AEK Athens and FK Mladá Boleslav at Borås Arena and was knocked out.

In the end, injuries to key players like Anders Svensson and Stefan Ishizaki proved to costly, eventually having to settle for second place behind Kalmar FF.

The following year, IF Elfsborg once again challenged for a place in European football, brushing aside Hungarian side Szombathelyi Haladás and Portuguese S.C. Braga before eventually falling in the last qualifying round against S.S. Lazio.

IF Elfsborg were big favourites for winning the 2009 but had a problem capitalizing on their high possession and serendipity and eventually ranking third behind AIK and rivals IFK Göteborg.

The following season expectations remained high, but a mediocre start (only nine points in the first 9 rounds), the IF Elfsborg 2010 campaign became an uphill struggle, and Helsingborgs IF and Malmö FF were uncatchable.

The team entered the Europa League second qualifying round in the seeded pot having no real difficulties eliminating Moldovan side FC Iskra-Stal (on an aggregate score of 3–1).

The team seemed in good shape to make a serious challenge for reaching the Europa League group stage even though they would be unseeded in the last qualifying round.

SSC Napoli was held to a 1–0 win away at Stadio San Paolo following a stellar effort by new Danish signing Jesper Christiansen, but the Italians proved too strong in the second leg where they cruised to a 2–0 victory, both goals scored by Uruguay international Edinson Cavani.

Sweden international Emir Bajrami making his way to FC Twente during the summer and top goalscorer Denni Avdic moving to Werder Bremen during the January transfer window.

Former hero Jon Jönsson was brought in from Brøndby IF during the summer to bolster the defense, goalkeeper Jesper Christiansen from FC København and right back Andreas Klarström from Esbjerg fB making a comeback to the club.

Brought in were: forward Lasse Nilsson from Vitesse Arnhem, central defender Andreas Augustsson from Randers FC and target man David Elm from Fulham F.C.

Young left winger Niklas Hult was the standout player during that half of the season, quickly establishing himself in the team and being touted by some members of the press as "the new Freddie Ljungberg".

When IFE harrowed in Division 1 South in the early 1990s, Olle Blomqvist CEO of Ellos went in with large sums of money and saved the association by becoming the major sponsor.

Prior to Swedish Athletics Championship 2013, the current six running tracks widened to eight, and both seat grandstand and the earthworks plan is stripped to make room.

The association was strengthened at all levels for a couple of years, not least organizationally and financially, with new sports director "Mr. Elfsborg" Stefan Andreasson, President-elect Bosse "Bank" Johansson and two billionaires as external funders.

The new highly skilled (and young) manager couple Magnus Haglund and Peter Wettergren, who was employed before the 2004 season, was also of course in the club's big bet.

The following year (2005) was also "Elfsborg Fortress", Borås Arena, completed while enlisted old heroes in the form of Anders and Mathias Svensson came back.

The geographical position between the cities makes it Elfsborgs only and closest derby also called "El Västico",[54] which also reflects the attendance figures since it is almost always sold out in these games.

[56] Elfsborgs advancement in European football began in 1961 after winning national championship the same year they qualified to the current UEFA Intertoto Cup.

The second match was against the classic Swiss team FC Basel, which began with a 1–2 loss at home but Elfsborg gathered forces and won in the returning game with 3–6 after a hat-trick by the fantastic player Henry Larsson.

[61] Also the following year 1967[62] played Elfsborg in the UEFA Intertoto Cup where they in the first group stage match met the germans Werder Bremen.

[63] The year after 1972[64] played Elfsborg in the UEFA Cup for the first time against the classic German champions Hertha Berlin in the first round, they lost with 3–1 at Olympic Stadium and with 1–4 at home.

[65] 1975[66] was Elfsborg worst year in European competition and the UEFA Intertoto Cup when they finished last in the group after you have met teams as Baník Ostrava, Celik Zenica and Vitoria Setúbal.

German VfL Bochum became more difficult when the loss in the first meeting with 2–1 and then changed with a win at home 1–0, this meant that Elfsborg ended up as number one in their group.

[73] 1983[74] Elfsborg would make their penultimate appearance in the UEFA Intertoto Cup, when they stood against the teams TJ Vitkovice, Trakia Plovdiv and Eintracht Braunschweig.

It was a bad adventure where they only won against German Eintracht Braunschweig with 1–0 at home and play a draw against Trakia Plovdiv, this meant that Elfsborg finished as last in their group.

The third round was against Spanish giants Valencia CF, where 50 000 spectators at the Mestalla Stadium saw Elfsborg lose with 3–0 after including goal by David Silva.

[93] In the final play-off round Elfsborg stood against classic S.S. Lazio where they in the first meeting lost with 3–0 and then again after a heroic effort won with 1–0 after a goal by Denni Avdic.

[96] In 2011[97] Elfsborg played in the UEFA Europa League for the third consecutive year, and stood against CS Fola Esch in the first round which they won with a total of 5–1.