In 2002, the deficit was still high at DKK 21,472,000. Per Frimann chose to resign as sports director on April 19, 2002. Despite further efforts to balance the economy, AB continued to have a major deficit of DKK 15,941,000 in 2003. During this period, the chairman of the board Mogens Trygve Lied Flagstad and vice-chairman of the board Allan Kim Pedersen initiated an investigation of the possibilities of a merger with Farum Boldklub to improve the club's future economic basis. However, both left the board after the amateur club's main board had informed the professional club's board and the public that it was critical of the investigation. In the following years, a slimming of the company was initiated, which was necessary after the overuse of capital in the previous years. The slimming meant, however, that the club had to sell the last profiles such as Nicolai Stokholm, Rasmus Daugaard, Mohamed Zidan and Stephan Andersen. As a consequence, the results got worse and in 2004, AB was relegated to the second tier. AB in recent times While again playing in the Danish 1st Division, AB launched Vision 2010 with the goal of returning to the best Danish league by 2010. At that time AB had a talented team of many players from the club's academy, which in 2008 had won the Danish Championship for youth players. The vision was close to be realized with a third place in 2009 and a fourth place in 2010, but it failed and left AB again in financial problems. In subsequent years, AB experienced poorer results, and for three consecutive years – from 2012 to 2014 – the existence in the second tier was saved in the final round of the tournament. In 2012, AB was rescued from relegation by defeating Hobro IK 3–1. In 2013 the club saved its existence by defeating Lyngby FC 4–2. In 2014, the rescue was secured by playing 3–3 with HB Køge. In 2015, AB finally relegated and moved down to the third tier for the first time since 1994. The 2015-16 season was a successful one for the club as it bounced back from relegation to win promotion back to the Danish 1st Division at the first time of asking under the dutiful charge of manager Per Frandsen. Despite this, however, the beginning of the season proved challenging with the club suffering a heavy defeat in the first