As in so many aspects of their life, the Danish are PASSIONATE about their football. Whilst attendances are in general much lower than in leagues of comparable levels in the UK, that does not stop the average Dane being very knowledgeable and passionate about their local club. Yes, their local club, as Danes are much less fickle than British fans and it is the norm to follow your local team and/or the team of your parents.

Danish League Football

The Danish football pyramid is topped by Superligaen where for the past 15 years Aab, Brondby and F.C.Copenhagen have been “top dogs”. The Copenhagen derby between league rivals FC Copenhagen and Brondby has developed over the years to a grudge match on the terraces and an intense affair on the pitch. In recent years FC Copenhagen has managed to distance themselves from Brondby and other competitors in the Danish league due to heavy investments in unrelated business ventures funding a budget for the football team that others can only dream off.

The investments made by FC Copenhagen have paid off on the international scene with continuous success, by Danish standards, in the Champions League. Revenues from the Champions League matches have further distanced the club from their competitors and helped them attract prolific foreign players such as Dame N´Doye, Claudemir and Johan Wiland.

Whilst visiting Denmark it is most definitely worth seeking out the FC Copenhagen home games in the national stadium, Parken. They are always well attended and carried out in an enthusiastic atmosphere. In particular looking out for FC Copenhagen games versus Brøndby, OB, AGF and OB should ensure a good experience with Danish league football at the highest level it currently masters.

Other local derbies worth looking out for are the Jutland clash of titans between Aalborg (Aab) and Aarhus (AGF), AGF versus their smaller neighbours Randers FC and Esbjerg FB taking on their arch rivals Vejle B.

Below the Superliga there are a further two divisions of professional football teams. Attending games at these levels see a rapid decline in attendance and quality of the games, however if you are in a specific area of the country it might still be worth seeking out a home game for the local heroes as the small but enthusiastic support in little intimate stadiums around the country is often a pleasure to behold and partake in.

One club I have a soft spot for is FC Randers and their excellent site is also in English. Please support them if you have a chance.

Many of the Danish teams have supported Bjørn Heidenstrøm on his epic journey.

The National Side

Over the years the Danish national side has most often found itself in second or third tier of European teams in terms of quality and results, with a few outstanding exceptions. Whilst the home league, the Superliga, is undoubtedly not one of the stronger leagues in Europe and many of the best young Danes leave their homeland to ply their trade at a higher level the national side can perhaps be considered over-achievers.

Regardless of current levels it is always worth spicing up a visit to Denmark with attendance to a home game for the national side. The Danish roligan movement (peaceful supporters spreading joy as opposed to unruly hooligans elsewhere) always ensure a fabulous atmosphere is maintained whilst supporting the boys in red and white in the national stadium Parken. Occasionally friendlies are played in other stadiums across the country, check DBU.dk for fixtures.

The danish side qualified for the 2012 European cup and prior to that the World Cup 2010 in South Africa. Admittedly they were not in one of the stronger qualifying groups and an horrendous goalkeeping mistake in Parken by the hapless Swedish keeper secured their passage.

As a national side, Denmark really came to the fore with the Danish Dynamite era
In the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Denmark finished with 8 points from as many games, including a 3-1 win against eventual World Cup champions Italy, but Denmark failed to qualify for the final tournament despite the impressive result. Qualification for the Euro 1984 saw the team beat England 1-0. Denmark qualified for their first international tournament since 1964, and the team was dubbed “Danish Dynamite” in a competition for the official Danish Euro 1984 song.Denmark’s participation ended in the semi-final when the team lost on penalties to Spain. Following the strong performance at the finals, the name of “Danish Dynamite” became a mainstay for the following decade of Danish national team football under German coach Piontek.The Danish team at the 1912 Summer Olympics.

Denmark made their first World Cup appearance in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, and with the attacking duo of Michael Laudrup and Preben Elkjær the team surprised the world, sweeping the group, including a 6-1 thrashing of Uruguay. In the second round Denmark once again faced Spain, and once more Denmark lost out. The team received a trashing of their own, losing 5-1, including four goals by Butragueno. The first Spanish goal was caused by a mis-timed backpass by Jesper Olsen – an unfortunate action subsequently coined as “a real Jesper Olsen” (en rigtig Jesper Olsen). The phrase would live on for 13 years when an identical backpass was carried out by Gronkjær

After the glory days of 1986 came a period of transition with faltering results. The Euro 1988 tournament ended in early defeat as Denmark lost the group games to Spain, Germany, and Italy. When Denmark failed to qualify for the 1990 FIFA World Cup Sepp Piontek was replaced by his assistant coach Richard Möller Nielsen.

The next glory years were in the early 1990s with the triumph in the 1992 European Championships (Euro 1992) tournament as its most prominent victory, beating the the European champions in the semi-final, and the world champions in the final . They also won the Confederations Cup in 1995 defeating Argentina 2-0 in the final.

Best players of all time

In November 2006, the Danish Football Association nominated eight Danish national team footballers for the “Best Danish Footballer of All Time” award. The public could vote for the nominated players through the TV2 broadcasting channel, and Michael Laudrup won the award with 58% of the votes.