The label “Danish Dynamite” once referred to the national football team in the mid 80’s. Coached by visionary German manager Sepp Piontek, Denmark was known for its adventurous and entertaining play. Self-deprecation was the norm however, and the nation reveled in their team’s role as underdogs.
After an explosive start this Superliga season for champions FC Copenhagen, it seems they have reignited that “Dynamite” label both at home and across Europe. Coasting to the league title at a canter and exceeding everybody’s expectations on their return to the Champions League fold, the Lions are putting Danish football on the map.
There is no doubting FC Copenhagen’s significant superiority at home and it is certainly a case of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ they claim their ninth league title. They are also perfectly poised to become the first Danish team to advance from the group stages of the Champions League, eclipsing their own Champions League debut in 2006 as well as the exploits of Bruce Rioch’s Aalborg in 2008 who provided some excellent performances against bigger European opposition in Manchester United, Celtic and Villareal.
The Superliga is now ranked 12th by European football authority UEFA, its highest ever position which also means two Danish clubs will qualify for the Champions League qualifying stages. Having not even turned professional until 1978, this seemed a great feat for Danish football at the start of this season but Copenhagen’s invincible start could just be covering over the cracks of an otherwise poor league standard. There is no escaping that if this trend continues of Copenhagen flying the flag alone, then the leagues stature will dramatically fall reducing European qualifying places as well as ranking points. Crisis club Brondby and OB’s woeful performances in the Europa League have not helped matters.
Despite being 16 league matches unbeaten, the Lions’ new up-and-coming starlet Kenneth Zohore who is tipped to become a superstar, believes the league still has a strong group of teams despite FC Copenhagen’s early dominance. “This league is tough and there are three or four very good sides capable of putting a lot of good results together. We must stay focussed,” he told The Copenhagen Post.
At just 16, Zohore is the youngest debutant and goalscorer ever in the Superliga. The striker born in Norrebro could not believe his luck either when manager Ståle Solbakken brought him on for the last 20 minutes in the Champions League game at Barcelona. With excitement spread across his face he said: “It was a dream come true. The best day of my life but I have to take every day as it comes and enjoy myself. I’m still only 16.”
It is young, up and coming players like Zohore that can improve the league as a whole. In 2004 when FC Midtjylland set up the first football academy of its kind in Denmark, this has helped the fortunes as well as finances of the club, thus strengthening the league’s standard. Inevitably the most stand-out youngsters will be snapped up by bigger European clubs but it provides a stable financial situation for Midtjylland especially. The academy is based on that of FC Nantes from France who nurtured stars such as Marcel Desailly and Didier Deschamps. The most notable star to pass through the academy so far is Simon Kjaer who netted the club €4million when sold to Italian club, Palermo.
One man that left these shores for elite European football was one of the finest passers in the game, Jan Molby. The former Kolding captain moved to Ajax before heading to Liverpool in the English top flight in 1984. Despite Molby getting his lucrative move he still respects the Danish league: “Not all young [Danish] players get that big move to one of Europe’s top leagues. You have to remember it’s an honour to play as a footballer in your own country. An FCK and Brondby game for instance is something very special.”
“In terms of the current state of the league, obviously what Copenhagen is doing in Europe is fantastic but domestically I think the gap will close. Experience will improve the teams chasing them,” he added.
Jesper Hansen has been a member of first division club, Hvidovre IF’s fan club for over 30 years and remembers the days when arguably the world’s greatest ever goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel started out at his club. He suggests to the Copenhagen Post that the standard of Danish football is often a misconstrued conception: “You look at Lyngby this season in 5th after just being promoted. Silkeborg were the same last year. The standard is not very high at all.
FCK are doing great in Europe but they have nothing to lose. It’s so much easier playing without fear and expectation. It’s the same as Denmark in 1992,” he added.
It seems the jury is out on how high the standard of the Danish league actually is, amidst the entire furore surrounding the current form of runaway leaders FC Copenhagen. While UEFA have rewarded the country with extra incentives, let’s wait to see if the teams bringing up the rear can close the gap and justify the highest current ranking in history.
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