Tag: denmark

The Nicklas Bendtner delusion

With little over 15 minutes left of the derby, Cesc Fàbregas stood beside the corner flag watching impatiently as a substitution was announced. Drawing 1-1 at home to their fiercest rivals Tottenham,…

Preben Elkjær: the last of football’s true mavericks

The date is 5 June 1985 and, in Copenhagen, Denmark have just beaten the Soviet Union 4-2 in World Cup qualifying group 6. It’s quite possibly the very plateau above cloud level…

Where do the disputed talents of Jon Dahl Tomasson rank?

Illustration by Federico Manasse “MY BIGGEST DREAM is to play for the national team, to play for 40,000 spectators and to score a lot of goals.” Jon Dahl Tomasson’s words, spoken in his…

The timeless talents of the complicated Michael Laudrup

Illustration by Federico Manasse The word ‘brilliant’ is overused in talking about football’s greats. But if ever there were a player that encapsulated shades of Johan Cruyff’s technique, the journeyman status of…

Jan Mølby: Liverpool’s original pass master

THERE WAS A TIME, NOT LONG AGO, when footballers were permitted the luxury of vastly different physical forms and appearances. Today’s identikit toolbox of tattoos, ruggedly groomed facial hair, short back and…

How Hummel are changing the world through football

A REVERED AFGAN REFUGEE, a spliff-wielding Danish anarchist and an exiled Tibetan monk walk into a bar, all wearing shirts made for them by the same brand. It isn’t the start of…

Michael Laudrup and the death of a once-great ambassador

Few individuals have managed to become universally loved in the history of football. These are people who managed to stay above petty fights and rivalries to become respected by everybody, despite club…

The young guns: FC København and the rise to dominance

Aptly known as Byens Hold (The Team of the City), this infant club, residing in the Danish capital, has become a pillar of success in its native land. They are Scandinavia’s highest…

How Richard Møller Nielsen fought his way into legend

Over the years, several artists have had to wait until after their death to receive the recognition they deserved, the most famous being Vincent van Gogh. The Dutch impressionist painter committed suicide…

Daniel Agger and the embodiment of Brøndby IF

In a football world where multi-million dollar contracts are signed every day and every half-decent player seem to either be the poster boy for underwear or design their own jewellery, there is a…