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Close connection between salary budgets and sporting results

Analyzes from both international and Danish football over the past decades have shown that there is a clear correlation between players’ wages and sporting results. The Danish Institute for Sport Studies (IDAN) has shown that staffing costs of Super League clubs can explain more than 4/5 of sporting results since the turn of the Millennium. In conclusion, the clubs that, over time, can maintain the highest salary budget for players, coaches, healthcare staff and administration, just wins the most. However, it is far from all Super League clubs that have been equally skilled and effective in managing their financial resources. Some clubs, such as FC Nordsjælland, FC Midtjylland and Hobro IK, have been sporting significantly performing, while other clubs such as Brøndby IF, OB, AGF and AaB have underperformed over the past five seasons.

PARKEN Sport & Entertainment A/S is much different from FCK

There are currently only two candidates for the Danish Championship 2019-2020: FC Midtjylland and FC Copenhagen. Over the past 20 seasons, FCK has been absolutely superb in Danish club football with a total of 12 Danish Championships and only one season (2017-2018) has the club not won medals. FCK is also the only Danish club with success in international football with repeated participation in both Champion League and Europa League group tournements since the turn of the Millennium. It is TV-revenue from these tournaments and not least PARKEN Sport & Entertainment A/S’ “side business” in the form of the holiday centers “Lalandia”, which has created financial resources for player purchases – and thus also labor costs – which is a nice piece over the nearest competitors. However, based on the financial resources available to the club’s sporting management, FCK’s sporting results in the Super League over the past 5 years have not been impressed – rather, on the contrary. It has turned into 3 Danish Championships , but winning the FCM this year’s championship, which in my opinion is most likely, FCK has actually underperformed in the Danish Super League in relation to the club’s financial resources. By contrast, FCM has outperformed the Super League since its incumbent Matthew Benham, who also owns the English Championship club Brentford, in 2014 acquired the majority of FCM’s shares in the event of a looming bankruptcy. The “Wolves from the Heath” won the year after the club’s first championship, which was recovered in the 2017-2018 season. And today, in my opinion, the club is also a big favorite to win the club’s third championship and thus the fifth medal in just 6 seasons. In addition, the club has also outperformed the transfer market with the sale of players such as Pione Sisto, Aleksander Sørloth and Paul Onuachu. Talent development at the club’s academy has throughout the history of FCM been one of the club’s core services. And this with great success, as the academy has developed players such as Simon Kjær, Winston Reid and Erik Sviatchenko.

FC Nordsjælland is clearly the best at buying, developing and selling players

FC Nordsjælland has also been extremely skilled at developing talents through the Super League for sale to foreign clubs. In 2015, the club was acquired by an investor group – “The Pathway Group Limited” – including Tom Vernon, who had previously started in the football academy “Right to Dream” in Ghana. The purpose of the collaboration is for FCN to be self-sufficient with players from FCN’s local community clubs and, not least, young players from Africa who will use the Super League as a springboard for a career in the major European leagues. This has been very successful, as FCN has just been awarded top marks – the “highest international class” in Danish Football Association’s licensing system. Like the FCM, the club has made a lot of money in recent years – more than 250 million DKK – on transfer income, including on players like Emre Mor, Mathias Jensen, Andreas Skov Olsen and Mikkel Damsgaard. Transfer income in both FCN and FCM has also “offset” significant operating deficits in the two club’s accounts. At the same time, it is impressed that every season FCN has qualified for the “Top-6-play”. I think that will be the case this season as well, with FCN being my favorite for the bronze medals.

“Tradition clubs” underrepresent, both on the field and in the accounts

However, there are also super league clubs such as Brøndby IF, OB, AGF and AaB, which has underperformed in the past five seasons in relation to the financial resources of the clubs. The reasons for this fact are diverse and complex: “Poor” buying and selling of Danish – and especially foreign – players, lack of quality and continuity among players, coaches, sports directors and the board, weak talent development strategy, declining spectator and sponsor interest and much, much more . Especially Brøndby IF has been a really bad business both sporting and financial. It is only astronomical financial “donations” of 50-80 million DKK annually from the main shareholder Jan Bech Andersen, who has kept the club “above the water”. Wage costs have been towering compared to most other super league clubs and over the past decade, the club from “the Western part of Copenhagen” has been without Danish Championships and “only” won two silver medals and three bronze medals.

Other traditional clubs in Danish football such as AGF, OB and AaB have also had very poor results in recent years. The football pride of Funen – OB –  already has two remaining matches in the basic game with no chance of qualifying for “the Top-6-play”. Despite one of the league’s highest budgets, OB has only managed to qualify once among the Top-6 teams in the past five seasons. In terms of sporting results, only AGF performed poorly during the same period. However, “The Whites from Fredensvang” surprisingly everything and everyone with an impressive half season in the fall of 2019, when the team finished in a 3rd place. AGF’s start in spring 2020 was –  with a draw against Hobro at home and defeat to Silkeborg – anything but flashy. Just a draw in the postponed match against Randers FC, however, will secure AGF a place in “the Top-6”, which has not happened in the past 8 seasons. “A swallow does not make a summer, however,” so in my opinion, the AGF should qualify for “the Top-6-play” at least 3 out of 4 seasons going forward from the club’s financial resources. The same expectation should be given to North Jutland’s football pride – AaB – which, after Danish Championships in 2008 and 2012, has had a very difficult time achieving results stability. The club has been without medals for the past five seasons and the battle for the last place in the Top-6-play” may well accrue to Randers FC – at the expense of AaB. Randers FC, which is actually one of the clubs that, based on a relatively modest economy, has shown great sporting stability as a super league club over a number of years.

Esbjerg fB, Silkeborg IF and Hobro IK look like three relegations

Perhaps the biggest dramas in the Danish Super League 2019-2020 await in the relegation tournement, with the entire 3 clubs becoming “buck”. Among the relegation candidates is Hobro IK, who has actually outperformed markedly sporting with the past 6 seasons, with the club having the supremely lowest budget of all Super League clubs. The club’s salary costs this season make up only 1/10 of clubs like FC Copenhagen, Brøndby IF and FC Midtjylland. However, I do not think Hobro IK – and Silkeborg IF – avoid relegation this season. And then another traditional club – Esbjerg fB – has to show far better games in the remaining matches to avoid the last relegation spot. The consequences for all three relievers will be a loss of revenue – primarily in the form of TV money and sponsorships – of 30-40 million DKK. This knowledge is also known in clubs such as AC Horsens and SønderjyskE, which can also jeopardize relegation.

Based on the economic development, in both Danish and international football, everything indicates that very few league clubs in the coming seasons will become richer and richer, while the “poor” clubs will get more and more difficult – in result over a whole season – to surprise and challenge the most money-laden competitors. That is why I believe that the battle for Danish Championship in football in the coming years alone will be a matter between FC Copenhagen and FC Midtjylland. Then the rest of the super league clubs have to fight for the bronze medals or…. relegation.

You can find more information about finances in Danish Super League clubs and international top clubs on the following website:

Steen Houman’s blog – https://steenhoumann.com
The Danish Institute for Sport Studies – https://idan.dk
Off the Pitch – Football, Business and News – https://offthepitch.com/

Big difference in the Super League clubs’ turnover and composition of income

Based on the economic analysis of recent years, it can be estimated that the total revenue in the Super League (football) in the 2019-2020 season is approx. 2.8 billion DKK. However, there are very large differences between the 14 clubs’ revenues, which vary between DKK 30-35 million for clubs such as Hobro IK A/S and Silkeborg IF A/S to 800-820 million DKK for PARKEN Sport og Entertainment A/S – the enterprise behind FC Copenhagen, which for many years has been supremely highest among the Super League’s clubs, mainly due to non-football-related activities such as the holiday centers Lalandia and the rental of the Parken. FCK, which has won 12 Danish Championships since the turn of the Millennium and has been a “regular participant” in the Champion League and the European League during the same period, is thus behind almost 1/3 of the turnover in Danish football.

Handball and ice hockey are more vulnerable than football

The turnover in the Primo Tours League (Men’s handball) and the HTH League (Women’s handball) can be estimated at approx. 300 million DKK. Also among the 28 league clubs in handball, there are very large variations in relation to the clubs’ turnover. There are variations from a few million in league clubs like EH Aalborg and Ajax to approx. 30 million DKK in clubs such as Aalborg Håndbold A/S, Skjern Håndbold A/S and Bjerringbro-Silkeborg Håndbold A/S. By contrast, the turnover variations in Danish league clubs in ice hockey are far smaller than in both football and handball. The total turnover in Danish ice hockey can be estimated at approx. 80-90 million DKK, distributed between 7-14 million. DKK in the 9 league clubs.

League club revenue is mainly divided into 4 main sources: Matchday revenue (entrance and season tickets, food and beverage sales, merchandise etc.), sponsorship revenue, TV revenue and transfer revenue (purchase and sales of players). The latter is absolutely crucial to the financial success or failure of most super league clubs, while transfer proceeds are virtually non-existent in neither handball nor ice hockey. Of course, there are also variations in the individual league clubs relative proportion of the main sources. The primary source of revenue for handball and ice hockey league clubs is sponsor revenue, which typically accounts for 75-85% of total revenue. Matchday revenue in these two sports typically amounts to 15-20%, while league clubs’ direct revenue from handball and ice hockey television rights is limited to 3-6% of total revenue. However, it is of great importance for the league clubs’ opportunities for sponsorship contracts that sponsors can be exposed through direct television matches.

For the handball and ice hockey league clubs, sponsor income, either as “free funds” or barter agreements, which is a barter of services of equal value between the league club and company rather than paying each other for work done, is by far the largest share of revenue. Most of these league clubs usually have a few main sponsors and a large number of local companies that support the local league club.

TV revenue as well as the purchase and sale of players are paramount for the super league clubs

The composition of sources of income in Danish football is very different from that of handball and ice hockey. The Super League clubs are heavily dependent on TV-rights revenue, totaling 275 million DKK for the current season, or almost DKK 20 million DKK per league club on average. Thus, for some super league clubs, TV revenue represents the largest percentage of the club’s total revenue. The amounts for the individual super league clubs are paid “normally” according to the club’s placement at rounds 13 and 26 and at the end of the season. But today, the last two rates of the TV money have to be paid to the Super League clubs. Therefore, it will be a financial disaster for all super league clubs if the remaining matches of the 2019-2020 season are canceled. All indications then are that the remaining matches in the Super League, both in the primary tournement and the playoffs, will be played – unfortunately – without spectators in May and June.

There is also no doubt that Danish Super League clubs will experience a significant drop in transfer income. In the upcoming transfer windows, it will be much harder to sell players from Danish clubs to foreign clubs, which are also particularly hard hit financially. Likewise, many of the super-league clubs have tied a very large portion of the expenses in long-term contracts with players and coaches. And it can be very difficult to adjust spending as a significant fall in revenue. In this area, the league clubs in handball and especially in ice hockey because of typically one-year contracts with players have some comparative advantages over the super league clubs in football.

Both short and long term financial consequences for all league clubs

Of course, it is difficult to assess how large a fall in sponsorship income Danish league clubs will experience for the upcoming season 2020-2021. My personal bid will be a 20-30 % drop, but with large variations between the individual clubs. I also believe that the handball and ice hockey league clubs will be hit harder financially by the “COVID-19-crisis” than the super league clubs in football, with a very large share of the revenue in handball and ice hockey being based solely on sponsorship revenue. Very few companies and industries, both in Denmark and globally, will not experience significant declines in revenue and earnings in 2020 and possibly. also in subsequent years. Companies and groups in special industries such as airlines, retail and restaurants that have already laid off a large number of employees because of failing sales will naturally be very reluctant to re-sign sponsorships or enter into new agreements with league clubs in Danish football, handball and ice hockey – not for lack of will, but because of lack of… money.

No state, organization, private company or school can be established or developed by individuals, regardless of their knowledge, capabilities, passion or ability to act. But personal leadership is nevertheless one of the decisive factors for the inner strength and coherence of states, organizations, private companies and schools. And, in particular, competent and committed personal leadership has great significance and value for states, organizations, companies and schools’ relationships with the outside world. Personal leadership is a central thema in professor, Ph.D. and Dr. Phil. in history Hans Bonde’s new book: “From the outskirt to the frontskirt. The fight of gymnastics for a century” (University Press of Southern Denmark, 2020), which was published on the occasion of the Academy of Physical Education, Ollerup 100’th anniversary. And let it be said right away: The book is excellent storytelling, both in words and pictures.

An amazing journey in words and pictures

The book brings the reader on an exciting continuous journey in which events – gymnastics performances, international and domestic tours of gymnastics and events, buildings and artworks, democracy festivals and much, much more – are described in 100 entries by one or more sources. The sources are central actors – as via Bonde’s interpretation – appearing with views, attitudes and memories based on a string of images from past and present. The historical witnesses are wide ranging from former students, teachers, principals, gymnastics instructors, journalists, architects, professors, diplomats, ministers to King Christian X., creates a coherent process based on extremely comprehensive documentation.

The book contains an in-march and an out-march, like any popular gymnastics performance, seven chapters and written references. The in-march sets the stage for the book’s structure and main themes, as well as describes Bonde’s personal relationship with the Academy of Physical Education, Ollerup from the early 1990’s, when then the former principal Gunnar B. Hansen assigned Bonde the responsibility of preparing an impartial doctoral dissertation based on Niels Bukh’s private archives, which had been ” hidden “knowledge of the public since Bukh’s death in 1950.

Niels Bukh – A charismatic gymnastics educator with naive political visions

Each chapter describes a historical period in which gymnastics such as cultural, physical, political, social and aesthetic phenomena are closely linked to concrete events, which have for decades left deep traces and crucial inspiration for the lives of many young people, both from Denmark and abroad. The motto of the academy: “Word and deed” (OD) has been far more than three small words for a century. The OD has also been the term for “Ollerup Gymnastics Instructor”, which more than 20,000 has achieved through an academy education of at least 12 weeks. However, Bonde emphasizes that “… words alone do not move very much. There must be action (deed) for “and” However, the cultivation of “action” rather than thought can also lead to an anti-intellectualism that renounces critical reflection and dialogue “(p. 18). With this in mind, the book’s first two chapters “A New Man Type” (1920-1932) and “The German Draw” (1933-1943) are fascinating reading. The chapters focus on at Bukh’s start-up of the Academy of Physical Education, which compared to the traditional Danish college with a focus on “the living word” and the song, used the body and specifically the gymnastics as a central language and tool. Niels Bukh and the Academy of Physical Education were a natural part of a Danish national revival, where the rural population, through the cooperative movement and, not least, gymnastics and shooting clubs, developed a cultural and political commitment, both locally in the parishes and nationally in the party Left. In the first half of the 20’th century, gymnastics was not a sport such as football, athletics and swimming, but “… an active cultural force that, in the countryside, partly shapes entire generations of young men and women, partly as an alternative to urban competition and finally through innumerable displays become the landmark of Danish abroad ”(p. 17). The first two chapters come very close to the charismatic, gay and politically naive Niels Bukh, who over a very short period – together with students, staff and locals – is building a cultural center in South of Funen with an impressive main building, the country’s first indoor swimming pools (1926) and one of Europe’s largest sports halls (1932). Bukh’s sympathy, admiration and desire for cooperation with other strong men in dictatorships – such as Hitler in Nazi Germany and Mussolini in Italy – is also more long-lasting and powerful than many other Danes who only “switched” towards the end of World War II. Today it is a well-known case that many Danish business owners earned huge sums, both before and during World War II, on working with or working for the German war machine. But Bukh never seriously distanced himself from his political views and attitudes after the end of World War II in 1945. Therefore, Bukh’s last year of life until his death as a 70-year-old in 1950 became a personal decline of dimensions. These years are described in the book’s third chapter “A new direction” (1944-1950), which also shows that a large loan from the Left government in 1948, loyal staff and former OD’s support surprisingly quickly reduced the student numbers at the rebuilt adecamy to the time before the Occupation.

The hard way out of Bukh’s “shadow”

The book’s fourth chapter “In the Footsteps of the Master” (1951-1967) covers a long-standing and tiring internal power struggle between Arne Mortensen and Jørgen A. Broegaard, who shared the position of principal of the Academy of Physical Education, Ollerup after Bukh’s death. After hiring as a gymnastics teacher in 1936, Arne Mortensen was the principal of the academy’s elite team and his closest friend Bukh’s obvious replacement as the head of the academy, but “Morten” was without a qualifying education. That criterion met Jørgen A. Broegaard, who had been a student at the academy in the 1930’s and subsequently trained as a theologian and thereby qualified to be responsible for the academy’s historical, cultural and spiritual subjects. However, the two “co-proprietors” disagreed with the management of the “legacy of Bukh”. Arne Mortensen wanted to continue the academy’s “spirit, soul and gymnastics” as the model Bukh, while Broegaard preferred a critical overlook of Bukh’s homosexuality and political attitudes, especially during the Occupation. Bukh’s faithful arms – Arne Mortensen – won the power struggle in 1966, when the board of the Academy of Physical Education, Ollerup elected by resignation Jørgen A. Broegaard. And thus, the “Bukh cult”, which also includes extreme conservatism, both politically and gymnastic, could be continued until the next change of principal in 1976.

The youth uprising, which “passed” the Academy of Physical Education, Ollerup

Prior to this change, however, there were major changes, both nationally and internationally, outside the walls of the Academy of Physical Education, Ollerup. These changes in the form of rebellion against authorities, sexual emancipation, gender equality, barbed wire music and free hash are described in the book’s fifth chapter “Youth rebellion and Ollerup” (1968-1975). The youth rebellion cultural release, however, moved far beyond the Academy of Physicial Educaton, Ollerup to the principal Arne Mortensen undivided satisfaction. He stated the following to the media in 1970: “There is no breeding ground for a youth rebellion here at the Academy. Young people cannot be trained without the use of authority. The foundation on which Niels Bukh created the Academy is still the Academy’s ”. It was therefore both an external pressure and an inner “necessity” – far rather than the wishes or needs of the Board of the Academy and many former OD’s – that in the early 1990s, ie. more than 40 years after the death of founder Niels Bukh, a “Settlement with the Past” (1976-1998). Gunnar B. Hansen, who had been a student at the Academy, the headcoach of the elite team, the vice-chancellor, found it crucial for the academy’s current reputation and not least the forward-looking credibility to illuminate Bukh as a master and human being – with his strengths and weaknesses.

Inspiration for some gymnastics and sports colleges – and a counter parts to others

Calculated with the “father figure” Niels Bukh is the main topic of the book’s sixth chapter, which also deals with the description of the new principal Gunnar B.’s introduction of Beatles music to primitive gymnastics, student democracy and international students’ courses in democracy and sports life. This chapter also describes the role of the Academy of Physical Education, Ollerup for role models or counterparts for other of the country’s academies and sports colleges. At many academies and sports colleges, including “Gerlev Idrætshøjskole” (1935), “Viborg Gymnastikhøjskole” (1951), “Idrætshøjskolen i Sønderborg” (1952), Idrætshøjskolen i Aarhus (1971) and Nordjyllands Idrætshøjskole (1986) were principals and by far the majority teachers were former students or teachers from Academy of Physical Education, Ollerup. But there were also sports colleges, “Den Jyske Idrætshøjskole” (1943) and “Idrætsskolerne i Oure” (1987), which was established on the basis of competitive sports with coach-education in football, athletics, sailing, golf or modern dance. And with professional profiles, rules of order and living, which lay far from the Academy of Physical Education, Ollerup.

The balance between tradition and renewal – the folk high schools’ most important task

The book’s seventh chapter, “Culminated Jumping Series – Flagship for Democracy” (1998-2020), focuses on the past two decades with the current principal Uffe Strandby, former student of the Academy of Physical Education, as front figure. The chapter has two central themes: Renovation and new construction as well as the introduction of new forms of “gymnastics”. The “bite tradition”, introduced by Niels Bukh in 1922 and still practicing today, has created impressive buildings at the Academy. But daily wear and building materials of varying quality have also, in recent years, caused a great need for renovations and more modern facilities, such as a state-of-the-art spring center, which was inaugurated in 2002. And most recently, the old sports hall has been transformed into a modern multifunctional arena with mobile spectator stands for gymnastics performances, sports events, exhibitions, concerts and congresses. The renovation of the sports hall, indoor and outdoor swimming pool as well as works of art around the school area has been provided through donations from private foundations such as “Realdania”, “Ny Carlsberg Foundation” and “A.P. Møller Fonden”. The renovation and the new facilities have also meant that the academy’s professional profile in gymnastics has changed radically. Today, modern dance, fitness, parkour, crossfit, team gym, tumbling, zumba, yoga and performance are weighted on the same level as earlier “core disciplines”: jumping gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics. With the extension of the academic profile, the Academy of Physical Education, Ollerup has managed to balance tradition and renewal, which is one of the most important tasks of the academies and colleges.

Out-march brings together the seven chapters into a clear and precise synthesis. But most importantly, Bonde sets out a number of choices and clues for the development of the Academy of Physical Education, Ollerup, which everyone with heart and brain for the Academy has the right and duty to relate to. Anniversary book “From the outskirt to the frontskirt. The fight of gymnastics for a century “deserves a standing ovation for several minutes – and the Academy of Physical Education, Ollerup deserves thanks for” words and deeds “as well as good luck with the next 100 years.

You can read more at the Acedemy of Physical Education, Ollerup here: https://ollerup.dk/

London – One of the world’s most exciting metropolises

There are many things that have remained unchanged since the Olympics and Paralympics almost eight years ago: The fish soup at “Borough Market”, one of London’s largest and oldest food markets, the musical “Les Misérables”, which is performed daily at “Queens Theater” since 1985 and the crowd in “The Tube” – London’s subway system, which serves 1.3 billion passengers a year. But there have also been significant changes: The number of cyclists is double, the season ticket prices for Premier League clubs Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and West Ham have exploded and the British resigned – regrettably – a few weeks ago formally by the EU after almost five decades membership.

Good behavior – both on and off the sports arena

England – and perhaps more precisely United Kingdom – can rightly be called the country of origin of sport, as sports such as football, cricket, rugby, tennis, badminton and table tennis were invented and widespread throughout the world by the British back in the latter half of the 18’th century. At that time, the UK was – and continues to be – a very fragmented society with large income and wealth disparities in the population, both nationally and locally. One of the biggest challenges for British sport today is precisely the growing distance between professional sport and “Sport for All”. Inequality is also a growing and visible problem between individual sports – not least in London, where the vast majority of sports activities for children and young people are organized outside the traditional clubs and federations. The increasing distance between sport as a measure of economic profit or sport as a means of social inclusion, education and learning for children and young people is also reflected in the state financial support for sport. UK Sport is responsible for allocating resources to Olympic federations and athletes, while Sport England supports both federations, schools, charities and private projects working to realize the vision of more active citizens – regardless of gender, age, education and race. State aid, both for UK Sport and Sport England, is increasing, while local, public support is extremely limited. The growing distance between sport as a goal or means is also one of the main reasons why very few children and young people under 18 – less than 20% – practice sports in organized clubs and federations. The corresponding membership figures for children and young people in the Nordic countries are more than 3 times greater, ie. over 60%.

One of the projects, which focuses on the recruitment of children and youth for sport in London, is Green House Sport (GHS). The project uses sports – including table tennis, basketball, swimming and judo – to engage and inspire children and youth from socially stressed areas. From a holistic perspective, well-trained and full-time GHS coaches work with local schools to teach the children and young people skills that they can apply both in and out of sports. The overall aim is to improve the lives and conditions of children and young people. Primarily funded by private foundations, Green House Sport encompasses more than 8,000 children and young people in London who have neither the financial advice nor the social support of their parents to join a traditional sports club.

Another project is Chance to Shine (CTS), which uses cricket as a means for children and young people to learn and develop, both physically, mentally and socially. In this way, cricket helps to create a better everyday life for the children and young people, who very often have a different ethnic background than the British. The Cricket Foundation, which has been launched independently – both organizationally and financially – by the National Cricket Association, offers cricket as an activity for more than ½ million. children and young people at nearly 5,000 schools in Wales and England. In addition to cricket in schools, the project also initiates cricket in green areas and parks in inner city areas. in London. Street cricket thus offers another way into the sport, with more than 85% of the children and young people in CTS not being a member of a traditional cricket club.

Positive reunion with “Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park”

The lack of organized clubs, the limited finances of many families and especially low public support, both for facilities and activities, are some of the biggest challenges facing British sport – not least in big cities such as London. I was therefore pleased to see Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which I visited for the first time back in 2006 – shortly after London was hosted by the Olympics and Paralympics 2012. Today, several of the Olympic facilities are used for pleasure and benefit the local children and young people, including Lee Valley VeloPark, which features tracks for mountain biking and BMX as well as a very nice indoor track. All age groups have access to the track for a fee, and Lee Valley Regional Park offers great opportunities for outdoor activities such as rowing, kayaking, soccer, rugby, hockey and tennis.

Inequality is getting bigger and bigger – also in the world of sport

London Stadium, which is the largest sports facility in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, is today home to the Premier League club West Ham United, which since its inception in 1895 has been associated with the east of London. The club is also known to some of the most faithful and proud fans in the world. However, many of these have not been content to leave the legendary “Upton Park” stadium in favor of the Olympic Stadium with seating for 60,000 spectators. However, the frustration over the new stadium did not appear on Saturday afternoon, with “The Hammers” winning 3-1 over Southampton, thus maintaining the belief of yet another Premier League season. Professional clubs such as West Ham United are now multinational corporations with annual turnovers. The gap between “Chance to Shine” and West Ham United is unbelievably great, and the inequality in the world of sports, both in and outside England, is unfortunately only getting bigger and bigger.

You can find more information at the following website:

Idan Forum – https://www.idan.dk/idan-forum/
London Sport – https://londonsport.org/
Green House Sport – https://www.greenhousesports.org/
Chance to Shine – https://www.chancetoshine.org/
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – https://www.queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk/
Lee ValleyVeloPark – https://www.visitleevalley.org.uk/en/content/cms/london2012/velo-park/
West Ham United – https://www.whufc.com/

More than the “Team of city”

However, AGF’s performance and, not least, very good support from spectators and commercial partners in the fall of 2019 give the club’s many fans – inside and outside Aarhus –  dreams and realistic belief that there are new and better times ahead for the club with its proud traditions. There are three main reasons why I believe that AGF – for just the third time since the turn of the millennium – has really good opportunities to qualify for the playoff among the Top-6 clubs. And with a really good chances of winning the bronze medals. The gold medals and the silver medals are distributed between FC Copenhagen (FCK) and FC Midtjylland (FCM) – as they usually are.

Strong fight and a well-thought-out game concept

First, the team of AGF has shown great stability in the first 20 games of the season 2019-2020. There is only one team in the Super League – FCM – that has conceded fewer goals and only three teams – FCK, Brøndby and Randers FC – who have scored more goals than AGF. There has been a good balance in the team during the matches, based on a strong defense, a hard working midfield and an effective attack. The majority of points are not based on technical and well-polished play, but on strong fight and a well-thought-out game concept. I have been particularly impressed by captain Nicklas Backman, who has been indispensable in the central defense, and further on, Mustapha Bundu has in many matches been decisive with his impressive breakthrough power and great goals. AGF’s good performance is due to both good work on and off the field. The sporting leadership with the sports director Peter “PC” Christiansen at the forefront has bought in well, so AGF today probably has one of the broadest teams in the Super League.

David Nielsen – a winning type who has grown up

Second, the hiring of head coach David Nielsen in the fall of 2017 has proven to be the right choice for AGF. The 43-year-old Nielsen, born and raised in Skagen, is a type of winner who has a very realistic and pragmatic approach to the game, the team and the individual player: Everyone must contribute and make a whole-hearted effort for the team and the club. It is very positive, both for AGF and David Nielsen, that the parts have now extended the cooperation by 3 years – until the summer of 2023. The contract extension allows the club to further develop both the playing style, training culture and talent development at Fredensvang, where a new clubhouse creates an optimal framework for coaches, players and staff around the team. AGF’s sporting performance, especially in the fall, is also the reason why David Nielsen – along with Åge Hareide, Ståle Solbakken and Christian Nielsen – well deservedly nominated by DBU as Coach of the Year 2019, which will be announced within a few days.

Sporting and financial disaster have changed – and results that match the salary budget

Third, much indicates that AGF is on the right track in terms of getting a good sporting benefit from the club’s financial resources. Like David Nielsen, the hiring of rival Randers FC’s former CEO Jacob Nielsen back in the summer of 2014 was also the right choice for AGF.  Nielsen has with determined focus, great energy and support from the club’s board managed to create continuity, which is essential for sporting and financial success – not only in football, but in all elite sports. There is – in both Danish and international football – an unambiguous long-term connection between the input of salary and sporting results. The Danish Sports Institute’s studies over the past two decades show that the staffing costs of super league clubs can explain more than 80 percent of the variations in sporting results. In practice, this means that the clubs that can maintain the highest salary budget over time, everything else just wins the most. FCK has clearly been a leader with current staff costs for players, coaches, experts and administration of DKK 146 million. Brøndby has expenses of DKK 110 million. while FCM has expenses of DKK 94 million. Then follows AGF, whose current staff costs amount to DKK 66 million. DKK – thus a total 4’th place. And perhaps for most people, a significantly larger budget than OB with DKK 42 million DKK and Randers FC with DKK 33 million. The Super League club’s financial income, which is a prerequisite for labor costs, is thus by far the biggest part of the explanation that FCK has won 6 Championships and 3 silver medals in the past decade and that FCM has won 2 Championships and a total of 4 medals in the last 5 year. Money – whether it comes Champions League participation, TV rights, commercial partners, spectators or private patrons – thus plays a vital role in sporting results. So from an economic perspective alone, AGF should be a stable player in the Top-6 playoffs – in my opinion at least 4 out of 5 times. This has certainly not been the case since the turn of the Millennium, just as buying and selling players up through the 00’s and’ 10’s until the last few years has, overall, been a sporting and financial disaster. Today AGF has several players with great market value, especially the only 22-year-old Mustafa Bundu from Sierra Leone. I think it can be very valuable that AGF’s management chose not to sell the extremely talented player – or other potential marketable players – in the winter transfer window. Several of AGF’s closest competitors for the bronze medals – Brøndby, OB, AaB, FCN and Randers FC – have chosen to sell many of their biggest profiles, which in my opinion can be very expensive sporting.

On Sunday afternoon, more than 10,000 spectators will walk to Stadion Allé against Ceres Park when the AGF meets the arch rivals from Randers FC. The match is very important, but not crucial to AGF’s chances for playoffs and medals in 2020. The remaining 5 matches against Hobro, AC Horsens, Silkeborg IF, OB and AaB are equally important and so we will – both now and in the coming seasons – shout: “Come on You Whites … ” – “Come On You Whites .. ” – “Come On You Whites … “

“Managerial failures” and “systemic weaknesses” – but no legal liability assessment

The Chamber of Lawyers’ investigation shows that “… a number of critical factors can be found in connection with the management of the training environment for the elite swimmers during the period from 2003 to 2013. This is especially true of the Danish Swimming Federation, but also Team Denmark”. It also appears that the Chambers of Lawyers “… has not made any actual legal liability assessment with regard to organizations or individuals, be it employment law, financial or otherwise. When we refer to managerial failures here, we refer to the failures of the organizations as such ”. The investegatoin emphasizes that “… Team Denmark, as a self-governing institution, is part of the Public Administration and the Public Law”. This means that “… Team Denmark is committed to ensuring that the organization’s financial resources are used in accordance with the purposes for which they are given. In this context, Team Denmark is responsible for continuously checking whether the individual federations that receive support from Team Denmark are acting in accordance with the expectations for the organization of the Act on Elite sport”. Thus, Team Denmark does not have a supervisory duty in the sense of State Law, but a duty to cooperate with partners – in the specific case of the Danish Swimming Federation – who do not comply with the “Act on Elite sport”, including the “Code of Ethics for Danish Elite Sports” and guidelines for weighing swimmers and medicine”.

Need for discussion about – and possibly revision of – Act on Elite sport

As CEO – and the top administrative officer in Team Denmark – during the period 1.9.2006 – 17.12.2014, I have a co-responsibility that a number of critical situations were not changed satisfactorily. There are many reasons for the managerial failures – both before and during my tenure – which is also evident in the investegation of the Chambers of Lawyers. Likewise, there are also many causes and explanations for the “systemic weaknesses” that the investegation uncovered. However, it does not change the following personal comment: It is deeply regrettable – not least for the young swimmers who have experienced failures and where it has had serious consequences for them in life – that the dialogue, communication and cooperation between Team Denmark and the Danish Swimming Federation were deficient and malfunctioning during the above period. Unfortunately, I can also today find that – both in the Danish Swimming Federation and in Team Denmark – there have been employees who have had knowledge that they have not presented in the right time and the right place. It is also extremely regrettable. I hope that the sad and serious case about the conditions for the elite athletes in Danish Swimming will have regulatory consequences for benefit of the development of Danish elite sport.

In addition, you can read about my previous views and opinions on the case here:

• “In deep water – the Act on Elite sport, impartiality and relations of power” – https://ma57.dk/en/the-act-on-elite-sport-impartiality-and-relations-of-power/

• “Still in deep water: A life buoy was thrown, but without land in sight” – https://ma57.dk/en/still-in-deep-water-a-life-buoy-was-thrown-but-without-land-in-sight/

Postscript (February 14, 2020):

Since the publication of the Chambers of Lawyers: “Investegation of the conditions for elite athletes in the Danish Swimming Federation” (February 6, 2020), my comments in the media (including Radio4 and BT) and the above blog have received many inquiries – the vast majority positive. I have also subsequently read my previous comments and opinions, both in the media and in two previous blog published (April 25, 2019 and May 10, 2019). I like to keep each sentence and comma in the two blog published. But of course, I have spent time and effort on reflections and conversations about the investegation, which goes all the way back to 2003 and to this day – ie. 3 years before and 5 years after my appointment as CEO of Team Denmark.

One of my conversations contained the following statement: “Michael – It is very often the people who shout most about good ethics and morals who at the same time act unethical and double moral”. I have given some thought to this statement based on the principles of a rule of law. One of the most basic principles of a rule of law is the division of power, which was mentioned by the French philosopher Montesquieu in “De l’esprit des lois” from 1748. The basic principle means that power is divided into an executive power (a Government that leads it public administration), a legislative power (the Parliament) and a judicial power (the Courts). The Chamber of Lawyers’ investigation is extensive and thorough, but it places no personal responsibility either in the Danish Swimming Federation, Team Denmark or between the two parties. Thus, the Chamber of Lawyers’ investigation does not detect whether there has been a violation of legislation. However, it is the right of every person, organization or institution to bring a case to the Court of Law, if one has an opinion of an offense. And then the Courts – not the public or the media – can make a legal decision if one or more persons, a federation (the Danish Swimming Federation) or an institution (Team Denmark) has violated a law.

There can be a big difference between good and bad management and leadership. And very often the different assessments of good and bad management or ledership are based on subjective criteria and limited knowledge. For these reasons, I would also like to encourage everyone to read through the entire investigation by the Chamber of Lawayers.

In the same way, there can be a big difference between elite athletes’ perceptions of coaches in international elite sports environments. Eg. stated Lotte Friis – the elite swimmer with Olympic bronze medals and many Championship medals in Olympic disciplines – following in the documentary programe: “Mark Regan has meant a lot to me. He was a kind of reserve father to me. He was the coach who really got me started in my career and got me out of a Danish bubble mentality. He pushed me to the extreme. My career had been just fine “and” After all, we are all different athletes and must all be handled differently. I’m fine with training under the two coaches (Mark Regan and Paulus Wildeboer). I’m fine with the way things were going. And that, in my opinion, is also the way things are done in other major swimming nations ”(DR – April 23, 2019).

There are many people – both in the Danish Swimming Federation and Team Dammark – who are responsible for dissatisfaction, including eating disorders and the delivery of medicines over a period of more than 10 years. There are also a number of people – both inside and outside the Danish Swimming Federation and Team Denmark – who have a joint responsibility for the individual cases in Danish elite swimming. For this reason, there is also now a need for a political debate about a revision or a new Law on Elite sport in Denmark.

Focus on and examples from football – but also general knowledge about children and adolencents behavior and attitudes

The book’s four authors have many decades of experience with sports, especially with football. This means that the book contains many good stories and examples of behavior, language and attitudes of children, adolescents and their parents. The empiricism is derived partly from the authors’ practical, educational experiences with teaching, coaching, matches and competitions and partly from interviews with exciting and competent football players, coaches, volentary leaders and educational staff in institutions and schools. On the one hand, anecdotes and examples from football, which is by far the most popular sport in Denmark, both girls and boys, are very dominant in the book. On the other hand, it is a marked weakness of culture, behavior, language and values ​​from other sports, both team sports such as handball, ice hockey and volleyball as individual sports such as athletics, swimming and gymnastics, are not described or discussed to any significant extent. There are, in my opinion, more differences than similarities when it comes to the DNA of each sports – not least when it comes to children and adolencents.

Strong values and attitudes are necessary – also in relation to the daily lifes of children and adolencents

The book contains three main sections, divided into 9 chapters. The first four chapters present a solid theoretical knowledge of children and adolencents of today, primarily illuminated and discussed based on Danish literature, studies and research. It does not seem logical to me to start the book with a definition of winning culture with examples of “High Performance team” such as Manchester United. The authors correctly point out that a tough high performance culture with a unilateral focus on results and a culture of perfection among Danish children and young people has a number of particularly unfortunate consequences for the “core” of the individual child, namely confidence, self-control, empathy, sense of responsibility and ability to be part of communities. For that reason, in my opinion, children’s and youth coaches, educators, teachers, volentary leaders and parents should not seek the most important inspiration for establishing and developing well-runned sports environments in elite sports. Elite sports and high performance are “cut to the bone” about prioritization and selection – and to a much lesser extent about joy, well-being and inclusion. The book’s second chapter is a description and discussion about the “curling culture”, which has characterized the upbringing and attitudes of too many families, schools and clubs over the past decades. For the vast majority of children, upbringing and education today happens outside the family and through social media. Mother and father are usually working outside the home, and many hours of the children and adolencents are spent outside the home – in the nursery, kindergarten, school, SFO and club. Sweeping resistance away from well-meaning adults does not develop independent and robust children. The authors should be commended for highlighting clear statements and attitudes, e.i. in conflicts among children. Statements such as “… teaching children to cope and recover from conflict and adversity is an excellent and useful employment, which is a basic prerequisite for coping as an adult in a complex high-speed society and many conflicting interests and ways of life” and “It is an important part of healthy child development, that the children develop social learning and personal qualities to get well and strengthened out of a stressed situation. They learn how conflicts can be handled and overcome without bullying or violence as the preferred solution ”(page 51) is a competent response to too much adult control and management in the vast majority of children and adolencents’s daily lifes.

Social relationships and good manners must be learned – they do not come by themselves

The third chapter of the book introduces one of the book’s most valuable theoretical contributions and, in the words of the authors, “a summary model for understanding and communicating the book’s messages”: the relationship model or the formation circle. Every human being must establish, develop and master skills at three different levels: Individual – Relational – Collective. Today’s children and adolencents are formed and developed in a complex world, where many stakeholders and relations influence the opportunities for children and adolencents to thrive and do well. Children are formed and developed through early relations and upbringing in the family, but also through institutions such as kindergartens, schools and clubs, and not least through friends and social media, to a much greater and stronger extent and content than ever before. In this area, the authors also have some clear messages and recommendations: “A solution to the challenges of children and adolencents with robustness and mental strength seems to lie in the relational skills – the ability to play well with each other, as an individual and as a group. Performance plays out right in between individual and collective skills ”…” The ability to perform as an individual and a team can be trained and needs to be framed. It requires effort and team collaboration on everyone’s part. Especially in the early years the children’s core must be cultivated. Later, the necessary life skills and game plans for the individual and the team must be strengthened ”(page 293). The last theoretical chapter presents a number of general psychological concepts and more or less scientific theories, for instance persistence, impulse control, behavioral and personality profiles (red, blue, yellow and green category), risk behavior, inner  motivation – all in all a messy and incoherent chapter that lacks quality.

Lots of good and useful tools

The following four chapters and the second part of the book – “Toolboxes for gameplan and the adult as leader” (Chapter 5), “… you as a parent” (Chapter 6), “… you as a teacher and educator” (Chapter 7) ) and “… you as a volunteer in an organization or association” (Chapter 8) – contains lots of quality. In these chapters, the author’s extensive knowledge and practical tools come into play in an excellent way. The four chapters contain a series of concrete exercises, examples, cases and reflection questions, which both provide the reader with new knowledge and challenge views, attitudes and behaviors in relation to their own practice. It is also a great strength that the individual chapters relate to different arenas for children and adolecents daily lifes and that cases from sports other than football are described. Each chapters contain a series of topics and dilemmas that can be used with great advantage in teacher education, coaching courses in associations and clubs, in parenting meetings and all other places where the framework and conditions for children and adolencents everyday life are discussed.

A qualified counterplay to “the individual child at the center”

The final chapter of the book summarizes in a clear and precise way the most important reflections, messages and recommendations. The authors summarize the three main themes for the development of robust and viable children and adolescents, namely good manners, performance culture and the need for leadership. It is liberating – and far from ordinary – to hear such a clear statement as the following: “There seems to be a need for adults in all spheres involving children and adolescents to take on clear leadership and seek companionship. There is a need for a clear framework on children’s education, upbringing and behavior, and outlines how they want it. As adult leaders for the various arenas where children are located, we have a very important task in teaching our children and adolencents how to master life in a changing world and in a society where, like on the football field, things often go very fast. Whatever role we play in the child or adolecent’s life, and whatever arena we encounter it, we have a responsibility to make every effort and ensure that they thrive, learn the right skills, and prepare for life. It places great demands on us as human beings and on our society ”

It has been worth all the effort to read the book. It is highly recommended to anyone who wants children and adolencents all the best.

World Championships in handball, road cycling and sailing

In addition to Denmark’s historic World Championship in men’s team handball, other world-class performances were also delivered by Danish athletes and teams in 2019. The only 23-year-old road cyclist Mads Pedersen became the first Danish world champion for male professionals in road cycling and the sailor Anne-Marie Rindom won both the World Championships and the European Championships in Laser Radial – a fantastic result which also resonated in international sailing. The sympathetic sports student from Aarhus was also named “Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2019” by “World Sailing” because of the results – as the first Dane ever.

In 2019, Danish athletes and teams have won a total of 12 World Championship medals in Olympic disciplines. which is very positive. Cycling has been best with 4 WC medals. In addition to Mads Pedersen’s World Championship, Lasse Norman Hansen and Casper Folsach won the WC silver medals in madison (track cycling), while the Danes in the team pursuit race (track cycling) and Julie Leth and Amalie Dideriksen in madison (track cycling) won the WC bronze medal. Cycling, especially track and road, has clearly been the sport in Danish elite sport that has had the greatest progress over the past few years. And it is particularly impressive that the recruitment and development of world-class riders is based on a very limited number of youth riders. Sailing has also had a really good year with 3 WC medals in Olympic disciplines. In addition to Anne Marie Rindom’s World Championship, Lin Ea Cenholt and Christian Peter Lübeck won the WC silver medal in Nacra 17, while Ida Maria Baad and Marie Thusgaard won the WC bronze medal in Auckland in New Zealand. In other words, cycling and sailing have won more than half of the Danish WC medals in 2019. The other 5 WC medals in 2019 are divided into three sports: Rowing, badminton and kayak. Sverri S. Nielsen (rowing) won the WC silver medal in single sculler, just as Anders Antonsen (badminton) did in men’s singles (badminton). Finally, Emma Aastrand Jørgensen (kayak) in the K1 won 200 meters and W4- with Christina Juhl Johansen, Lærke Berg Rasmussen, Frida Sanggaard Nielsen and Ida Gärtz Jacobsen (rowing) the WC bronze medals.

Fewer athletes and teams are in the battles for World Championships medals

The number of WC medals in Olympic disciplines – together with the number and value of top 8 rankings at the World Championships or in the World rankings – are the best indicators for the international level of Danish elite sport. It is difficult to compare the results in different years, as the number of international events vary from year to year. However, it makes good sense to compare the results in 2019 and 2015 – the last year before the Olympics. The number of WC medals in Olympic disciplines is slightly higher in 2019 than in 2015, when it became 11 WC medals, divided into swimming (3), badminton (2), sailing (2), wrestling (1), cycling (1), kayak (1) and rowing (1). By contrast, the number and value of top 8 rankings in 2019 is lower than in 2015. Danish athletes and teams have only achieved 21 top 8 rankings at the World Championships this year compared to 27 in 2015. Similarly, Danish athletes and teams have achieved only 112 ranking points in Olympic disciplines against 133 ranking points in 2015.

Denmark falls back on international rankings

Assessing the chances of Danish success at the 2020 Olympic Games will be associated with great risks based only on the number of WC medals in 2019. It is a fact that Danish elite sport has had a markedly declining results over the past three years. In the period 2017-2019 Denmark achieved significantly worse WC results than in the comparative period 2013-2015. The number of WC medals has been 25 (medal points: 43) in 2017-2019 against 31 (medal points: 55) in 2013-2015, while the total number of top 8 ranking points in 2017-2019 has been 349 against 409 in 2013-2015 – a decrease of 15-20%. The declining performance level also applies in non-Olympic sports, such as orienteering, speedway, sports dance and bowling. The negative trend can also be seen on the “Greatest Sporting Nation Ranking” (https://www.greatestsportingnation.com/), which records international results in 98 Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines, where Denmark has thus fallen from a total ranking as No. 26 in 2013-2015 to No. 34 in 2017-2019 in the rankings of all nations and from No. 9 in 2013-2015 to No. 14 in the ranking of all nations per capita – by nations such as Bahrain, Estonia, Croatia, Serbia and Finland.

Reason for restrained Olympic optimism – after weak World Championships results in 2017 and 2018

Based on the WC results of recent years, a realistic target for the 2020 Olympic Games will be 10 medals. In my opinion, the most obvious medal candidates are track cycling – both Madison and omnium for women and men as well as 4 km team pursuit races. In addition, Anne-Marie Rindom as well as Lin Ea Cenholt and Christian Peter Lübeck (sailing), Emma Aastrand Jørgensen (kayak), Viktor Axelsen and Anders Antonsen (badminton), W4- and Sverri Nielsen (rowing) and not least the men’s handball team are considered for being good candidates for Danish Olympic medals in Tokyo. At present, I do not see Danish Olympic medal chances in either athletics or wrestling: Two sports, where Danish athletes won two Olympic silver medals 4 years ago. There are, of course, more explanations for the markedly poor results of Danish elite sports in the past 3 years than before. Sports such as swimming, badminton, rowing, shooting, orienteering, sports dancing, speedway and bowling, which have traditionally won many international medals for the World Championships and the European Championships, have apparently failed to secure a strong “food chain” of athletes and teams at the highest international level. Team Denmark’s support programme 2017-2020 has also been far too visionless and insufficent to develop Danish elite sport. The result should not be finally evaluated after the 2020 Olympics, but 12 WC medals in 2019 have certainly increased my optimism concerning Danish Olympic medals in cycling, sailing, rowing, badminton, kayak and men’s team handball.

Finally, I would like to wish everyone – athletes, coaches, managers and fans – in Danish and international elite sports a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Sport Year.

The decision is not least due to a big grant of DKK 100 million in autumn 2018 from the Novo Nordic Foundation to Team Denmark. The Novo Nordic Foundations’ press release states that “… DKK 50 million is a targeted establishment of state-of-the-art facilities to be used in connection with sports research, eg. altitude hotel, climate room and other training facilities, where the equipment provides the opportunity to monitor athletes’ performance during training and competitions. The appropriation for these special facilities is conditional on Team Denmark obtaining support from other foundations by the end of 2020 to establish a building that can accommodate the special facilities ”.

More than one explanation of new strategy

However, there is another explanation for why the dream of a national elite sports center in Copenhagen unfortunately only seems to become a building at the University of Copenhagen that can accommodate the special facilities. Anyone who has been involved in elite sports research at international level is fully aware that a grant of DKK 50 million does not do any wonders.

There were many reasons why Kjeld Rasmussen, Brøndby’s mayor from 1966 to 2005, has the record as Denmark’s longest-serving mayor. One of the main reasons was that Rasmussen was a very big fan of sports, which in particular Brøndby IF – one of Denmark’s most winning football clubs – has enjoyed for more than half a century. In addition, the Social Democratic mayor quickly realized that municipal investment in sports facilities and contracts with external partners could be the way to stable revenue in the budget of the municipality.

One of Rasmussen’s most “brilliant” rental contracts was signed with the Sports Conferation of Denmark (DIF) in the early 1970’s, when Brøndby Municipality and DIF entered into a rental contract for “The House of Sports” on a field in the Western part of the Copenhagen. The building, which was opened in 1974, was the property of DIF, but located on a rented land that belongs to Brøndby Municipality and which can only be returned in the year 2060 – ie in 41 years. In addition, today’s “The House of Sports” has a loan that far exceeds the real market value of the facilities.

The House of Sport – a cold administration building where athletes and coaches do not have first priority

There are probably not many people who would describe “The House of Sports” as a visionary and sustainable sports facility with a strong focus on the wants and needs of athletes and coaches. And there are probably not many people who find the location of “The House of Sports” appropriate in relation to public transport. Furthermore, DIF has never succeeded in developing “The Sports House” for anything more than an administration building. These three factors were also the reasons why, in my opinion, the location of a national elite sports center in Brøndby would be as foolish as DIF’s rental contract with Brøndby Municipality.

The world’s best sports nations have pooled resources on Campus

The dream of a national elite sports center in Denmark was first discussed at Team Denmark’s board meeting in late 2011. The example was similar centers in some of the world’s best sports nations with the size of Denmark: Australia, Norway and New Zealand, which with great success had gathered largely all the necessary resources in the common facilities: Athletes, coaches, experts such as doctors, physiotherapists, dietitians, sports psychologists and not least researchers who were either employed at the Australian Institute of Sport and the University of Canberra (Australia), the “Olympiatoppen” and the Norwegian School of Sport in Oslo or High Performance Sport New Zealand and the University of Auckland in New Zealand – on a campus.

The vision and content of a national elite sports center was first discussed at a board meeting in Team Denmark in November 2011. At a board meeting in February 2013, I suggested to the board that Team Denmark should prepare an analysis with a cost of approx. DKK 1 million about a possible location of a national elite sports center, either at the Royal Arena in Ørestaden or at the Parken and Østerbro Stadium with the “Rigshospitalet” and the University of Copenhagen within walking distance. This statement definitely did not go down well with the board and management of DIF, who in the days leading up to the board meeting was in close contact with all of Team Denmark’s board members. The consequence of the hectic activity by telephone of the chairman of DIF was a non-decision at Team Denmark’s board meeting. The decision about the national elite sport center was sent to “corner kick” and the meeting became one of the blackest chapters in Team Denmark’s history. From that moment, I also lost hope and belief in a national elite sports center in Copenhagen outside “The Sports House”.

Waste of resources on non-existent potentials

For more than six years, Team Denmark and DIF have “worked on” the visions of a national elite sports center. The visions and contents of the vision is described in the report: “National Elite Sports Center in Denmark – Phase 2, February 2017). In addition, in 2017, DIF and Team Denmark hired a“project director”, who was to be a front figure in realizing the vision, objectives and strategies in the report. The “project director’s” contract has now stopped with the decision of DIF and Team Denmark to change the dream of a national elite sports center with all the functions and resources gathered has been “laid in the grave”. In my opinion, Denmark has no sporting or research potential or resources to build or develop 4 “innovation centers” in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense and Aalborg – unless the four municipalities and the four universities finance the vast majority of the financial resources for the centers.

Kjeld Rasmussen – the “King of the Brøndby Municipality” for several decades – was a very wise and action-oriented mayor, but I actually think he would be genuinely sorry that the lease contract between DIF and Brøndby Municipality became an ever-present obstacle to the best solution for Denmark’s best athletes: A national elite sports center in Copenhagen – but outside Brøndby Municipality.

Colorado Springs – “US Olympic City”

Many of the US top athletes and teams, including swimming, gymnastics, wrestling, boxing and shooting, have their training facilities at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The center also contains the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s administration and many federations also have their administration in Colorado Springs, which will open the world’s largest sports museum and Hall of Fame next year. The center was established in the late 1970’s and is today one of the absolute best training centers in the world with rooms for 140 athletes, coaches and experts, training facilities, restaurant, services for the athletes within sports medicine, physical therapy, nutrition, sports psychology and performance analysis. The center is often used for training camps for the best athletes and teams, in preparation for the largest national and international championships, such as Pan American Games, World Championships and the Olympic Games.

The Olympic Games are special events – also for the USA’s sports stars

The Olympics have great status and prestige for all American athletes, including in commercial sports such as basketball and ice hockey. “The Olympics have always been something special for the United States and the nation’s top athletes. Athletics and swimming are the biggest sports for us at the Summer Olympics, while ice hockey is the biggest sport at the Winter Olympics. However, we work every day to be represented in all sports and also preferably to be among the medal winners. Fortunately, we have many athletes who qualify for both 3, 4 and 5 Olympic Games,” says Susie Parker-Simmons, High Performance Manager for the US Olympic Committee & Paralympic Committee. The USOPC is collaborating with all 28 federations that can qualify athletes and teams for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and all 7 federations that can qualify athletes and teams for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. “We are optimistic about the upcoming Olympics, but we can also see that many federations find it difficult to retain the greatest talents that are attracted to professional and collegiate sports such as tennis, golf, American football, baseball ice hockey and basketball. In these sports, opportunities to get attractive financial scholarships in college or universities are far greater than in sports such as wrestling, archery, bobsleigh and figure skating”.

World-class training facilities and excellent sports campus

At the US Olympic & Paralympic Training Center, athletes have access to a range of services at the highest international level. The center has an interdisciplinary sports medicine team made up of doctors, physiotherapists, dietitians and chiropractors. Also, the center has a training facility where athletes and coaches can get advice and guidance on discipline-specific strength and endurance training programs. The area also contains state-of-the-art technological equipment that can be used for biomechanical analysis. There is also a training facility where the athletes can practice under various climatic conditions, such as altitude, heat and humidity. This training facility will be an essential tool for many athletes in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which will present major challenges, especially in relation to humidity.

“We are constantly trying to optimize the conditions for our top athletes by the use of new technology in the daily training and competitions. In relation to winter sports we can see that Sweden and especially Norway have a lot of top athletes in sports such as cross country skiing, biathlon, Nordic combined and alpine skiing. We saw this most recently at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, where Norway won no fewer than 39 medals, 14 of them gold. We do not have the same opportunities to recruit talents through strong clubs as in the Nordic countries. Only in a few states such as Colorado, Utah and New York can we offer athletes good training conditions and we often have to travel on long-term training and competition stays in Europe. At the last Winter Olympics, however, we showed that we can defeat world class athletes from both Norway, Sweden and Finland, as Kikkan Randall and Jessica Diggens won the gold medal in team sprint for women – this preformance we are very proud of”, says Susie Parker-Simmons, who was born and raised in Australia but has now been working for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee for more than a decade.

You can find more information about the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee at https://www.teamusa.org/About-the-USOPC and about the US Olympic & Paralympic Training Center at https://www.teamusa.org/About-the-USOPC/olympic-paralympic-training-centers/csoptc/about