Capital and competencies, both on and off the pitch, are the two crucial factors in winning championships and medals in professional sport. Analyzes of Danish and international football have shown that in recent decades there is a clear connection between the professional clubs\u2019 sporting results and finances \u2013 the ability and willingness to attract and retain skilled players, head coach, sports manager, assistant coaches, health staff and administrative staff. However, it is far from all professional clubs that are equally skilled and efficient in managing their financial resources \u2013 not even in the Danish Super League. In a few days a new season will start and optimism is high in all 12 professional clubs. But even before the first match is played, everything indicates that the Danish championship 2022\/2023 (again) will be won by either FC Copenhagen (FCK) or FC Midtjylland (FCM) with the clearly largest expenses for players, coaches, experts and administration.<\/p>\n
FCK has since the turn of the millennium been absolutely superb in Danish club football with a total of 13 Danish championships, 6 cup titles and only one season (2017-2018) the club has not won medals. In addition, FCK is also the only Danish club with success in European club football with repeated group stages in the Champions League (CL) and Europa League (EL). It will also happen in the coming autumn, where FCK is already sure of group stage in either CL or EL and thus net income of DKK 60-100 million. FCK\u2019s European success is also reflected in UEFA\u2019s club ranking, where the club is currently is placed as No. 41 \u2013 in front of top clubs such as AC Milan, Feyenoord and Valencia CF. It is estimated that FCK\u2019s annual expenditure on salaries and bonuses for players and coaches, sign-on fees and amortization of transfers amounts to DKK 170 million. In the last 5 seasons, FCK has won 2 Danish championships and 2 silver medals. And at the same time, FCK has achieved revenues of more DKK \u00bd billion by the sale of players such as Mohamed Daramy (AFC Ajax), Jonas Wind (VfL Wolfsburg), Robin Olsen (AS Roma), Robert Skov (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim) and Jens Stage (Werder Bremen).<\/p>\n
FCM has had better sporting results than FCK in the Danish Super League\u2019s last 5 seasons despite a smaller annual expense \u2013 DKK 12o million \u2013 for salaries and bonuses for players and coaches, sign-on fees and depreciation on transfers. 3 Danish championships, 2 silver medals and 2 cup titles in 5 years are very impressive, but the ambitious club from \u201cHeden\u201d lacks a decisive breakthrough in European club football. Currently, FCM occupies a position as No. 87 on UEFA\u2019s club rankings \u2013 very far from the goal of the top-50 by 2025. In a few weeks, FCM will once again have the chance to qualify for CL or EL group stages, but the qualification is both long and very difficult.<\/p>\n
Br\u00f8ndby struggled for a number of years with very poor sporting results and poor finances, which were financed solely by financial \u201cdonations\u201d of DKK 50-80 million annually from the main shareholder Jan Bech Andersen. However, in the last 5 seasons Br\u00f8ndby has not been worse placed than No. 4 and not least the Danish championship in 2020\/2021 and the silver medal in 2017\/2018 has placed Br\u00f8ndby stable as Denmark\u2019s 3\u2019rd best club with DKK 65 million in annual expenses for salaries and bonuses for players and coaches, sign-on fees and depreciation on transfers. An amount that is \u201conly\u201d approx. \u00bd of FCM\u2019s and slightly more than 1\/3 of FCK\u2019s corresponding costs. Br\u00f8ndby has also in recent years revised their sporting strategy, so that the development of young talents via the club\u2019s academy has been prioritized rather than the purchase of \u201colder\u201d foreign players from \u201c2\u2019nd or 3\u2019rd shelf\u201d. The sale of 21-year-old Jesper Lindstr\u00f8m last summer to EL-winner Eintracht Frankfurt for more than 50 million DKK hopefully heralds new and better times for Br\u00f8ndby\u2019s financial strategy.<\/p>\n
Several Danish Super League clubs have in recent years largely focused on FC Nordsj\u00e6lland (FCN), which in my opinion has performed best in sporting results in recent seasons based on the club\u2019s financial conditions. With the exception of last season, FCN has been stably placed in the top-6 with annual salary and bonus costs for players and coaches, sign-on fees and amortization of transfers of DKK 35 million. In addition, FCN \u2013 through the academy \u201cRight to Dream\u201d \u2013 has had great success with the sale of young players, such as national team players Mathias Jensen (Brentford F.C.), Andreas Skov Olsen (Club Brugge KV) and Mikkel Damsgaard (U.C. Sampdoria) and foreign profiles like Emre Mor (Borussia Dortmund) and Kamaldeen Sulemana (Stade Rennais F.C.). A total transfer income, which is probably greater than FCK\u2019s DKK \u00bd billion in the last 5 years.<\/p>\n
In recent years, AGF has undergone a financial turnaround with significant reductions in the club\u2019s costs and a doubling of sponsorship income from DKK 40 million to DKK 70 million. It is estimated that AGF today with DKK 65 million has the Super League\u2019s 4\u2019th largest annual expense for salaries and bonuses for players and coaches, sign-on fees and depreciation on transfers. But unfortunately, AGF from the country\u2019s second largest city only manages to qualify for the top-6 playoffs twice in the last 5 seasons. The bronze medal in 2019\/2020 \u2013 AGF\u2019s first medal in 23 years \u2013 created great optimism among AGF\u2019s sponsors and fans, but 4 points in the relegation game\u2019s 10 matches in the spring of 2022 brought the club very close to the fourth relegation from the Super League since the turn of the millennium. A new head coach \u2013 the experienced German Uwe R\u00f6sler \u2013 must now develop a new style of play and put together a competent team. In my opinion, this will not happen without the purchase of many new players in the coming transfer windows.<\/p>\n
Proud traditional clubs such as Aalborg BK (AaB) and Odense (OB) from Denmark\u2019s 3\u2019rd and 4\u2019th largest cities have \u2013 like Aarhus GF \u2013 underperformed significantly in recent seasons based on their annual financial costs of DKK 44 and DKK 40 million for salary and bonus for players and coaches, sign-on fees and depreciation on transfers. Despite good results by the club\u2019s youth team (U17 and U19), OB has only managed to qualify once (season 2018\/2019) among the Super League\u2019s 6 best teams in the last 5 seasons. North Jutland\u2019s football pride \u2013 AaB \u2013 has only achieved marginally better sporting results than OB with three places as No. 5 in the last five seasons.<\/p>\n
Last season\u2019s big positive surprises in the Danish Super League were the two promotions: Silkeborg IF, who won bronze medals with strong passing playing style and Viborg FF, who qualified for European club football (Conference League). The sporting results of the two clubs were particularly impressive in light of the very modest annual cost of salaries and bonuses for players and coaches, sign-on fees and amortization of transfers on DKK 23 million and DKK 18 million \u2013 or only 10-15% of FCK\u2019s and less than \u00bd of AGF\u2019s corresponding costs. Season no. 2 after a promotion is always difficult, so it will be very exciting if SIF and VFF can achieve the same sporting success in the coming season, where many of the two clubs\u2019 most talented players have become attractive \u201csales objects\u201d for both Danish and foreign clubs.<\/p>\n
All indications are that capital will have an even greater impact on sporting results in Danish and international club football in the coming years. But competencies \u2013 or perhaps more precisely \u2013 lack of competencies in the form of weak talent development, poor purchases and sales of Danish and foreign players, lack of quality and continuity among players, coaches, sports directors, board and owners, changing style of play, lousy communication, declining spectators and sponsorship interest and much, much more will also \u2013 fortunately \u2013 continue to have an impact on one of the football\u2019s most important DNA\u2019s \u2013 the unpredictable result.<\/p>\n
You can get further information about finances in Danish Super League clubs and international top clubs on the following website:<\/p>\n
Capital and competencies, both on and off the pitch, are the two crucial factors in winning championships and medals in professional sport. Analyzes of Danish and international football have shown that in recent decades there is a clear connection between the professional clubs\u2019 sporting results and finances \u2013 the ability and willingness to attract and retain skilled players, head coach, sports manager, assistant coaches, health staff and administrative staff.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n