Context

We set off for a football weekend with my best stadium buddy. Driven by our curiosity and the strong reputation of Scandinavian ultras—especially those of FC Copenhagen—we head to Denmark for the Danish Cup derby against Brondby. “FC Kobenhavn” is by far the most popular club in the country and maintains a fierce rivalry with Brondby FC, a more local club based in the suburbs of Copenhagen. Recently, FCK have generally dominated the Danish league, although they often let a few crumbs slip away to other clubs always on the lookout, including Brondby. Except that particular year, FCK completely missed their season and would finish 4th in the league.

The match takes place on a Sunday, so we set off to explore the Danish capital from our HQ (a modest but comfortable Airbnb). A few things to say about Copenhagen:

Discovering Copenhagen!

First of all, the city is extremely clean—quite typical of Eastern European countries—and very pleasant. The public transportation network is simple enough to use, even for people who do not speak Danish (everything is also explained in English), though we still ended up with a fine for trying to be a bit too clever… While this doesn’t excuse our mistake, the cost of living in Denmark is relatively high, especially for students! When it comes to sightseeing, Copenhagen is one of those ideal European weekend destinations, with many points of interest close together.

Among our favourite sights, we particularly remember Christiansborg Palace, a former royal residence that now houses the Danish Parliament… and tourists. The building is quite impressive and tall. The snow during our visit added an almost timeless atmosphere, highlighting the importance of this monument in the country’s history and daily life. Our second most memorable excursion in the city was Tivoli Gardens. For those of you planning a trip to Copenhagen with your significant other—and hoping to make the stadium visit more acceptable—Tivoli is the perfect place. It’s a large park, hard to define, halfway between a classic urban relaxation park and an amusement park. The result is incredibly charming! Once again enhanced by the snow, the Gardens offer a uniquely romantic setting. Of course, with friends it’s less magical… but we still had to admit how attractive the place is. Young Danish couples are everywhere.

Finally, one of our last notable visits was the district of Christiania. Christiania Freetown is an enclave within the city, originally created by a hippie and loosely anarchist community who occupied the area and declared its independence. Officially it is still Danish territory, but the atmosphere makes you want to believe otherwise. Walking around is a unique experience; it is one of the city’s major cultural landmarks. But don’t forget that everything you legally buy in Christiania may not necessarily be legal 200 meters away in the streets of Copenhagen…

FC Kobenhavn – Brondby FC. Copenhagen Derby in the Danish Cup – February 2018

Enough about Copenhagen—let’s talk football! Off we go to Parken Stadium, a rectangular-structured ground reminiscent of English stadiums. The stadium also houses business offices (including Parken), which removes some of the popular, down-to-earth feel of the place but adds a welcome touch of modernity. Just like the city, the surroundings of the stadium are pleasant and clean. After buying scarves in the colours of the home team, we enter the stadium. For this Copenhagen derby, we are seated close to the pitch in a side stand, right next to the away section, which—like the whole stadium that day (38,000 seats)—is completely full.

A freezing Copenhagen derby

It is around zero degrees in Copenhagen that afternoon, but it feels even colder… I don’t remember ever being this cold in a stadium, but at least it added to the immersion! The players’ entrance onto the pitch is accompanied by intense activity from the Brondby supporters, just 20 meters from us. There are at least 2,000 of them, and they will—against all expectations—set the rhythm from the stands, just as their players do on the pitch. Unfortunately for us, the FCK ultras show little activity during this match, disappointed by the level their team is displaying and the season they are having. But in the end, we very much enjoyed discovering the Brondby ultras. A visibly well-organized and reactive group, who treated us to flares, firecrackers and powerful chants. The visitors deservedly win 0–1 against an uninspired FCK team, despite the second-half appearance of the new Danish fan favourite: Fletcher, who could not turn the match around on his own.

In summary, Copenhagen is a fantastic destination for a football weekend. After discovering the Brondby ultras away from home, the reverse derby Brondby – FC Kobenhavn seems almost more attractive than the one we saw. That said, after watching other derbies played at Parken Stadium, we realized that the low level of activity from FCK supporters that day was unusual—because generally, it’s loud!

Thank you, Copenhagen!