Over Land, Sea & WiFi: The Superliga’s Superfans Around The World
As an English guy, with no family connection to Denmark but a huge love for the Superliga, my passion for Danish football is often met with raised eyebrows. I was sure that around the world there were others in the same boat, so I set about uncovering some of the stories of people across the globe, whose eyes are firmly fixed on this amazing league every weekend.
THE REMOTE SUPER-FANS
Michael (USA, Viborg)
Life imitating art: Michael with Nikolas Røjkjær
For Michael Petersen in the USA, football (the type played with a round ball at least) wasn’t even on his radar until the NFL underwent a ‘lockout’ in 2010, with the season effectively cancelled due to a pay dispute between players and owners. This turn of events made him reconsider his love for the game, “I’d had enough of that nonsense coming from billionaires so I decided to move on from the NFL, and start following more soccer, and actually learning the game.”
Upon discovering every European country had a league he decided to find a team closest to where his ancestors emigrated from - which turned out to be Viborg in Denmark. And despite the 4000+ mile distance, the connection he has built with the club couldn’t be stronger. “[The distance] is excruciating, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.” It’s a distance he’s covered once before to see his beloved side in the flesh. “It lived up to every expectation and more. They lost on the day to HB Køge, 1-0. I remember feeling a bit disappointed with the result, but after 6 years of supporting from afar, it was incredible to watch the people that until then I had only seen on my computer screen. I was joined by someone from the club and stood with the away supporters on a dirt mound, and all I truly wish now is that I had stolen a bit of dirt from that ground as a memento.”
Football Manager is a game that has touched many football fans’ lives at some point but for Michael it threw up some life-imitiating-art moments as he took the reigns at Viborg. “Early in my Football Manager playing career I signed a player named Nikolas Røjkjær from Silkeborg, then in later versions from FC København, and as fate would have it, Viborg FF themselves signed him. Even better - I got to watch him play at the game in Køge. Truly a fantasy played out in real life.”
Michael has a season ticket at local MLS side Minnesota United, but even there, opportunities for Viborg connections arise. “It’s a truly wild and weird coincidence but at the time I went over to Denmark to watch Viborg play, Michael Boxall was a defender for Minnesota United, and his brother, Nikko Boxall was a defender for Viborg.”
Kosuke (Japan, AGF)
Meeting his idol: Kosuke with Martin Jørgensen, who sparked his love for AGF
Fourteen timezones away in Japan is Kosuke, an AGF fan whose passion for the club has become legendary amongst its supporters. How he became enamoured with the club was simple - “AGF is the team where my idol, Martin Jørgensen, started - and ended - his career. Ever since I saw him play against Brazil in the ‘98 World Cup I was a fan of his, and I continued to watch him at Udinese and Fiorentina before he returned to AGF in 2010. While watching him at AGF, I fell in love with the club itself. I love the closeness between players and fans.”
Kosuke he has also made the mammoth journey to see his team, a trip made possible by a generous crowdfunding effort from AGF fans. “AGF supporters invited me to Aarhus through crowdfunding at https://www.morethanaclub.dk. The club invited me to Ceres Park and I was able to talk to the players and staff in the locker room. Just before the start of the game, Martin Jørgensen came up for me as a surprise and gave me his shirt. The excitement of watching the game with all the fans was awesome.”
Like Michael, Kosuke has a local team, Urawa Reds, and like Michael, there was also an unlikely player connection between the two sides. “ I was so happy when former AGF player Junker joined. I even went to support him with the Danish flag at his first game at Saitama Stadium.”
Kenny (Scotland, FC København)
Closer to Denmark, but no less vociferous in his support is FC København supporter Kenny, from Scotland. His journey to becoming a fan was anything but traditional. Many clubs particularly in the Nordic region have created esports teams to compete in virtual tournaments. Typically the teams borrow support from the clubs they represent, but in Kenny’s case it was the esports team that first came onto his radar and brought FCK to his attention. “I followed the eSports team North (CSGO) before they got bought by FCK in 2017. It started off as seeing what the football team was like and keeping an eye out for the results and developed from there as I started seeing more of the fans and football being played.”
Quickly, the team, the league and the football culture made an imprint on him. “I love that there's more than just one city which dominates the league. The fan culture as well is a lot more fan friendly and the ultras are passionate beyond belief, yet still able to create a safe feeling for all at the games.” Kenny’s love for the club has grown and he’s made numerous trips to Copenhagen - and beyond - to watch FCK. “I've been to seven games and every single one has exceeded expectations. From the city to the game and the fans I forget about everything else that's happening and just immerse myself in following my team. The feeling of being in Sektion 12 and having the stand bouncing is amazing. I love being able to partake in supporting this club and being accepted by everyone, especially when they realise I'm not Danish.”
FCN Glasgow (Scotland, FC Nordsjælland)
Tigers on tour: FCN Glasgow supporting their team at Right To Dream Park in Farum
Elsewhere in the UK is a fan group who have built a legendary status at the club they support. FCN Glasgow started with a group of friends in Scotland playing Pro Evolution Soccer on PlayStation and being randomly assigned FC Nordsjælland. From there their passion for the Farum based club began to grow from afar, leading to them flying over to Denmark to see the team in person - a trip they have now made five times. “The thing that struck us when we visited was how accessible the club is to fans. We come from a world where players are at arms length and fans can often be treated as customers to be exploited. Not at FCN. There seems to be less hostility in Danish football by comparison to Scotland, obvious exceptions noted, and more of a collective support of Danish teams in European competitions. Certainly no club loyalties are taken into account when it comes to the national team - not things that can be said of us!”
FC Nordsjælland have welcomed this group of Scottish super-fans with open arms. “The club have been absolutely unbelievable with us, from the staff, players to the fans. They all have made us feel part of it and like we matter. From the early days of the social media team tweeting match updates in English for us, to helping us secure merchandise from the shop, to making each and every one of our trips to Farum memorable (they picked us up from the station in a convertible Mustang).”
Like many fans abroad, the advent of OneFootball has really changed the experience of watching from afar - for the better. “Over the 9 years of us following, it hasn’t been easy to follow FCN from Scotland. For many matches during that time frame, we’ve relied on watching streams on our phones via betting websites for example. That has changed recently with the introduction of the OneFootball app which streams Superliga reliably.”
Supporting FCN has also had the effect of bringing together a group of friends whose football loyalties domestically are split. “One of the great things about FCN Glasgow is it brings together a group of guys whose loyalties in Glasgow are completely divided. 5 Rangers fans and 3 Celtic fans. The rivalry is well documented in Scotland so it’s strange but great to have occasions where we’re all behind the same team.”
Daniel (England, AaB)
Signed and sealed: a gift for Daniel from the Aab supporters club, with a card from club captain at the time, Rasmus Wurtz.
South of the border you’ll find Daniel, an AaB fan whose time spent living in Aalborg showed him a new side of football that he fell in love with. “It all started when I moved to Aalborg for an Erasmus exchange back in the summer of 2015. On my second day in the city, I got a season ticket for the club, which cost £100 or so - crazily good value. I went to the first few home games, before I was eventually invited to join the AaB supporters club (ASC) through a facebook post I'd commented on. From there, I started going on away trips too, and was welcomed from minute one. I Ioved every minute of it.”
For Daniel, it was not just the action on the pitch that appealed to him. “Being such an avid fan of football in general - it felt a world away from the Premier League, but in the best possible ways. These were community clubs, with modest, but passionate fan bases. Clubs with history, not dominated by money. It showed me the intrinsic differences between being a fan, and being a supporter and I felt that I was really supporting the club. I think my view of it is of course skewed by just how welcoming the supporters of Aalborg were to me - they took me in as one of their own.”
Viktor (Albania, FC København)
As my own experience can confirm, the Superliga bug can bite at any point, sometimes when you’re least expecting it. Growing up in Albania, Viktor supported Tirana but watching the domestic league didn’t excite him in the way watching many of the other European leagues did. Scandinavia had always appealed to him as a region and in 2020 he began looking for a team to really get behind. “I was choosing between FCK, Malmö and Rosenborg, but FCK attracted me the most. The fans, the trophies, the quality players… my support started with the Europa League match we played against Celtic and a few weeks later, I travelled to Istanbul to see FCK play against Basaksehir.”
One thing that is hard to replicate from afar is the feeling of togetherness you feel from being around other supporters. “Oh the distance is hard. In happiness or sadness, you are always alone. When we won the championship last year, there was no one to celebrate with or share my happiness with. But I love this team unconditionally and from the heart - I keep dreaming of the day I’ll go to Parken.”
And even having only supported the team for two years, there are moments of emotion already imbedded into Viktor’s memories. “When we became champions, I was jumping at home with happiness. And then during the Champions League Playoffs, my mother was very ill. I was in the hospital following the matches on my phone and after eliminating Trabzonspor, I got a little emotional and cried.”
Calum (Scotland, AGF)
Memories from Callum’s time in Aarhus
For Calum, supporting the local side after moving to Aarhus gave him a way to connect with the people he met. “I moved to Aarhus in the summer of 2012 because my girlfriend at the time was studying there. I had been to the stadium previously to watch the U21 Euro final between Spain and Switzerland, so I was excited that there was going to be a club to go and watch. Moving over from Scotland I wanted to integrate myself as much as possible into the local community, it gave me another topic to talk to people at work about. It helped that the ground was a 10 minute cycle from my flat in Aaparken.”
Now back in the UK, he continues to support AGF but recognises the experience is vastly different to what he was used to. “I grew up in the North West Coast of Scotland, so being a fan of anyone was always at a distance. It is not a new experience to support from a distance, but watching the games online does make me miss the experience of being in the stadium. It doesn't dampen my support, but it perhaps does not have the same priority as it did when part of my week was geared around going to watch them in the flesh.”
In Scotland, AGF shirts are, as you might expect, few and far between, but Calum did encounter one in the wild recently. “I cycled passed someone in Inverness who was running in an AGF shirt about a month ago and almost gave him a heart attack shouting 'Kom saa de hviie' as I flew past!”
What memories does he hold closest from his time as a season ticket holder at the club? “Seeing the stadium rocking against FCK - despite being on a run of bad results, it was near to a sell out and and the stadium was bouncing. I’d also say seeing Aron Jóhannsson have his breakout in season 2012/13 and Jens Jonsson's last minute equaliser against Silkeborg, which won goal of the season.
The desire to watch football in the flesh has led him to his local team, but how does it compare to the bright lights of Ceres Park? “At the moment I go and watch my local semi-proffesional team Clachnacuddin, that's my match going supporting team these days, but it is not Superliga!”
THE PARENTS
So far everyone I’ve spoken to has chosen their clubs themselves. But sometimes your children make the decision for you - by playing in the Superliga!
Kalala Stamenic (New Zealand, FC København)
Kalala & Nik preparing to watch their son Marko in Champions League action for FCK
Kalala and Nik are parents to FCK’s Marko Stamenic. The Kiwi midfielder has risen to prominence this season, starting regularly and playing in the club’s most important Champions League encounters. And ever since he first pulled on the famous white shirt of the Copenhagen club, his family have been supporting him and his teammates with a passion few can rival. “We started following the Superliga when Marko became a part of the FCK youth family in 2020 and our support for FCK was immediate. The more we watched, the more exciting it got and we have become huge fans of the club and its supporters. Danish Football has a certain vibe, an infectious one…the game is faster and more aggressive, the fans are electric and their loyalty and commitment to their team is next level.”
I was curious to find out how a 12 hour time difference impacts the family’s ability to support Marko and his teammates. “It’s been an interesting ride but the early wake ups or late watches don’t deter us – if anything it adds to the ambience and excitement of what’s about to unfold. We chant along with the fans (admittedly making up our own words along the way), celebrate the successes and feel for the team when the result has not been favourable. It definitely makes our football journey and the love for the game eventful, especially being on the other side of the world screaming and cheering at the TV (our poor neighbours!). The FCK fans at the stadium make it that little bit extra for us - we transform into our inner die-hard FCK fanhood and you’d think we were at Parken as we sing, chant and scream along.”
The family recently had the opportunity to see Marko play in person, in both Copenhagen and Manchester, and witnessing the FCK fans first-hand made a big impression on them. “What a moment! Both events provided epic experiences and long lasting impressions. In those instances you couldn’t help but feel proud and a part of the FCK family, especially when there are the roars of chants lifting their players up and in return the players trying the hardest. It was an experience that will live rent free in our hearts and minds for life!”
And do their FCK shirts get recognised on the streets of New Zealand? “Yes - we are pretty proud FCK fans and have had a few comments, mostly along the lines of where they can get one and does it come signed!”
Jay Cappis (USA, Brøndby)
Half a world away: Jay and his son Oliver prepare to watch Christian in action for Brøndby
On the other side of the world is another parent supporting a team from the Copenhagen derby, but this time on the yellow and blue side. Jay Cappis is father to Brøndby midfielder Christian and like Kalala and Nik, watching his son play in the Superliga has made him fall hopelessly in love with the team and the league.
“When Christian first signed his contract I posted something on Twitter and someone reached out and asked how I was related to him. Over time the fans started to include me at a level where I kinda lost my feeling of being a father of a player and just realised I’m a fan of these people, this group that supports them and how the club are playing. There’s so much to truly enjoy about it and they’ve been so open and welcoming.”
Of course being on social media comes as a double edged sword. “Every once in a while you get trolls who every once in a while do a drive-by, but the Brondby fanbase is very good at policing their own and step in to resolve it. I love them for having that kind of ownership over the relationship to the club. I’ve been around the game long enough to know these moments happen and the fans have their right to express their frustration. There’s some people who go way overboard and take it way too personally but at the same time there’s really nothing they’re doing that is affecting my breathing or Christian’s breathing. I think that by having the ability to put it all in context, I try to be respectful of the people saying things to the extent they deserve, then ignore the rest.”
For the matches themselves, just finding a way to watch them is often the main hurdle. “First thing is to figure out if I can watch the game! OneFootball last Spring started streaming the games which was great. The cup games and the European games are harder though. Because it’s so much earlier here it’s really a morning experience - a different way of doing things but it’s amazing to actually turn on the television and watch your son play after all those years of turning on the television and watching everybody else play, so I try not to take it for granted.”
Recently, Jay travelled over for the Copenhagen derby and had the amazing experience of watching Christian play in this showpiece fixture. In the first derby of the season, at Parken, Christian had started - and scored. In this one he began on the bench, making for a nervous wait for Jay in the stands. “You just never know. He rarely goes on the pitch if he doesn’t start [and Brøndby] have a lead. I was thinking when Brøndby were ahead 1-0 that they would lock the ship down, so when he came on it was really exciting - and to see the growth he’s made as a player, in person.”
The trip has left him wanting to return as soon as possible to do it again, and perhaps next time he’ll take up a spot in Brøndby’s famous Sydsiden. “I’d love to stand in there and jump and have a fun time with them because they are special. They do everything they can to lift their club up, it doesn’t matter how well or how bad they’re doing, it’s really cool.”
THE DANES
Johnni (USA, Brøndby), Emil (USA, Brøndby) & Mikkel (Denmark, FC København)
There is of course a group of people abroad supporting the Superliga with a similarly intense passion - Danes who have moved for family or for work. Johnni became a Brøndby fan in the 1980s after going to games with his father and seeing the team’s stars of the time like Peter Schmeichel, Brian Laudrup, and Lars Olsen.
He now lives in the USA and for him, being so far away from his team is hard. “It’s tough, especially in a country where no one knows or cares about Brøndby. Football is on the rise over here, but not anywhere close to European standards. Games are usually very early in the morning, so I am either in a good or a very bad mood the rest of the day. My days are often busy following Brøndby Twitter in particular and Danish football in general. There is a sense of community across club divides, plenty of good banter, and sometimes some jibes.”
I asked him whether any of the local teams had managed to win him over since moving. “I have teams that I watch, but none that matter to me the way Brøndby does.”
It is a similar story for Emil, another Brøndby fan who also resides in the States. “I went from watching almost every game in the stadium to now watching from the couch so I certainly feel detached from the club I love. I try to watch as many games as possible, but the connection to the club is honestly difficult to keep when you are so far away. I miss being in the stadium and feeling the rush of walking onto the stands. But what I miss most is simply watching the team play. The feeling when we score a goal or win a game is unbeatable.”
There are also Danes who, even in Denmark, are so far physically from their team that they feel almost as if they are in another country when it comes to supporting them. Mikkel is a FC København supporter who lives over 300km away from Parken. He first saw FCK at an away game against Aarhus Fremad in 1996 and from that day was smitten. “The Boys from the Capital - wow. From that day on my heart belonged to FCK and my support grows every day. Sometimes it's hard to be so far from the team that means everything for me, but mostly I’m sad that I am sometimes seen as a fake supporter because of the distance. Should I support AGF or AC Horsens because of the geography? No way, I started supporting FCK when the results were bad! I’ve been to over 100 games and the atmosphere, the team, the players - it just means so much to me.”
From all around Europe to the USA, to Japan, to New Zealand - the Superliga has and continues to touch many peoples’ lives and ignite a passion for a league that often doesn’t get the spotlight it deserves. So if, like me, you’re outside of Denmark, watching the league from afar on an app (thank you OneFootball and Fifa+!) just know that somewhere on the other side of the world, there will be someone doing the exact same thing.
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to this piece, the passion your have for your teams and the league inspires me to continue to tell the stories that make the Superliga so special.
