Are you a fan of Danish football? Or does your favorite team play against one of the clubs in Copenhagen in a European tournament? In any of those cases, you need to plan a football trip to Copenhagen. In this article, we are sharing some practical information.
FC Copenhagen and Brøndby are the two largest clubs in the Danish capital. However, the talent factory FC Nordsjælland is also playing nearby. All of these clubs have played European football on several occasions – particularly FC Copenhagen who occasionally qualifies for the Champions League and regularly takes part in the Europa League.
Here you will learn more about all the Copenhagen clubs, how to get tickets, how to get to their stadiums, and what to expect when you are at the match.
If you are simply visiting Copenhagen on a normal trip and just want to watch football in a bar, read the following article about where to watch football in Copenhagen.
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FC Copenhagen
FC Copenhagen is the biggest club in Denmark. It is a relatively new club, as it was founded in 1992. However, the current club was a merger between the two historic organizations, KB and B 1903.
KB – the current club’s ancestor – won 15 Danish league titles which still remains the record. B 1903 won two league titles. Since the merger, FC Copenhagen has won 13 titles. The club had a relatively slow start, but in the ’00s and in the 2010s, FC Copenhagen has been a dominant force in Danish football.
The nickname of the club is Byens hold – the team of the city. Many locals simply call it “FCK”, short for FC København, which is the Danish name of the club.
For several years, it has been the highest-ranked football club in Scandinavia on the UEFA rankings. FC Copenhagen plays its home matches at Parken. This is also the national stadium of Denmark, with a capacity of 38,000 spectators.
If you come to Copenhagen as a football fan, try to get into an FC Copenhagen match. It is a great experience. The white-shirted capital team obviously plays in the best Danish division and takes on other Danish teams all year round. FC Copenhagen also plays European football almost every season. The club has become a regular in the Europa League, and in some seasons it manages to qualify for the Champions League.
How to get FC Copenhagen tickets
FC Copenhagen has an online ticket store where you can buy tickets. Usually, tickets will be put up for sale a few weeks before matchday. You can even buy season tickets on the website. There are almost always tickets available, even for the biggest matches. So getting in is no problem. But you should arrange things in advance, just to make sure you get good seats.
Parken Stadium
Parken is Denmark’s most famous stadium. This is the venue where FC Copenhagen plays its home matches.
The address is Parken Sport & entertainment, Per Henrik Lings Allé 2, 2100 København Ø. Parken is located in the eastern part of Copenhagen, in the wealthy neighborhood Indre Østerbro. Aside from being a football venue, there are lots of events at Parken. The stadium also has office facilities where some of Denmark’s most ambitious companies are situated.
To reach Parken, you can take the metro (the closest station is Trianglen), take a bus, take a taxi, or simply walk. The stadium has a pretty central location, so it is not too far away on foot if you are staying in one of the central hotels.
Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF is the other big club from Denmark’s capital city. The club was founded in 1964 and has a strong rivalry with FC Copenhagen. While the latter is seen as the biggest club of the city and has a lot of fair-weather fans, Brøndby is a club from the suburbs and arguably has the most passionate supporters.
Just like its rival, Brøndby was founded as a merger between two smaller clubs. Brøndby plays in yellow and blue shirts and the team is based in Brøndbyvester – a working-class suburb in the western part of Copenhagen. Its home stadium is Brøndby Stadium with a capacity of 28,000.
Over the years, Brøndby has won the Danish league 11 times and the cup 7 times. It is also the only Danish team that has ever reached a European semifinal, as Brøndby made it to the semifinals in the 1991 UEFA Cup.
Brøndby is the most recent winner of the Danish Superliga as it won the title in the 2020/21 season. This was seen as a return to glory since Brøndby had been through several heartbreaks over the most recent decade. From 1985 to 2005 – right before FC Copenhagen began to dominate Danish football – Brøndby was considered the best club in Denmark. During the end of that era, from 2002 to 2006, Brøndby was coached by football legend Michael Laudrup and won the double in 2005. The club then fell into a crisis, but it now appears that Brøndby has fully risen again.
How to get Brøndby tickets
Brøndby tickets are sold at the Danish website Billetto. Once again, try to buy your tickets in advance. It will make everything easier.
Brøndby Stadium
Known as both Brøndby Stadion and Vilforts Park in Danish, this stadium is located in Brøndbyvester. The address is Brøndby Stadion 30, 2605 Brøndby.
It is not as central as Parken, so if you are going on a football trip to Copenhagen and staying in one of the central areas, you will likely need to use public transport to get there. Take the S-tog line B to Glostrup, and you will be right near the stadium. Several buses go there as well. Avedøre St. and Brøndby Strand are some other nearby stations that you can reach with the S-tog.
FC Nordsjælland
FC Nordsjælland is a fun underdog team that often draws support from abroad. The club plays in Farum, a relatively small town just 20 kilometers northwest of the capital.
It is a very new club. Founded in 1991 as Farum Boldklub, it changed its name to FC Nordsjælland in 2003. Nordsjælland frequently develops great young players and has become famous as a talent factory. The reason why many people support Nordsjælland is because of the club’s underdog reputation, as well as for the way it plays. Nordsjælland usually tries to play open, attacking football. There are often many goals scored in Nordsjælland matches.
FC Nordsjælland won the Danish league in 2011/12. The following season, the club played in the UEFA Champions League where it faced off with top European clubs such as Juventus, Chelsea, and Shakhtar Donetsk. Nordsjælland has also won the Danish cup twice.
How to get FC Nordsjælland tickets
One of the main reasons to watch a Nordsjælland match rather than the other Copenhagen clubs is that tickets are very cheap. Prices start at 110 DKK (15 EUR/17 USD) so that is very cheap.
Nordsjælland has its own portal for tickets. Tickets become available a few weeks before each match. You can also buy tickets at the stadium, as long as there are still free spots.
Farum Park
Nordsjælland’s home ground Farum Park is a relatively small stadium. It has room for 10,000 spectators. It is also known as Right to Dream Stadium, a recent name that it got for some inexplicable reason.
Most fans go there by car. You can also take the train to Farum St. or one of the many buses. It is a relatively short ride – from central Copenhagen, you can reach Farum Park in about 50 minutes.
New Firm Derby
Inspired by the Old Firm Derby in Scotland, fans of FC Copenhagen and Brøndby have declared their derby to be the New Firm.
It is also called the Copenhagen Derby. The two clubs are guaranteed to play each other at least twice per season. In reality, they typically play 3-4 times each year, so there are plenty of opportunities to watch this game.
However, like all derbies, it can be very intense. The clubs are big rivals, and the most passionate fans on each side truly dislike each other.
It is the biggest derby in Denmark though, and it is the biggest football experience you can get in Copenhagen.
Statistically, FC Copenhagen has done better in the New Firm Derby, winning 52 matches compared to Brøndby’s 36 victories. On 26 occasions, the derby has ended in a draw. But despite the fact that FC Copenhagen has more wins, the derby is still very close and intense, and the Danish media gives the derby a lot of attention.
International games in Copenhagen
Several International games take place in Copenhagen.
FC Copenhagen and Brøndby are regulars in European football. If your team is facing up against one of them, you could do a football trip to Copenhagen and support your club.
Denmark plays the vast majority of its national matches at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen. Most of these matches will be friendlies and qualification matches.
Parken hosted four matches in the Euro 2020 tournament. Obviously, there is a chance that other competitions can take place in Copenhagen in the future.
Where to stay
If you are visiting Copenhagen, you will need a place to stay. We recommend picking a central hotel with good comfort. This makes the entire experience better.
Absalon Hotel is our preferred option in Copenhagen. It is located in a cool area with many young people and with plenty of transportation options nearby. The hotel is also quite authentic – it is a family-owned hotel with a nice reputation.
An alternative, closer to Parken, would be Copenhagen Admiral Hotel. It is just as pleasant as the Absalon Hotel, and it is a very popular choice among travelers coming to Copenhagen.
To find more options, read our full article on where to stay in Copenhagen, or check our piece about the best neighborhoods in Copenhagen.
Conclusion
Copenhagen is a cultural city that is always great to visit. If you are into football, it certainly makes sense to catch a game. FC Copenhagen and Brøndby are some very popular clubs, they are fun to watch, and attending a match will give you an impression of the local football culture in Denmark.
