If you’ve got a man living in the house – particularly one between the ages of 18 and 34 – you’d better check your insurance policy before the next big sporting event begins. 

A recent study from insurance company Codan shows that every tenth Danish man has damaged furniture while watching sport on television. Especially likely to take out their frustration on furniture were younger men.

“I think that many people are familiar with heated situations in front of the TV when people hurl more than just profanity,” said Marianne Dahl Steensen, Codan’s head of consumer insurance.  “Just think about when Portugal scored the last goal against Denmark, after we had equalised their lead in the European championships.” 

She explained that your insurance does not cover damages that are self-inflicted – by throwing your remote against the wall, say – even if you think it is a good excuse that your favourite team lost.

In addition to confirming that men, indeed get into their sports, the study found that some three percent of women admitted to damaging furniture while watching sport on the television.

People from southern Denmark will be pleased to know that it was revealed that they are the calmest, where as it is noticeably people from central Jutland who have had to buy a new remote, lamp or other furniture after sport has been on the television.

The study found that three out of four Danes plan to watch the Olympics on the TV this summer – and women may be waiting more in suspense as to what consequences that will have on their furniture.