Denmark looking to spring surprise in Euro 2017

Danes hope team spirit can guide them through Group of Death in Poland

When the Danish men’s under-21 football team plays its first match at Euro 2017 in Poland on Sunday, they will have their backs to the wall.

After all, when a team ends up in a group with Germany and Italy, the odds are never brilliant. Toss a strong Czech Republic side into the mix and Denmark will have to perform to its very best in three consecutive games to have any chance of progressing from Group C.

Serge Gnabry, Maximilian Arnold (both Germany), Domenico Berardi and Gianluigi Donnarumma (both Italy) are just four of the stars that Denmark’s young guns will have to corral in order to progress to the knock-out stage.

Despite Denmark’s strong qualifying performance, going undefeated, it will be an uphill battle from here.

READ MORE: Under-21s handed solid qualification group for Euro 2019

Krazy in Krakow
The tournament starts on Friday, but the Danes don’t lace up until Sunday in Krakow, where they face an Italian side brimming with Serie A talent. The Danes are serious underdogs, especially considering they haven’t beaten Italy in the last seven encounters, though a goalless draw in Bergamo last November offers some hope.

It doesn’t get any easier three days later when they line up across from the Germans, who beat a vastly superior Danish side 3-0 at Euro 2015. By the time the Czechs roll around in Tychy next Saturday, the Danes could very well be out.

“It’s great that the countries are putting out their best teams. It’s awesome that the tournament is being prioritised and people find it exciting and interesting,” Denmark’s coach, Niels Frederiksen, told Bold.dk.

“It won’t make it easier for us, but it will make it more interesting because we have the opportunity to measure up against Europe’s finest in this age group. It will be exciting and we are looking forward to it.”

READ MORE: Very nice! Danes get past Kazakhstan in World Cup qualifier

A potent unit
But what Denmark lacks in star power, the team is filled to the brim with in spirit and teamwork.

Star youngsters like Pione Sisto (Celta Vigo), Kasper Dolberg (Ajax) and Jacob Bruun Larsen (Dortmund) will all miss out for one reason or another, but team spirit is strong because the coach has picked the players who qualified Denmark for the tournament in the first place. Ringers can be a good, but disruptive, presence.

There are other positives. The Danes warmed up by beating the defending champs Sweden 2-0 in Helsingborg last week and they can also hang their hats on a bit of history. 25 years ago this month, a Denish side that wasn’t even supposed to be at Euro 92 went on to win the whole thing. Who did they beat in the final? Germany.

Denmark’s games will shown on Kanal 5.




  • Young Copenhageners supply study grants by selling cocaine

    Young Copenhageners supply study grants by selling cocaine

    In recent years, the spread of cocaine has accelerated. The drug is easily accessible and not only reserved for wealthy party heads. Copenhagen Police have just arrested ten young people and charged them with reselling cocaine

  • 5 Mistakes I Made When I Moved to Denmark

    5 Mistakes I Made When I Moved to Denmark

    Here are five mistakes I made that helped me understand that belonging isn’t a strategy—it’s a practice. This isn’t a story of struggle—it’s a reflection on growth, told through the lens of emotional intelligence.

  • Analysis shows that many students from Bangladesh are enrolled in Danish universities

    Analysis shows that many students from Bangladesh are enrolled in Danish universities

    Earlier this year, the Danish government changed the law on access for people from third world countries to the Danish labor market. Yet, there may still be a shortcut that goes through universities

  • Danish Flower company accused of labor abuse in Türkiye

    Danish Flower company accused of labor abuse in Türkiye

    Queen Company, a Denmark-origin flower producer with pristine sustainability credentials, is under fire for alleged labor rights violations at its Turkish operation, located in Dikili, İzmir. Workers in the large greenhouse facility have been calling decent work conditions for weeks. The Copenhagen Post gathered testimonies from the workers to better understand the situation

  • Advice for expats: Navigating Life as an International in Denmark

    Advice for expats: Navigating Life as an International in Denmark

    Beginning this month, Expat Counselling will be contributing a monthly article to The Copenhagen Post, offering guidance, tools, and reflections on the emotional and social aspects of international life in Denmark. The first column is about Strategies for emotional resilience

  • New agreement criticized for not attracting enough internationals

    New agreement criticized for not attracting enough internationals

    Several mayors and business leaders across Denmark are not satisfied with the agreement that the government, the trade union movement and employers made last week. More internationals are needed than the agreement provides for

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.


  • “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    Describing herself as a “DEI poster child,” being queer, neurodivergent and an international in Denmark didn’t stop Laurence Paquette from climbing the infamous corporate ladder to become Marketing Vice President (VP) at Vestas. Arrived in 2006 from Quebec, Laurence Paquette unpacks the implications of exposing your true self at work, in a country that lets little leeway for individuality

  • Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Agreement between unions and employers allows more foreign workers in Denmark under lower salary requirements, with new ID card rules and oversight to prevent social dumping and ensure fair conditions.

  • New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    Kadre Darman was founded this year to support foreign-trained healthcare professionals facing challenges with difficult authorisation processes, visa procedures, and language barriers, aiming to help them find jobs and contribute to Denmark’s healthcare system