Bitter Rivals Malmö And Copenhagen Set For Champions League Showdown

Every day, tens of thousands of group are thought to commute crossed nan 8km span betwixt Malmö and Copenhagen. The sanction of nan span – Öresund if you’re Swedish aliases Øresund if you’re Danish – is 1 of only a fewer things that disagreement nan group of nan 2 cities. Another 1 is football.

After Malmö hit Latvia’s RFS successful a Champions League qualifier past week their winger Jens Stryger Larsen, who has much than 50 Denmark caps, led nan club’s supporters successful a vociferous chorus of “We dislike Copenhagen” – nan personality of their third-round opponents nary secret, nan tie already made.

Stryger Larsen came done nan ranks astatine Brøndby – FC Copenhagen’s fierce rivals – and is 1 of a mates of Danish players successful nan Malmö squad. His chanting was criticised by Danish police, who said it was “helping to operation up a dispute atmosphere” earlier nan two-leg necktie gets nether measurement successful Sweden connected Tuesday.

It will beryllium an easy travel to nan Eleda Stadion for Copenhagen’s travelling support: little than an hr by roadworthy aliases rail. Revellers are known to make nan short hop to bask a cheaper nighttime retired successful nan business Swedish metropolis than they tin get successful Denmark’s much regal capital. “Malmö is ever going to beryllium nan small brother, city-wise,” says Agnes Gertten, who has commuted to Copenhagen for activity successful nan past, of nan Malmö instrumentality relation Supporterhuset.

Despite nan friends narration shared by Malmö and Copenhagen arsenic cities, location is rivalry betwixt MFF and FCK, felt much powerfully from nan Malmö side. Although nan clubs play each different only occasionally – location person been 2 competitory meetings successful nan past 2 decades – that animosity stems from a Royal League brushwood successful 2005, erstwhile Danish constabulary were accused of attacking distant supporters successful nan stands aft small provocation.

The blasted crippled was played and a three-year tribunal lawsuit followed, pinch nary individuals prosecuted. The teams’ first competitory gathering astatine Parken since past was successful nan Europa League successful 2019, which nan visitors won 1-0 to apical their group. “For me, it was very emotional,” says Gertten, who will be some legs complete nan adjacent week. “We had conscionable mislaid a friend earlier that twelvemonth … he really hated Copenhagen. I cried for illustration a baby. I deliberation it was a emotion of being nan greatest.”

FC Copenhagen players observe during their triumph complete Drita of Denmark successful nan erstwhile qualifying round. Photograph: Thomas Traasdahl/EPA

Scandinavian pridefulness is astatine liking here. Bodø/Glimt’s caller emergence has brought a caller element, but MFF and FCK person spent overmuch of this period arsenic nan region’s apical dogs and vehicles for nan Sweden-Denmark pan-sporting grudge. “We are nan astir successful nine complete here,” says William Galambos of MFF Support, “and they are nan astir successful nine successful Denmark. Both clubs are utilized to winning and want to beryllium nan champion successful Scandinavia.”

Malmö and Copenhagen, winners of six of nan past 10 titles successful their respective home leagues, tin pull nan champion of nan remainder successful nan region and an intermingling of nations is common. “Since we are nan 2 large clubs, some successful nan stands and connected nan pitch, nan champion players successful Scandinavia person their eyes connected america and Copenhagen,” says Galambos. Anders Christiansen, nan captain, is different Danish sound successful nan MFF dressing room, which includes nan Malmö-born goalkeeper Robin Olsen, who won 2 Danish titles pinch FCK.

Copenhagen’s skipper is Viktor Claesson, a Swede, and they besides person nan guardant Jordan Larsson, nan boy of Henrik. “The Swedish players, they are looking guardant to it,” says David Bastian-Møller of nan Copenhagen Sundays website. “Jordan Larsson agreed that it would beryllium a bully crippled to play arsenic a Swede.”

From Malmö, location is talk of “hatred”, truthful really would Copenhagen picture nan emotion towards their neighbours? “Insignificance,” smiles Bastian-Møller. “From a Copenhagen perspective, location is not really a rivalry. We person a immense rivalry pinch Brøndby, we meet them usually 4 times a season. Malmö, we don’t really salary attraction to them.” But of course, he would opportunity that. “A batch of Copenhagen supporters effort to opportunity that they don’t really attraction astir us,” says Gertten.

Both teams are 2 rounds from nan Champions League proper, which neither took portion successful past season. “Barcelona successful Parken, aliases Real Madrid, aliases 1 of nan large English teams …” imagines Bastian-Møller erstwhile he thinks of imaginable match-ups. Malmö person already landed their dream opponents. “Each twelvemonth erstwhile we are successful Europe, we want to meet Copenhagen,” says Galambos. “That’s nan only squad we ever want to meet.”