Sport
The greatest Danish Superliga XI of all time
When it comes to being a hotbed of natural talent, few domestic leagues have regularly provided a tough testing ground quite like the Danish Superliga. Since 1991, the Danish top flight has proven to be an excellent breeding ground for young Nordic talents as well as a good launch point for talents from across the world. With top sides like FC Copenhagen and Brondby enjoying excellent representation both at home and in Europe, many top names have tried to test themselves in Danish football. So just which of the bright talents over the past few decades have proven themselves to make the greatest Danish Superliga XI of all time?
GK: Mogens Krogh
When it comes to decorated careers, few players would have enjoyed the success that Mogens Krogh had. However, it didn’t come without it’s challenges. Krogh was brought into the Danish Superliga by Brondby in 1991 to fill the void left by Peter Schmeichel’s departure to Manchester United. With big gloves to fill, Krogh cemented himself as Brondby’s number 1 for much of the next decade. Krogh played over 350 games for Brondby over the next 11 years winning no less than 3 Danish Superliga titles in the process. This come in addition to being part of the Denmark squad that won Euro 1992 and the 1995 Confederations Cup. After he retired in 2002, Krogh went into management working for sides throughout the Danish league system.
RB: Lars Jacobsen
A much-travelled veteran across Europe’s major leagues, Lars Jacobsen was always a player that always had no real weaknesses. He proved this multiple times with sides in the Superliga through various stages of his career. Jacobsen made an immediate impact when emerging with OB Odense. He was named 1997 Danish U-19 Player of the Year and also captured the 2002 Danish Cup final. After a stint in Germany with Hamburg, Jacobsen returned to Denmark with FC Copenhagen in 2004. During the next three seasons, Jacobsen was a regular as FC Copenhagen won three titles and was included in the 2005 and 2006 Danish Superliga Team of the Year. After leaving in 2007, Jacobsen returned to the club in 2011 where he became club captain on return. He helped Copenhagen to win the 2012/13 Superliga title lifting the trophy as captain. After retiring in 2015, Jacobsen had won 4 league titles showcasing his place as a top player.
LB: Pierre Bengtsson
There are plenty of Swedish footballers that have featured in the Danish Superliga but few have been as consistent or successful as Pierre Bengtsson. The Swedish left-back was a versatile defender and a player that had a solid presence on the pitch. Most of his success in Denmark came in two spells with FC Copenhagen. During his two stints at the Parken Stadion, Bengtsson won 3 league titles being a regular first-team player in each of these campaigns. With over 200 appearances in the Superliga, there are few Swedish stars as successful as Bengtsson.
CB: Per Nielsen
There are few players that have a natural affinity with Danish football quite like Per Nielsen. Nielsen’s entire career came with Brondby where he spent 16 seasons with the club. Nielsen’s presence brought plenty of success to the club where he spent much of his time as captain at Brondby Stadion. During his time with the club, he won 5 Superliga titles between 1996 and 2005. It was during the 2001/02 and 2004/05 titles wins that Nielsen lifted the trophy as club captain. His impeccable form was underlined further as he was named Brondby Player of the Year in both 2003 and 2006. After retiring in 2008, he joined the club as a scout and continues in backstage roles at the club to this day.
CB: Michael Gravgaard
A veteran of Danish football, Michael Gravgaard was a tough defender that never lets strikers get past when possible. After impressing with Randers, Gravgaard moved to Viborg in 2002 becoming one of the stars of their team. This brought FC Copenhagen to his doorstep who he signed for in 2005. His excellent aerial abilities helped Gravgaard remain a critical part of a backline that leaked very few goals. Not only did he win two league titles in 2006 and 2007, Gravgaard was named in both the 2005 and 2006 Danish Superliga Teams of the Year. He would eventually leave Danish football in 2008 to join Nantes in France where he remained until retiring in 2011.
CM: Rasmus Wurtz
There are few players that enjoyed a run in the top-flight quite like Rasmus Wurtz. Wurtz spent almost all his time with AaB Aalborg where he was their lynchpin in the middle of the park. An excellent holding midfielder, Wurtz could control the tempo of a game and play passes across anywhere in the park. During much of his time with AaB, Wurtz was the club captain and it had great influence on the team. This was one of the driving forces behind AaB winning the 2013-14 Danish Superliga title in a season where they did the domestic double. Not only was Wurtz a legend with the club after retiring in 2019, he also set a unique record. Having played in 490 Danish Superliga games, he is the most capped player in the history of the modern form of the Danish top flight.
CM: William Kvist
When it comes to technical acumen, few players could match William Kvist on the pitch. Deployed at the base of midfield, Kvist could play any type of pass and also shone at taking set-pieces. Aside from a four-year spell in Germany and England, Kvist played his entire career with FC Copenhagen. A long-time captain at the club, Kvist was influential is many successes for his boyhood club. This included winning a record 8 Superliga titles during his career between 2005 and 2019. Furthermore, his efforts saw Kvist named Danish Football Player of the Year in both 2010 and 2011. Kvist’s influence can still be felt in football today as he has become FC Copenhagen’s Sporting Director deepening his times with the club.
CM: Thomas Augustinussen
AaB Aalborg enjoyed a loyal presence in midfield as highlighted by the ongoing presence of Thomas Augustinussen. Aside from two years in Austria with Red Bull Salzburg, he spent his entire career with the club. His consistency in the middle of the park helped AaB rise to become a tough side for any team to face. It was this reputation that helped them two league titles with Augustinussen at the club – in the 2007/08 and 2013/14 seasons. He made over 420 appearances for the club during his career making him one of the longest serving players to ever play in the Superliga.
FW: Dame N’Doye
Plenty of foreign strikers have searched for success in Denmark but few enjoyed as much success as what Dame N’Doye did. The Senegal international had pace to burn and was already a decorated footballer by the time he joined Copenhagen in 2009. It was here where his career took off scoring goals for fun. This included a career-best 25 goals in 31 games during the 2010/11 season as he helped FC Copenhagen win their third title in as row. N’Doye returned to the club in 2018 and continued to find form scoring 22 goals as Copenhagen won the 2018-19 Superliga title. His success is well established as N’Doye is the only foreign player to win multiple Superliga Golden Boot awards in 2011 and 2012. A predatory striker who never disappointed in Denmark.
FW: Peter Moller
Always looking for ways to find the back of the net, Peter Moller was one of the first true talisman of the Danish Superliga. He proved this time and time again in the 1990s no matter who he was playing for. After showcasing his scoring success with Aalborg in the early 1990s, Moller also proved his worth with Brondby where he scored 42 goals in just 69 games. Despite spells across Europe, Moller was always his most successful when playing at home. Alongside winning 4 league titles in his career with Brondby and FC Copenhagen, Moller was the first player to win multiple Superliga Golden Boot awards doing so with both Aalborg and Brondby. Having transitioned into a career as a TV pundit, Moller’s eye is laser-focused to showcase the best strikers of tomorrow.
FW: Morten Rasmussen
It’s amazing to think at just how regularly Morten Rasmussen could find the net when playing in Danish football. Affectionally knows as Duncan, Rasmussen never lacked a thirst for goals when playing on home soil. Despite some unsuccessful stints across Europe, Rasmussen thrived for a wealth of clubs included the likes of Brondby, AGF Aarhus and FC Midtjylland. It was with FC Midtjylland that Duncan found most of his best form scoring a best 15 goals in the 2013/14 season for the club. He also scored 13 goals in the 2014/15 season as Midtjylland lifted that season’s Superliga title – the only one that Rasmussen would win in his career. However, his form in the Superliga has been stellar over his career where his 145 goals is a league record. A proof that persistency always pays off.