UEFA EURO 2020TM:
Copenhagen – Danish dynamite with 145 years of tradition
Denmark’s 1992 European championship title was a sensation. The long journey to that day began with English immigrants in 1876.
Denmark’s 1992 European championship title was a sensation. The long journey to that day began with English immigrants in 1876.
This is our local Morten
An electric, yet relaxed, journey through Copenhagen
The Danes are considered to be pioneers when it comes to sustainability and green mobility. It also seems like every other person in Copenhagen commutes to work on a bike! So, little wonder that Morten’s eyes lit up straightaway when he had an opportunity to cruise through his city in the new ID.3.
Morten made a short stop at the Mobility Experience, a place for fans where they can watch the matches, play football themselves and can get informed about all the Volkswagen Mobility Services.
He briefly sampled the vibes among the fans – breathing in the atmosphere – before getting his hands on a Mobility shirt, which he could then use to unlock a Donkey Republic bike. He then went straight to the stadium on two wheels to watch Denmark’s final and decisive group game against Russia.
Football until the bitter end – the Old Boys Club
This crew simply does not get tired.
Alright, maybe the men of the Old Boys’ Club no longer show the horsepower on the streets that they did 20 or 30 years ago. And maybe their average age is much higher than most other teams. But that does not bother them. As the team’s founder, Claus Winfield, explains: “It’s only in our legs that we might feel 60, but in our minds we’re all still 20.” None of these guys can imagine a life without football and that passion shows in their play despite their age.
62-year-old Winfield says that “the best thing about the Old Boys’ team is that we all know each other extremely well. We win together and we lose together. And win or lose, you learn how to become part of the group and find your place.”
The team spirit characterizes Winfield and his friends. Spending time together also helps them to keep intact memories of football in the past, trips they took together and also their own fans. Football injects a daily dose of nostalgia into their lives.
Even though his legs keep getting older Claus’ playing days are far from over. He is adamant that he will keep playing – until the day he dies.
Round of 16
June 28
Croatia – Spain
On his last day of UEFA EURO 2020™ in Copenhagen, Morten got to experience everything that makes football so great. In an absolutely thrilling contest, Spain beat Croatia 5-3 after extra time. And the weather was amazing too. Thank you for your commitment, Morten.
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- ID.4 - combined power consumption in kWh/100 km: 17,5-15,5; combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 0; efficiency class A+++. Displayed vehicle shows optional equipment.
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- ID.4 - combined power consumption in kWh/100 km: 17,5-15,5; combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 0; efficiency class A+++. Displayed vehicle shows optional equipment.
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- ID.4 - combined power consumption in kWh/100 km: 17,5-15,5; combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 0; efficiency class A+++. Displayed vehicle shows optional equipment.
Matchday 3
June 21
Russia – Denmark
What a beautiful day in Copenhagen. Driving his ID.3 Morten got to discover his home town in a completely new way. After a short break – strawberry tart for Morten and a quick battery charge for the ID.3 – he went to the stadium where the Danish fans showed us once again a great football atmosphere.
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- ID.3 - combined power consumption in kWh/100 km: 14,0-12,9; combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 0; efficiency class: A+++. Displayed vehicle shows optional equipment.
Matchday 2
June 17
Denmark – Belgium
Denmark's first game after Christian Eriksen's accident was characterized by standing ovations and a lot of emotions and passion. Morten was there for us and captured those moments brilliantly. Thank you, Morten!
Matchday 1
June 12
Denmark – Finland
Summer in the city in Copenhagen! The UEFA EURO 2020TM has started and our local Morten is right there. With his special photographic view on things, he captions the emotions and Copenhagen's football soul for us.
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- ID.4 - combined power consumption in kWh/100 km: 17,5-15,5; combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 0; efficiency class A+++. Displayed vehicle shows optional equipment.
Copenhagen and the UEFA EURO 2020TM
Parken Stadium is the biggest football stadium in Denmark. The original stadium was built in 1911; in 1992 a completely new structure was built. At the reopening, Denmark lost to Germany 2-1. In 2001, as Copenhagen was hosting the Eurovision Song Contest, the stadium was fitted with a retractable fabric roof that can be fully closed in 30 minutes.
Parken Stadium will host all three of the Danes’ group matches of as well as a round of 16 match. According to current plans, around 32 percent of the stadium's capacity, i.e. 11,250 fans, are expected to attend the European championship in person.
Copenhagen and football
Football has a long tradition in Denmark. English industrial workers and railway engineers brought the sport to Copenhagen early on, and the first Danish football club, Kjøbenhavns Boldklub, was founded back in 1876, making it the oldest club outside the UK. Today's FC Copenhagen emerged from it in 1992. The capital was THE centre of Danish football in the early days; until 1953, Copenhagen clubs won the title every year.
Historic rivalries of the sort that have developed in other European capitals do not exist in Copenhagen. One factor was the merging of clubs, while other successful teams of the past disappeared into sporting insignificance or went bankrupt. The most important match in the capital today is the duel between the bourgeois FC Copenhagen and the working-class club Brøndby IF.
The Danish league has undergone constant reform in recent years, expanded at times, only to be shrunk again. The league has had twelve teams since the 2020/21 season. After all teams play each other home and away, the league is divided into two groups: the first six teams fight it out for the title while the last six vie to avoid the two relegation spots.
While Danish clubs are still waiting for an international title, the national team stunned the world in 1992 by becoming European champions. All the more remarkable considering the team hadn’t actually qualified: when Yugoslavia were removed from the tournament due to the Balkan conflict, the Danes took their place, just ten days before the start. The Danes were cool customers going into the tournament and went down in history as the Big Mac team due to their penchant for eating fast food during the European championship. Their tournament run was all the more sensational for it: in the semifinals the “Danish dynamite” beat the reigning European champions the Dutch and in the final defeated the tournament favourites and World Cup winners Germany 2-0.
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The city’s greatest football moment
The greatest success by a Danish club team was Brøndby IF reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 1991. After a 0-0 draw at home, they narrowly lost the second leg against AS Roma 2-1.
The greatest moment, however, was probably the first leg of the second round against Eintracht Frankfurt: in Copenhagen, they gave the favoured Hessians a 5-0 drubbing. The side based around World Cup winner Andreas Möller were completely outclassed in front of an ecstatic crowd at Brøndby Stadium. With the Danes flying in the second half, you almost had to feel sorry for Uli Stein in the Frankfurt goal. After the fifth goal by Bent Christensen, the Danish TV commentator uttered in disbelief: "No, no, no."
After the magical night in the first leg, no one minded the 1-4 defeat in the second leg.
