F.C. Copenhagen U17s crowned Danish champions

F.C. Copenhagen's U17s team won the Danish Championship over the weekend with a 2-1 victory over Randers.

The Young Lions are currently undefeated in the U17 league and now have an insurmountable 10-point lead over OB.

U17 head coach Emil Fredslund took over last summer and has steered the team to a title in his first season.

"It was really great to secure the title already at the first attempt," says Fredslund.

"It was a close match, and I could tell from the boys that something was at stake, because they also wanted to decide the title immediately.

"There was also tension in the match, where we fell a goal behind before we turned it around and won 2-1, but that was probably very good because the celebrations were a little more intense compared to if we'd won big.

"We were already in a good position to win the championship, and the biggest pressure and the biggest redemption probably came last weekend, when we took on our closest challengers from OB and beat them 6-0.

"There we peaked both as a team and individually, and our shoulders were allowed to drop just a little. So I think everyone was in good balance and control when we went to Randers and ended up seeing the title home."

Earlier this spring FCK's U16 group delivered in a major tournament in Florida, where they reached the final, and Fredslund can also feel that both the matches and the time off the field strengthened the entire squad.

"That trip did a lot for the U16 players – those in the first year of our U17s, where we were matched well and several of them got some management tasks over there," says the head coach.

"After we came back, they have helped to push the second-year U17 players, so overall the trip really did a lot of good, also for our training environment.

"But first and foremost, I'm looking forward to seeing what it means for our team next season, when the U16 players will be in their second year of the U17s."

The U17s are undefeated after 17 wins and five draws, and the head coach wants the squad to finish the league without losing.

"Yes, it would be fun for the boys to go through the season without losing," says Fredslund. "I also have a small personal ambition to do it, just like Neestrup did in the 15/16 season with the year 99-00."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fotos: Dannie Rosenkrantz