Neestrup dedicates Danish Cup semi-final win to the fans
F.C. Copenhagen will face either FC Midtjylland or AGF in the 2025/26 Danish Cup final this May after beating Viborg 4-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals.
Having led 2-1 from the first leg, the Lions retreated the scoreline in the reverse tie at Viborg, with Youssoufa Moukoko scoring either side of half time to secure the win.
Speaking after the game, head coach Jacob Neestrup said: "It wasn't a pretty football match today, but we clearly created the most chances across the two matches, so I think all in all, it's deserved that we're in a cup final.
"I'm happy on behalf of the players and staff, and not least on behalf of all the fans, who have suffered a lot from our poor performances in the last few months, but who can now look forward to a cup final and the opportunity to celebrate our fifth trophy out of eight possible in the last four seasons.
"It is also extremely important for our ambition to play in Europe again next season, because it increases the chances considerably beyond the possibility of finishing seventh and winning a playoff."
"Therefore, I am of course happy and relieved that we will once again be part of the country's biggest final, which is played in Parken. Regardless of who we meet, I think we have a good chance.
"But in any case, we must start performing better in the Superliga, both for the sake of our position in the table and in terms of giving ourselves the best possible conditions to beat a capable final opponent in the form of either AGF or FC Midtjylland."
"We knew that we were in for a tough pitch here in Viborg, so we prioritised having players with speed, as long as the pitch was suitable to exploit it. I also think that we used our speed well, with both Jordan and Robert getting into some good positions, and we also brought Moukoko into some really good positions around their defenders.
"We created some good play and some chances, but they had problems with our fast players, and that's also why we chose them.
"I'm happy for Moukoko that he came in and scored two goals after being out of the team for a while. That says something about the strong mentality and team spirit in the squad after the tough period we've been through. That also applies to Alex, who got the chance today because Kotarski wasn't available due to family reasons, and also Suzuki, who hasn't trained much, but came in and delivered.
"In defence, Zanka again gave Alex and the other two defenders a lot of calm, and that meant that we stood up well to Viborg's set pieces and many crosses, and we felt in control throughout the game.
"We already saw last week that Zanka came into the team with a lot of calm and experience, and even though we didn't win against Randers, it was a game we could have won. Today he played well and showed great leadership, so the others felt safe, and that's also something we need at the moment."