Neestrup happy with extra 30 minutes during Sturm Graz clash
F.C. Copenhagen head coach Jacob Neestrup says the extra 30 minutes the team will play in Wednesday's friendly with Sturm Graz is a good idea, as the players continue their preparations for the rest of the 2025/26 season.
FCK are currently in Marbella on a winter training camp, with UEFA Champions League games against SSC Napoli and FC Barcelona to come in January, before the Danish Superliga resumes in February.
The Lions have already faced Brann in Spain, and are now preparing for a friendly against Sturm Graz.
And Neestrup says the pre-agreed additional 30 minutes of gametime, which Graz proposed, will help his side.
“I think it’s a good idea, and we're quick to thank them for it,” says the head coach in our latest podcast from the training camp.
“It was an opportunity we got, at the request of Sturm Graz, and we’ve chosen to go for it, because it’s also an advantage for us. It can give a lot of players some extra minutes to perform, and that’s good. Those are valuable minutes, regardless of whether you have to play the first part of the match or the last part.”
After rewatching Saturday's 1-1 draw with Brann, Neestrup is still quite satisfied with the outcome.
"It was a good training match, where I think we tried to be more direct on some of our counter-play," he says. "I think we created some nice situations around Corner and Dadason in our passing game. And I think there was some defensive play where we just gave away a dangerous situation or two too much."
The first competitive fixture of the season is now only a week away, when the Lions host Napoli in Parken (20 January, 9pm).
Discussing the game, Neestrup adds: "Yesterday I saw the 2-2 game that they played in Naples against Verona not so long ago, and Nicklas (Lead 1st Team Analyst Nicklas Pedersen) is flying to Italy directly from Malaga here in a couple of days, where he will watch them play against Parma.
"So we will get to see them, but these are some big boys we are going up against, so we will have a tough task ahead of us."
U19 striker Geovanni Vianney Ndjee is not available for the friendly on Wednesday, as he flew home to Copenhagen yesterday as planned to get his work permit in Denmark.
