FCK Women head coach Klarskov: Promotion 'a great relief'

F.C. Copenhagen Women head coach Kasper Klarskov spoke of his pride in his players after they delivered back-to-back promotions to secure a place in next season's Danish A-Liga.

Two years after FCK Women was officially formed, the Lionesses have moved from the third tier to the top flight in the quickest time possible.

A 4-1 win over FC Thy/ThistedQ on Saturday secured safe passage to the A-Liga, and Klarskov reflected on a job well done.

"It's a great relief to finally have reached this point," he said. "It's been two years with promotion to the A-Liga in mind, and the pressure over such a long period is of course exhausting - it almost feels like a double season with one goal.

"So it's a relief that we have now succeeded and will be playing in the top league after the summer break."

Strong performance secured promotion
Promotion was set back a week after the draw against Østerbro IF earlier in May, but in Thisted there was no doubt about the outcome and the 4-1 victory.

"I told the players that it was great to perform so well and win 4-1 despite a lot of pressure on all of us," added Klarskov. "They managed to keep cool heads when it mattered most, even though we've had some bumps in the road this spring.

"I think it shows that there is both quality and substance in the team.

"Until now, promotion to the A-Liga has been paramount, so now we have to look at how we can build and set new goals. But we are still ambitious, as we have been from the start and hopefully we can establish ourselves in the top six to start with.

"But first and foremost, the players and staff must enjoy the moment now and here, because they deserve to celebrate the success - especially those who have been there from the start."

Final game in Vanløse on 13 June
FCK fans can celebrate promotion during the last round of fixtures on 13 June, with FCK Women face FC Midtjylland at 2pm at Vanløse Idrætspark.

"I'm actually looking forward to the fact that we won't necessarily be favorites in every single match," said the head coach. "I think we can play more freely and go for the wins in a different way than before - and we're really looking forward to the coming season.

"But first and foremost, we're looking forward to finishing well on 13 June at home in Vanløse, where we'll share our promotion with a lot of fans - and with a win we can end up in joint first place and thus a great end to the season."