Marked for Chichi Capo
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad28 May 2029
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at FC Nordsjaelland this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad28 May 2029
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Chichi Capo, and the manager let it.
Back issues
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match9 Apr 2029
Position 2 and 36 points on the board. Nobody at the ground will say the word out loud yet, and everybody at the ground is thinking it.
Market9 Apr 2029
Juan Gómez hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what FC Nordsjaelland can pretend not to have heard.
Squad9 Apr 2029
Prince Amoako was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Loan watch9 Apr 2029
“I did not go to BK Hacken to sit and watch. I want to come back to FC Nordsjaelland and fight for my place.” 0 appearances in 5 matches say the rest.
Squad9 Apr 2029
Chichi Capo asks for a word with the manager
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Squad9 Apr 2029
A season on the outside for Milan Kovac
He trains hard, says the right things and goes home to an empty flat. Nobody at FC Nordsjaelland has done anything wrong, which is exactly what makes it so difficult to fix.
Squad9 Apr 2029
A new face in his position, and Andreas Hansen suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. FC Nordsjaelland have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match12 Feb 2029
Position 2, 36 points, and the result everyone checks first is now theirs. The word is still not being said around the ground, which is how you know everyone is thinking it.
Squad12 Feb 2029
A season average of 7.40 at an age when most of his year group are still in the youth team. FC Nordsjaelland know what they have, and so, by now, does everybody else.
Squad12 Feb 2029
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at FC Nordsjaelland this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad12 Feb 2029
“The easiest signature of my career.” Araphat Mohammed and FC Nordsjaelland agree another 5 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad12 Feb 2029
Chichi Capo gets it from the manager
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Market12 Feb 2029
It has been denied twice and printed three times, which is the usual arithmetic. Until Caleb Yirenkyi signs something — a contract at FC Nordsjaelland or anywhere else — this column belongs to him.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad8 Jan 2029
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at FC Nordsjaelland this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad8 Jan 2029
The manager makes an example of Chichi Capo
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Market8 Jan 2029
Hjalte Boe is free to find somewhere else
“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at FC Nordsjaelland has been clear about where Hjalte Boe stands, which is more than many ever get.
Market8 Jan 2029
It has been denied twice and printed three times, which is the usual arithmetic. Until Ola Solbakken signs something — a contract at FC Nordsjaelland or anywhere else — this column belongs to him.
Squad8 Jan 2029
Peter Ankersen asks for a word with the manager
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Squad8 Jan 2029
Ola Solbakken has company in his position
The competition arrived without a word said to him about it. Ola Solbakken keeps the shirt for now, at FC Nordsjaelland's convenience rather than his own.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Match16 Aug 2028
A 1‑0 win over Hobro, a place in the next round, and the quiet arithmetic every supporter does on the walk home: how many more until a final?
Match19 Aug 2028
3‑0, and Noah Markmann took the headlines on an afternoon when everything FC Nordsjaelland tried came off. Days like this are retold all winter.
Squad21 Aug 2028
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Player ratings21 Aug 2028
Successful dribbles: 26. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Squad21 Aug 2028
Prince Amoako was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Player ratings21 Aug 2028
Headers, blocks, tackles, interceptions — 23 of them, and not one goal behind him. The sort of performance that never makes a highlight reel and wins football matches.
Player ratings21 Aug 2028
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 9.47, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Player ratings21 Aug 2028
A performance of 9.35 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Squad21 Aug 2028
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Mark Brink, and the manager let it.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad10 Jul 2028
Prince Amoako was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad10 Jul 2028
“The easiest signature of my career.” Araphat Mohammed and FC Nordsjaelland agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Market10 Jul 2028
“The manager did not use many words, and he did not need to.” Filip Đuričić has his answer from FC Nordsjaelland; what he does with it is the next window’s story.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market26 Jun 2028
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at FC Midtjylland, and it is not being withdrawn.
Market26 Jun 2028
OB come back empty-handed
The bid was some way short and FC Midtjylland did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.
Squad26 Jun 2028
Aral Şimşir in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at FC Midtjylland this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Market26 Jun 2028
Chichi Capo has left for FC Nordsjaelland in a $750.0K deal. The accountants are pleased; the supporters are less certain.
Market26 Jun 2028
The list is a quiet document with a loud meaning. Nathan may talk to anybody who asks, and everybody at the club understands what that means.
Squad26 Jun 2028
He trains hard, says the right things and goes home to an empty flat. Nobody at FC Midtjylland has done anything wrong, which is exactly what makes it so difficult to fix.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad26 Jun 2028
Prince Amoako was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad26 Jun 2028
He is 21, he is averaging 7.14, and older professionals have started passing to him in the difficult minutes. That last part is the real scouting report.
Market26 Jun 2028
Chichi Capo is 20, and FC Nordsjaelland have signed him for the player he will be rather than the one he is. The first team can wait; the point of a deal like this is the years it buys.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Player ratings5 Jun 2028
Successful dribbles: 43. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Boardroom5 Jun 2028
Qualification is done, and next season the floodlights come on for something bigger. A stage for the players, oxygen for the accounts and a passport for everybody else.
Match31 May 2028
FC Copenhagen go through and FC Midtjylland go home, 0‑0 the scoreline that did it. The dressing room will call the league the priority now, because that is what dressing rooms say.
Match31 May 2028
The unbeaten run reaches 10. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.
Squad5 Jun 2028
An individual honour is a strange thing in a team game, and the best of them are never argued with. He has had the sort of year that ends with his name being read out, and FC Midtjylland have had the benefit of it.
Squad5 Jun 2028
Aral Şimşir was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad5 Jun 2028
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Mikael Uhre, and the manager let it.
Squad5 Jun 2028
5 goals and a season average of 7.35. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.
Player ratings5 Jun 2028
Twelve yards, a goalkeeper guessing, and it still did not go in. He will take the next one, and every soul in the ground will hold their breath.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Market17 Jan 2028
The paperwork is done: Sabil Hansen joins from Randers in a deal worth $2.5M. Now comes the harder part.
Market17 Jan 2028
Esbjerg come back empty-handed
The bid was some way short and FC Midtjylland did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.
Market17 Jan 2028
Victor Bak has left for Aalborg in a $3.1M deal. The accountants are pleased; the supporters are less certain.
Squad17 Jan 2028
Aral Şimşir was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Market17 Jan 2028
The phone has started ringing about Chichi Capo again, and this time the name on the line is Viborg. FC Midtjylland are listening politely and promising nothing.
Squad17 Jan 2028
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Yuya Kubo and FC Midtjylland agree another 1 years.
Loan watch17 Jan 2028
“I did not go to Valerenga to sit and watch. I want to come back to FC Midtjylland and fight for my place.” 1 appearances in 23 matches say the rest.
Squad17 Jan 2028
A new face in his position, and Rasmus Kristensen suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. FC Midtjylland have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
Squad17 Jan 2028
He trains hard, says the right things and goes home to an empty flat. Nobody at FC Midtjylland has done anything wrong, which is exactly what makes it so difficult to fix.