Denmark football body set stadia revamp goals

Article posted by Coliseum, September 2^nd, 2020

Denmark’s national football federation will play a proactive role in the rehabilitation of Copenhagen’s Telia Parken and the construction of a new stadium in Aarhus (Denmark) as it targets bids for international fixtures.

Telia Parken is a football stadium in the Indre Østerbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark, and can pack in up to 38,065 spectators.

The Danish Football Union’s (DBU) board has agreed to help formulate plans to lend a futuristic look to Telia Parken, the Copenhagen arena that has been the home of the national team since it opened in its current guise in 1992. It will work in concert with the City of Copenhagen and Parken Sport & Entertainment in their bid to make the stadium’s framework and facilities more state-of-the-art.

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The Denmark men’s national football team represents Denmark in men’s international football competition, and is controlled by the Danish Football Union, the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU. Telia Parken is their residence.

The board’s announcement comes after the DBU last year said that Denmark needs a 50,000-seat stadium in a bid to match steps with developments in other European nations. After months of consultations with a number of municipalities, companies and organizations, DBU has opted to pursue a repurposing plan at the 38,000-capacity arena, which will host four games at next year’s Euro 2020 competition.

“We already have a fine dialogue with the City of Copenhagen and Parken Sport & Entertainment and with the decision of the board can now become more concrete in relation to examining the possibilities for a modernization and possible expansion of Telia Parken potentially with room for 50,000 spectators,” remarked Jesper Møller, DBU’s Chairman.

“We would like to be able to offer European Championship and World Cup hosting for women in 2025 and 2027, but we also prioritize sustainability, so that stadiums are used by national teams, club teams and for other activities. We want the best for players, fans and not least Danish football, and we believe we can succeed with this model.”

The DBU said it will contribute to an analysis of the possibility of making the Telia Parken more avant-garde – which is also the home of FC Copenhagen – when it comes to spectator facilities, VIP sections as well as the conditions for players and other staff around major events.

“As the owner, Parken Sport & Entertainment will have the final decision -making power, but DBU’s board has decided to offer to be an active party in the work,” DBU added in a statement.

In its plans for a bigger stadium in Copenhagen which was revealed last year, DBU said it was open to either building a new stadium, or reconfiguring Telia Parken or Brøndby Stadion.

Brøndby Stadium is a football stadium in Brøndbyvester, Denmark, and the home ground of Danish Superliga club Brøndby IF. It is the second-largest stadium in Denmark. The stadium has also hosted the Denmark national football team in five matches.

At the time it also said that a 25,000-capacity stadium was required elsewhere in the country, and it has now given its backing to a new arena in Aarhus that should come up by 2025.

DBU said the stadium would meet the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA’s) requirements for international matches and would allow Danish national teams to play matches in the country’s second largest city.

Møller added, “It is crucial to have a new and modern stadium with the possibility of room for 25,000 spectators if we are to be able to offer, for example, the European Championships and World Cup hosting for women in 2025 and 2027, and so that Aarhus also has the opportunity to form a framework for large football events for the joy and benefit of all.”

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