AaB restore lost Danish pride
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Article summary
A failure to reach the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2008™ plus sporadic club success in Europe has meant Danish fans have had little to celebrate in recent times − that is until Aalborg BK's exploits this term.
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A failure to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2008™ plus sporadic club success in Europe has meant Danish supporters have had precious little to celebrate in recent times.
European escapades
Teams qualifying for the UEFA Champions League proper every fourth or fifth year and a Superligaen club making the occasional appearance in the UEFA Cup group stage had been the limit of their achievements until Aalborg BK restored Danish pride this term. The club's success began in autumn 2007 when, in defeating UC Sampdoria in the UEFA Cup first round, they became the first Danish team to eliminate Italian opposition from Europe. A 2-2 draw in Genoa and a scoreless second leg secured an away-goals success and a place in the group stage where, despite not going on to reach the Round of 32, creditable showings against RSC Anderlecht and Tottenham Hotspur FC were a hint of what was to come.
United draw
Domestic silverware followed as the Superligaen title came to Denmark's third largest city and AaB became only the third Danish team to compete in the group stage of Europe's premier club competition. There they hit the headlines with an eye-catching 2-2 away draw with holders Manchester United FC having already held Villarreal CF and beaten Celtic FC 2-1 to reach the UEFA Cup Round of 32 in the new year.
Emphatic win
Buoyed by Barack Obama's "Yes we can" campaign slogan, the club from the banks of the river Limfjord emerged from a long winter break, unlike their opponent RC Deportivo La Coruña, to sweep aside the Spanish outfit 6-1 on aggregate. Manchester City FC may have put a stop to the ir adventure on penalties after Magnus Pehrsson's team had scored twice late on to force extra time but, for many, AaB had shown what Denmark has to offer.
Belief
"This season we have proved what we can do; what others call impossible," said defender Michael Jakobsen, while Morten Croen Sejersbøl, football editor of one of Denmark's largest newspapers, BT, wrote: "In spite of the defeat by Manchester City, AaB proved that most things are possible – if you believe you can succeed. The way AaB performed throughout their long beautiful journey through Europe, the journey which ended back home in Aalborg where it all started."
