COPENHAGEN: A labour dispute between the Danish League and the country’s professional players leaves FC Copenhagen facing the prospect of taking on the might of Bayer Leverkusen in a Champions League qualifier with a squad of youth team players.
If the league cannot agree on a new collective bargaining agreement by midnight on Thursday, players who are union members will be locked out from Aug. 19, when FC Copenhagen are due to take on Leverkusen, with Aalborg meeting Apoel Nicosia in the continental competition the following day.
“No one wants to play football more than us, that goes without saying. But all players stand together because our collective bargaining agreement is so important,” Aalborg player Patrick Kristensen said. With huge financial benefits for clubs qualifying for the group stages of the Champions League, FC Copenhagen and Danish league champions Aalborg are anxiously awaiting the results of negotiations.
Reuters
