In 2017 and 2018, the Danish national football team was beset by serious disputes between the Danish Football Federation and the Danish Professional Footballers Association over the (employment?) conditions for Denmark’s national team players. Some of the consequences of these disputes were the female national players’ failure to present themselves for a World Cup qualifying match, which resulted in the imposition of a UEFA sanction, and the establishment of a “temporary men’s national team” made up of futsal players and lower-league footballers.
This article paints a picture of the ugly sequence of events and gives a general account of the specific issues in the dispute.
Overall structure of Danish professional football
Danish professional football is currently[1] structured in such a way that one of the primary responsibilities of the Danish Football Federation (DBU) is the operation and development of both its men’s and women’s national teams, whereas the relationship between the professional clubs and the professional football players in regard to employment conditions etc. is regulated directly between the Danish League (Divisionsforeningen) and the Danish Professional Footballers Association (Spillerforeningen). Besides, the DBU remains responsible for developing and operating football nationally.
The Danish League, a trade and employers’ association safeguarding the interests of league clubs in the Danish Superliga, the first and second divisions and the Elite Division for women, is a member of the DBU, and the league clubs are...
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