Impressions from the evening’s meeting
Akademisk Boldklub Gladsaxe had invited fans and other interested parties to an orientation meeting where the new ownership group would be represented by CEO Erik Stover. Torben Oldenborg, who will remain vice-chairman of the board, welcomed the many attendees who, despite the late invitation, had gathered in the lounge at Gladsaxe Stadium. Erik Stover explained that the investors know each other well and have a common dream of building it all up. They had investigated opportunities in several countries. They wanted to be different from other investors who typically have several clubs at the same time. Relatively quickly, the interest fell on Denmark, because in Denmark the love for football is very strong and there is a good culture around football clubs. The way of playing is attractive. They searched among several clubs and it became clear that AB had what they were looking for – a club with a long history and a healthy culture. In addition, there were a number of other things, such as a stadium. The way AB works both preventively and in the run-up to matches with technology and data on players’ fitness levels was also an important element in the considerations. “We want to run the club on AB values, build it all slowly and steadily so it’s sustainable – yes, we have to walk before we can run,” said Erik Stover. He went on to say that the first thing that will be tackled is for the club to function administratively and athletically. Employees will be hired in the areas of sales, marketing and communication in the coming months. Erik Stover talked about the increased professionalization of the entire organization in the coming time. “We will also focus on the youth side in collaboration with the parent club, so that they can once again be among the best at developing talent at the academy.” “The club needs this if we are to dare to dream again,” said Head Coach Patrick Birch Braune. “We are lagging behind on many parameters, also in terms of sports, despite a fantastic fall”. One participant was pleased to hear that there is a long-term plan. “There are several disastrous examples of how things have gone really wrong for some clubs when new investors come in”. He therefore welcomed Erik and the investors and expressed the hope that thousands of spectators would once again come to the stadium and welcomed AB. There was also a desire for important initiatives to be communicated so that it is possible to follow the development. This was part of the briefing at the evening meeting, which was held in a very positive atmosphere.
