26 January 2023 - 4:31 PM
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Alamy | FC Nordsjaelland players celebrating this season's 3-1 win over FC Copenhagen. It is Andreas Schjelderup on the right.
Interview: “Agents and players are much more analytical today. They understand that most clubs don’t give young players a chance”
- With the €14 million transfer of 18-year-old Andreas Schjelderup to Benfica, Danish side FC Nordsjaelland (FCN), who are owned by the Right To Dream Group, crossed the €100 million mark for transfer income since Tom Vernon came in as chairman in 2016.
- Vernon is confident that FCN can do even bigger transfers in the future, and further enhance these world-class development pathways. One of the key drivers is for young top talent to prioritise picking clubs who will give them playing minutes.
- Why it matters: FCN are fielding one of the youngest teams in Europe. They are top of the league in Denmark, but primarily they are creating environments for player development focused on education and character development - as well as football.
- The perspective: Vernon says the transfer market is not really a nice place to be in, and make money in, but he can’t see any significant changes coming up. It is important for young players to understand what will be right for their progression.
FC Nordsjaelland, or FCN as they are called in Denmark, are indeed a special club.
Most clubs would probably argue they’re something very special, but at the Right To Dream-owned club, located 25 kilometres North of Copenhagen in Denmark, almost everything is different from what is normally seen in the football industry. Culture, structures, priorities, people, purpose – it is almost as if they have turned it all upside down.
Last December, their former head coac
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