Looking back at the post I wrote a year ago on FC Nordsjælland’s adventures in the Champions League, I finished the post by saying roll on 2013. And here we are!

This year, it’s FC København as the Danish team in the Champions League, and again we opted to buy a ticket for all three of the home games that the local team will play here at Parken, the national stadium in Østerbro. Again, Eric & Cecelia, our good American friends I met through Danish school here, sorted out the tickets, and we got ready to see FCK take on a couple of European giants in Juventus (in September) and Real Madrid (in December), with Turkish side Galatasaray visiting in November. That last fixture is sure to be feisty because there’s a relatively big Turkish population in Copenhagen.

First up were Juventus, who Nordsjælland drew 1-1 with in 2012, and this year my friend Chris from work joined us to take the fourth ticket, Dorte being strangely reluctant to come along and enjoy a sporting spectacle! And what do you know, FCK pulled off the same trick. Realistically, FCK aren’t likely to get out of their group and into the knockout stages in the new year, but it’s a great start to their campaign, and no doubt some relief for them given that their domestic season is off to a terrible start.

Anyway, this isn’t a football blog, but I really just want to say the same as I did last year, which is that it’s a brilliantly fun night out, for not too much money, and quite a contrast from how difficult it was to see Champions League football in London. Next up, Galatasaray.