View source for Danish Football Association

{{Short description|Governing body of association football in Denmark}}
{{morefootnotes|date=May 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2025}}
{{National football association
| Logo               = Dansk boldspil union logo.svg
| Founded            = {{Start date and age|1889|5|18|df=y}}
| FIFA affiliation   = 21 May 1904
| Region             = [[UEFA]]
| Region affiliation = 1954
| President          = [[Jesper Møller (DBU)|Jesper Møller]] (2014–)
| Website            = {{official URL}}
|Short name=DBU}}

The '''Danish Football Association''' ({{langx|da|Dansk Boldspil-Union}}; {{small|abbr.}} '''DBU''') is the governing body of [[football in Denmark]]. It is the organization of [[List of football clubs in Denmark|Danish football clubs]] and runs the professional Danish football leagues, alongside the [[Denmark national football team|men's]] and [[Denmark women's national football team|women's]] national teams. Based in the city of [[Brøndby]], it is a founding member of both [[FIFA]] and [[UEFA]]. The DBU has also been the governing body of [[futsal]] in Denmark since 2008.

==Beginnings==
The DBU was founded on 18 May 1889 and was the first national football association outside Great Britain and Ireland.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uefa.org/member-associations/association=den/index.html |title=Denmark - Member associations - Inside UEFA |website=www.uefa.org |access-date=19 March 2018 |archive-date=15 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170615053414/http://www.uefa.org/member-associations/association=den/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> However, it did not register games officially before the [[1908 Summer Olympics]], meaning that the win in the [[Football at the 1906 Intercalated Games|1906 Intercalated Olympics]] tournament was not officially recorded by the DBU.

==List of presidents==
The following is a list of presidents since its creation in 1905.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dbu.dk/oevrigt_indhold/Om_DBU/DBUs%20sammensaetning/dbus_formaend |title=Liste over DBUs formænd |trans-title=List of presidents on official site |language=da |website=www.dbu.dk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402123320/http://www.dbu.dk/oevrigt_indhold/Om_DBU/DBUs%20sammensaetning/dbus_formaend |access-date=7 July 2023 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! President !! Term
|-
|[[Frederik Markmann]]
|1889–1890
|-
|[[Harald Hilarius-Kalkau]]
|1890–1894
|-
|[[Johannes Forchhammer (DBU)|Johannes Forchhammer]]
|1894–1897
|-
|[[Albert Albertsen]]
|1897–1911
|-
|[[Ludvig Sylow (DBU)|Ludvig Sylow]]
|1911–1918
|-
|[[Louis Østrup]]
|1918–1935
|-
|[[Kristian Middelboe]]
|1935–1940
|-
|[[Leo Frederiksen]]
|1940–1948
|-
|[[Kristian Middelboe]]
|1948–1950
|-
|[[Ebbe Schwartz]]
|1950–1964
|-
|[[Vilhelm Skousen]]
|1965–1977
|-
|[[Carl Nielsen (DBU)|Carl Nielsen]]
|1977–1990
|-
|[[Hans Erik Jensen]]
|1990–1991
|-
|[[Poul Hyldgaard]]
|1991–2002
|-
|[[Allan Hansen]]
|2002–2014
|-
|[[Jesper Møller (DBU)|Jesper Møller]]
|2014–present
|}

==DBU competitions==
{{Main|Football in Denmark}}

=== Men's ===
*Leagues
**[[Danish Superliga|Superliga]]
**[[Danish 1st Division|First Division]] ({{Lang|da|1. Division}})
**[[Danish 2nd Division|Second Divisions]] ({{Lang|da|2. Division}})
**[[Danish 3rd Division|Third Divisions]] ({{Lang|da|3. Division}})
**[[Denmark Series]] ({{Lang|da|Danmarksserien}}) (4 groups)
*Cups
**[[Danish Cup|DBU Pokalen]]

=== Women's ===
*Leagues
**[[A-Liga]]
**[[B-Liga]]
**[[C-Liga]] (2 groups)
**Denmark Series women ({{Lang|da|Danmarksserien}}) (3 groups)
*Cups
*[[Danish Women's Cup|Cup]] ({{Lang|da|Landspokalturneringen}})

=== Defunct ===
* [[Landsfodboldturneringen]] (1913–1927)
* [[Provinsmesterskabsturneringen]] (1913–1931)
* [[Sylow-Tournament]] (1918–1926)

==Regional structure==
[[File:Danish regional football associations map.svg|thumb|300px|{{legend|#CCFEC7|DBU Jutland (numbers indicate regions)}} {{legend|#C8DDFF|DBU Funen}} {{legend|#FFC8C8|DBU Zealand}} {{legend|#E2C7FE|DBU Lolland-Falster}} {{legend|#D0C2A3|DBU Copenhagen}} {{legend|#F9FEC7|DBU Bornholm}}]]
The DBU is separated into six regional associations, based on the former [[counties of Denmark]]:
* [[DBU Jutland]], which in turn is separated into four regions:
** Region 1: [[Nordjylland County]]
** Region 2: [[Viborg County|Viborg]] and [[Ringkjøbing County|Ringkøbing counties]]
** Region 3: [[Århus County|Århus]] and [[Vejle County|Vejle counties]]
** Region 4: [[Ribe County|Ribe]] and [[South Jutland County|South Jutland counties]]
* [[DBU Funen]]: [[Funen County]]
* [[DBU Zealand]]: [[West Zealand County|West Zealand]], [[Roskilde County|Roskilde]], [[Frederiksborg County|Frederiksborg]], [[Copenhagen County|Copenhagen counties]] and Zealand part of [[Storstrøm County]]
* [[DBU Copenhagen]]: [[Frederiksberg]] and [[Copenhagen|Copenhagen municipalities]]
* [[DBU Lolland-Falster]]: Non-Zealand part of [[Storstrøm County]]
* [[DBU Bornholm]]: [[Bornholm|Bornholm municipality]]

The [[Faroe Islands]] and [[Greenland]], which are autonomous territories within Denmark, have their own football associations and are not part of the DBU. Greenland is not a member of FIFA or any continental federation, but the Faroe Islands are a member of both FIFA and UEFA.

==International teams==
The '''Denmark national football teams''' represents [[Denmark]] in international [[Association football|football]] competitions and is controlled by the DBU. {{As of|June 2021}},<ref>{{cite web |title=DBU Landshold |url=https://www.dbu.dk/landshold |website=www.dbu.dk |accessdate=30 June 2021 |date=30 June 2021}}</ref> the teams consist of:

=== Women's ===
*[[Denmark women's national football team|A-level National Team]]
*Under-23 National Team
*Under-19 National Team
*[[Denmark women's national under-17 football team|Under-17 National Team]]
*Under-16 National Team

=== Men's ===
*[[Denmark national football team|A-level National Team]]
*[[Denmark national under-21 football team|Under-21 National Team]]
*Under-20 National Team
*[[Denmark national under-19 football team|Under-19 National Team]]
*Under-18 National Team
*[[Denmark national under-17 football team|Under-17 National Team]]
*Under-16 National Team
*[[Denmark national futsal team|Futsal National Team]]
*Oldboys National Team

==Yearly honours==
{{main|Danish Football Player of the Year}}
The DBU awards the best [[Denmark national football team|national team]] players each year, with an award to the best senior team player, as well as the best player in three of the DBU's six national youth teams.

;Player of the Year
Since 1963, the DBU has awarded the Danish ''Player of the Year'' in a vote amongst the Danish players. In the time of amateur football, only players in the domestic league could achieve the prize, and even after the emergence of paid football in 1978, no players in foreign clubs were eligible for the award. When the award was finally opened to all Danish players, domestic and abroad, in 1983, national team captain [[Morten Olsen]] was the first player to win the ''Player of the Year'' award taking all Danish players into consideration. The record number of award wins is four, by [[Brian Laudrup]] (1989, 1992, 1995, and 1997).

;Young Players of the Year
The Young Players of the Year Awards on the other hand are sponsored by [[Arla Foods]], the awards were initially known as {{Lang|da|Mælkens talentpriser}} (the Milk Talent Awards) in order to promote the line of [[dairy product]]s of the company then known as MD Foods. DBU found new sponsor [[DONG Energy|DONG]] (later DONG Energy), an oil company, in 2004 but Arla went on to sponsor the prize which was renamed {{Lang|da|Arla's talentpriser}} (the Arla Talent Awards) in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DBU TALENTPRIS |url=https://www.dbu.dk/page.aspx?id=318 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181212144542/https://www.dbu.dk/page.aspx?id=318 |archive-date=12 December 2018 |website=dbu.dk |language=da}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NIKI ZIMLING FIK ARLA TALENTPRIS |url=http://www.dbu.dk/news/newsShow.aspx?id=235766 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181217154929/https://www.dbu.dk/news/newsShow.aspx?id=235766 |archive-date=17 December 2018 |website=dbu.dk |language=da}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Unknown |url=http://www.dbu.dk/news/newsShow.aspx?id=242463 |url-status=dead |website=dbu.dk |language=da |access-date=6 November 2007 |archive-date=16 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316073721/http://www.dbu.dk/news/newsShow.aspx?id=242463 }}</ref>

==National team contract negotiations==

;{{Update|part=section|date=May 2022}}
;Women's national team
{{Main|2017 Denmark women's national football team strike}}
In 2017, the negotiations regarding terms and salary with the women's national team broke down, causing DBU to cancel the world cup qualification match against Sweden.
The team lost the match 3–0 due to forfeit. DBU was handed a fine by the UEFA disciplinary committee. The national team and DBU came to an agreement before the match was supposed to be played, but the match was already cancelled.
The team then failed to qualify directly to the world cup. A playoff match will decide if the team will qualify to the world cup.

;Men's national team
After the [[2018 FIFA World Cup]], the agreement between DBU and the men's national team expired.
The negotiations about terms and salary are still ongoing. Currently DBU has selected a squad without any players from the top tier of international and national leagues.
The team is to play two matches. DBU refuses to negotiate before the end of the two matches.

The badge is still in use on the Danish men's kit for the European Championship 2020 (so-named despite being played in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

'''Equal Team Pay'''

Prior to the start of [[UEFA Euro 2024|EURO 2024]], Denmark's players union [[Spillerforeningen]] put in place a new agreement with the Danish Football Association where the men's and women's teams will receive equal pay and conditions at tournaments, after the men's team refused a pay rise. Both Teams will now be paid the same for national team appearances.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 June 2024 |title=Danish union agrees equal pay deal with FA |url=https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/40348778/euro-2024-denmark-refuse-pay-rise-equal-conditions-deal |access-date=11 March 2025 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{One source|date=February 2008}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*{{official|http://www.dbu.dk}} {{In lang|da|en}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070606222010/http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=den/index.html Denmark] at FIFA site (archived 6 June 2007)

{{Denmark national football team}}
{{Football in Denmark}}
{{Futsal in Denmark}}
{{UEFA associations}}
{{Sports governing bodies in Denmark}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:National members of UEFA|Denmark]]
[[Category:Football governing bodies in Denmark]]
[[Category:Futsal in Denmark]]
[[Category:Sports governing bodies in Denmark|Football]]
[[Category:1889 establishments in Denmark]]
[[Category:Sports organizations established in 1889]]