Denmark's Performance Unit

Shortly after EURO 2020, the DBU received the results of FIFA’s ecosystem analysis, which recommended additional investment in performance analysis. In this session, hosted by FIFA’s Ann-Helén Grahm, DBU Head of Performance Christian Kejser Hartz shows how funding from the TDS helped the Danes mount an innovative response to that challenge, and design a fully-fledged high-performance infrastructure that just might take Denmark’s national sides to the pinnacle of world football.

• Cultivating relationships in academia can give clubs and associations access to huge reserves of expertise – but that expertise has to be applicable to football. 

• A willingness to innovate and being open to new ideas can help associations develop their own staff and accelerate their progress.

• Football never stands still. Even ideas and policies that are working well should be reviewed periodically to see where they can be improved. 

Part 1: What is the DBU Performance Unit?
The DBU Performance Unit is built upon four key pillars: psychology, analysis, physiology and nutrition. It maintains strong relationships with academia, but its work prioritises the application of these disciplines specifically to a football context. This approach is in keeping with the programme’s aims of supporting Denmark’s national teams, developing the domestic game and sharing relevant expertise. To begin his presentation, Kejser explains the structure of the performance unit, how its work is organised, and how it provides targeted support to individual clubs.

Part 2: Performance areas and signs of success
The DBU wants to built winning teams on the pitch and become a stronger association off it. Achieving those aims requires a high level of professionalism and an innovative approach. These values are reflected in the Performance Unit’s close relationship with the association’s education department, which runs courses alongside some of the top experts in their fields. The unit also relies on a plethora of internal and external relationships to carry out it work, and communicating effectively with all these stakeholders is another top priority. 

Part 3: Lessons learned and next steps
Kejser identifies three areas in which the Performance Unit has learned lessons in recent years: communication with stakeholders, how it measures progress, and the role of academia within its programme. Applying those lessons has allowed the association to show it can respond to new requirements and events, to refine its pool of academic contacts and external experts, and to ensure its procedures are effective. Despite its success, the DBU is determined to improve its systems even further, and to take Denmark’s national sides to the very top of the game.

01:30
Looking back, could you tell us more about the benefits of the external (FIFA) analysis, recommendations and support for establishing the Performance Unit?

06:18
You mentioned the DBU’s mission and strategic goals, and emphasised the importance of your relationship with the clubs. Can you elaborate on that and give some concrete examples of how that collaboration works?

10:47
You described how your approach combines football and academia. Could you give some practical examples of your work with universities and where it has provided benefits for them and for the DBU?