The story of Aarhus Gymnastikforening, often referred to as AGF, is a fairytale reawakening of a former Danish footballing giant. The dust has now settled on the Danish Superliga campaign, with AGF crowned champions, and for everybody associated with the club, it has been a long time coming.
A 40-year wait for a Danish title
As waits go for top-flight titles, four decades is a long time for any self-respecting club, as AGF last claimed the domestic title all the way back in 1986, which was their fifth Danish domestic title. This season’s triumph also saw AGF claim their first domestic silverware since winning the Danish Cup in 1996.
The six titles and nine Danish cups make them one of the most trophy-laden clubs in the country’s history.
The latest title was achieved by beating off competition from the likes of Midtjylland, Brondby and FC Nordsjælland. The fact that reigning champions FC Copenhagen suffered something of a nightmare campaign also contributed to the triumph, as did an injury to Midtjylland’s star forward and the league’s top goalscorer, Franculino Dju.
However, those fortuitous circumstances shouldn’t take anything away from the surprise champions of the Superliga 2025/26, who deserve massive credit for their achievement.
How did AGF end their long title wait?
AGF were not expected to challenge for the title after finishing sixth-place last season, a massive 23 points adrift of eventual champions FC Copenhagen.
Jakob Poulsen’s team finished the campaign as the third top goalscorers in the Superliga, with only Midtjylland and former champions FC Copenhagen outscoring the eventual champions.
The 24-year-old winger Tobias Bech was AGF’s top goalscorer in the Superliga, scoring 12 goals. Bech, who has been diagnosed with ADHD, enjoyed the most prolific season of his career.
However, AGF’s defensive record also played a massive part in their title victory, as they conceded just 32 goals in the Superliga, the fewest in the league.
One of the key players in maintaining that solid defence record was former Brentford centre-back Henrik Dalsgaard. Not only did he play a major defensive role, but he also scored a decisive goal against Brondby just three minutes into the game. The goal proved to be one that won AGF the title.
The likes of winger Kristian Arnstad and the highly versatile South African international Gift Links have also played key roles in the team’s title success. In fact, the latter was nominated for the Danish Superliga Footballer of the Season award.
Despite his impressive form in the Superliga, Links is set to miss out on inclusion for South Africa’s World Cup squad, as he wasn’t even named in the Bafana Bafana’s 32-player preliminary squad. His exclusion is not a massive surprise, though, as he has not featured for his country since 2021 and has earned just five caps.
Can AGF maintain momentum next season?
AGF could well find it hard to repeat this season’s feat, as FC Copenhagen are highly unlikely to endure a similarly troublesome campaign next season. They have won the Superliga title in three of the last five campaigns.
Midtjylland will also be strong again next season, especially if they can hang on to Guinea-Bissau star Franculino Dju, who is being linked with big-money moves to European football’s top leagues after scoring 17 times in the Superliga.
Even if they do lose their star forward, Midtjylland have been shrewd in the transfer market in recent years, a driving force behind their status as one of the best-run clubs in Denmark, and that has translated onto the pitch in their title triumph.
However, smart recruitment has also played a part in AGF making history. For instance, centre-back Dalsgaard cost just £100k. The club also sold Mikael Anderson and Mads Emil Madsen for a combined fee of £7m last summer, reinvesting the money in the squad. The reinvestment has helped AGF form a strong team and squad of players
They will no doubt be shrewd in the summer transfer once again, as they look to defend their Danish Superliga crown. Whether that will be enough for their second title in four decades in season 2026/27, only time will tell.
Everybody connected with the club will be hoping that they have to wait four more decades for their next Superliga, though.