By Alex RobertsAt a time in which we live through unprecedented events seemingly every day, it’s been a miserable 2025/26 for Denmark’s most successful and richest club. For the first time in their history, FC København are in the Superligaen’s relegation phase (and they’re not even top of that!).This was unimaginable just seven/eight months ago. Jacob Neestrup had just led København to a record extending 16th league title, qualifying for the Champions League league phase, in which they earned respectable draws against Napoli and Bayern Leverkusen.FCK’s current league positionNow, they look bereft of ideas, and in danger of losing their identity. Many of the numbers point to a side that dominates games – they average 54.4% possession, have the third highest xG (40.8), and have the most touches in the opposition area (747).So, why isn’t this translating to points on the board? Danish football expert Sebastian Stanbury told FotMob, “I am not sure anybody knows. You can still see what København want to do. There is still structure in their performances. “But when they dominate matches – as they have done a couple of times in 2026 – they don’t create big enough chances, and if they do they squander them. And in every match they collapse towards the end.”“FC København have conceded 10 goals in their last five league games, with the goals coming on ’85, ’72, ’80, ’45, ’46, ’17, ’90, ’79 and ’87 minutes.”That implies a worrying level of mental fragility. Looking at their recruitment last summer, perhaps they tried to change too much too quickly. As it turns out, letting leaders like Rasmus Falk, Kevin Diks, and Lukas Lerager leave, along with Nicolai Boilesen’s retirement has certainly had a negative effect.All of those players are on the older side, so, again, it’s easy to see what they were trying to do, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The loss of midfielder Victor Froholdt to Porto for €20 million was justified even if Neestrup was against it, they just needed to make sure they replaced him.“They didn’t bring in enough players, and the ones they did buy, have not been good enough. Froholdt was a revelation last year, the best player in the league, and he was sold – against the wishes of his coach and many others at the club,” said Stanbury.“Neestrup wanted a replacement, and when another central midfielder, Magnus Mattsson, injured his knee and they qualified for the Champions League, Neestrup wanted two.”“He only got one central midfielder, Mads Emil Madsen from AGF in Aarhus, and he hasn’t exactly reached the heights København hoped for. Ironically his former team AGF is now fighting to win the league.”The signing of Football Manager favourite Youssoufa Moukoko garnered a lot of attention. Could he finally live up to the hype? Well, so far, with three goals in his 19 Superligaen games, simply isn’t good enough.“The former Dortmund wunderkind was seen as a steal, but it turns out there was a reason a Danish club could get him. He has a problematic first touch and wastes too many chances even though he has scored some goals,” Stanbury told us.It’s not all doom and gloom, Junnosuke Suzuki, signed from Japanese side Shonan Bellmare has impressed. He’s an impressive ball carrier for a centre back, completing nine dribbles, winning 69 duels, and having 33 touches in the opposition box. Perfect for a back three system.“Suzuki has been a star signing and will soon play in a much better league than the Danish,” said Stanbury, and we agree, it feels like just a matter of time before a side in a top five league comes sniffing.On the pitch issues can be fixed, it may take a little time, and a few million Euros, but uninterested owners? That’s a little trickier. Fans are not happy with the club’s leadership, and they’ve voiced that in the stands and beyond.“The board hasn’t helped. FC København’s majority owners are not interested in football. Not at all. They judge every decision based on finances,” said Stanbury. “The club has the biggest budget in Denmark and have spent a lot of money. But the feeling is that more needs to be spent. FCK’s training ground is not good enough when compared to the best in Denmark.”In January, the club even received a warning from the Danish Working Environment Authority to improve conditions at their training facility when mould was found in the ceiling, which was so bad it posed a health risk for the employees.Neestrup has a mountain to climb. The former player who returned to Copenhagen to win two league titles no longer looks like the man to take the club forward, even if the issues aren’t entirely his fault.Injuries haven’t helped, two ACL injuries for Mattsson and Rodrigo Huescas is absolutely rotten luck, while striker Andreas Cornelius has not been available on a consistent enough basis to make a difference.There has been the odd individual error too. Goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski received threats from ‘fans’ following his performance in their 3-2 Champions League win over Kairat Almaty when Dastan Satpaev dispossessed him and went on to score into an open net.“I think he [Neestrup] will leave in the summer. But København have qualified for the cup final and that might have saved his job right now. Also, he has a long contract. It will be expensive to let him go.”We don’t want to end this on a sour note, though. FC København are a club with a reputation for bringing through remarkable talents, and 17-year-old striker Viktor Dadason may well be the next.He has seven goals in his 21 games across all competitions, and although none of them have come in the league, his performances in the Champions League have been nothing short of fantastic.“Dadason has been a breath of fresh air, especially in the Champions League, but Andreas Cornelius’ many injuries and lack of competition for the number 9 spot meant that too much responsibility was put on him way too soon. “He has been left out of the squad for the last couple of matches because he was close to invisible in the Superliga this spring and needed a break. But he is still only 17 years old and will bounce back. I really like his composure in front of goal. It is remarkable for such a young striker,” Stanbury told us.The reality is, a club can be too big to fail. FC København aren’t having a good season, in fact it’s a terrible one, but it won’t last. This is an outlier, an anomaly, and 2026/27 will be a new chapter. Expect them to come out swinging.(Images from IMAGO)You can follow every game from Danish football on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, xG, and player ratings, where available. Download the free app here.