HB Koge coach: 'Much better equipped to handle Champions League now than five years ago'

[p]In 2021, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/koge/QTzsW9AK/"]HB Koge[/a] made history by qualifying for the UEFA Women's Champions League group stage for the first time. Coming off a fairytale domestic championship title in the 2020–21 Elitedivisionen, the club bypassed qualifiers and earned direct entry into the inaugural 16-team group stage for the 2021–22 season.[/p][p]The tournament was a steep learning curve for the young Danish squad. HB Koge lost all six group matches, finishing fourth in Group C with an aggregate score of 2–22. However, they earned massive respect for their defensive resilience, particularly at home[/p][p][b]"First of all, I think it’s important to say that our performance last time was absolutely incredible. We were a club that had risen from the lowest level in Denmark all the way to the Champions League, playing against the very best teams of that era. So, it was a fantastic achievement. Our team has considerably more experience this time around, with several players who have been through this before. Naturally, that means we are better prepared in that regard. That said, you can’t simply compare the two campaigns directly"[/b], says Christian Morch to Flashscore.[/p][embed guid="6ab928f3-ca36-41f7-b10c-a053049819da" url="https://x.com/UWCL/status/2095234323234316698" social-type="twitter" /][p]The team travels to face Arsenal, Paris FC, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/leuven/I9I2jkpo/"]OH Leuven[/a], while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona-fa/IwJYzl9J/"]FC Barcelona[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sl-benfica/8ho9ywWE/"]​​Benfica[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/servette/SEksXw9A/"]Servette[/a] visit Koge.[/p][p]Morch acknowledges that tough matches lie ahead as his team prepares to compete in the elite tier of European football this autumn.[/p][p][b]"It’s a daunting task, but this is what we wanted. We wanted to qualify for the Champions League, so we could face the best teams in the world, and that is what we got, so we certainly can't complain now,[/b]" says Morch.[/p][p]The head coach had mixed feelings, particularly when Champions League winners Barcelona were drawn as opponents.[/p][p][b]"It was good and bad to draw Barcelona. For many players and staff members, Barcelona is a very special club—the pinnacle of the experience. As a coach, I also know that playing against Barcelona specifically can be a nightmare. I’ve faced Spain quite a few times—a team that was virtually the same squad,"[/b] says Morch, a former assistant coach for the Danish national team. Morch says that he would have liked to draw Bayern Munich for the opportunity to play against Pernille Harder.[/p][image alt="Nadia Nadim is perhaps HB Koge's biggest weapon in attack" id="a451441a-99aa-4b75-833e-41ad92346adf" credit-line="Credit: Tobias Jorgensen / Gonzales Photo / Profimedia" guid="e5219295-a939-49dd-ba6c-ae580d83b8fc" original-width="1400" original-height="933" /][p][b]"I really wanted to show Harder how great it is to play in Denmark. Also because the Danish spectators have missed out on seeing her play at the club level."[/b][/p][p]Morch underlines that the Danes will no doubt have their best chance to get great results against Servette and Leuven. [/p][p]"It can be difficult to compare. We go into every match trying to seize our chances. But these are two teams that came from the same level as us, and they have had a somewhat similar path to this stage as we have," says the coach.[/p][p]He points out that six points last year were enough to clinch the 12th and final spot, securing advancement from the league phase, which features 18 teams.[/p][p][b]"Since we don't play against every team we're competing with to go through, it's not entirely up to us, so it's hard to say exactly what it will take to go through to the next round. The most important thing for us is to go out and show our quality, and learn a lot from these matches, and then we'll get what we deserve."[/b][/p][p]Morch says taking part in the Champions League changes the whole season for the Danes.[/p][p]"We will play three times as many matches in the fall as we did in the spring, which of course will affect the squad. We can't do so much about it now because the transfer window is closed. But hopefully it will make us more attractive for potential new players and, of course, also for spectators. It's certainly a great chance that we get to play against the best teams in the world and that we can measure how far we have come in our development process."[/p][p]The exact schedule for the Women's Champions League fixtures is to be announced during the weekend. [/p]