A disappointing Danish Superliga campaign saw the club finish in fourth place. Brøndby were also eliminated early in the UEFA Europa League, losing 9–4 on aggregate in the qualifying round to Belgian club Genk. They fared better in the domestic cup, but ultimately lost on penalties in the final to Midtjylland. Brøndby qualified for the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League after Randers in the play-off for Europe.[1]
On 18 February 2019, after questions about his management style and a series of disappointing results, head coach Alexander Zorniger was sacked. His last game, the previous day, ended in a 2–1 defeat to Esbjerg fB.[2] The following day, former Brøndby midfielder and Zorniger's assistant coach, Martin Retov, was appointed as caretaker manager until the end of the season, assisted by fellow former assistant Matthias Jaissle.[3] Brøndby's chairman Jan Bech Andersen later said about Zorniger's dismissal, "If you can no longer change yourself and feel that you are compromising too much on your own way of leading people, it will end up in a bad place anyway."[4][5]
The 2018–19 Danish Superliga fixtures were released on 4 June 2018.[13][14] Brøndby played 26 matches during the regular season from 16 July 2018 to 17 March 2019.
Brøndby's first Danish Superliga game of the season was away at Randers on 16 July; Schwäbe, Kaiser, Erceg, Uhre, and Kopplin all made their debuts. Brøndby won the game 2–0 after goals from Erceg and substitute Kamil Wilczek.[15] The team started the season strongly, securing 10 points from their first four matches. However, their momentum was halted by a 3–1 defeat in the Copenhagen Derby against Copenhagen in the fifth fixture of the season, which ended Brøndby's unbeaten streak against their rivals from the previous season.
Following the derby loss, Brøndby entered a difficult phase in the league. Over the next ten matches, the team struggled, managing only two wins, two draws, and six losses. This poor run of form saw Brøndby drop to a disappointing eighth place in the standings, with a seven-point gap to third-placed Esbjerg fB.
Despite these challenges, Brøndby managed to turn their season around just before the winter break. The team secured four consecutive victories, which significantly improved their position in the league. After a 2–1 win over Vejle in matchday 19, Brøndby climbed to third place, three points ahead of OB. Although their final match before the winter break resulted in a disappointing home defeat to Vendsyssel, Brøndby entered the break in a much stronger position than earlier in the autumn.[16]
January–March
In September 2018, director of football Troels Bech had announced he would be stepping down from his position Brøndby.[17] The club appointed former player Ebbe Sand as his replacement, bringing experience from football management in Germany.[18]
After a slow start to the spring season, with a draw against Nordsjælland and a loss to Esbjerg, popular head coach Alexander Zorniger departed. Assistant coach Martin Retov was promoted to lead the team, with Matthias Jaissle as his assistant. Their goal was to secure European qualification, through first and foremost securing top-six and a place in the championship round. Brøndby, in fourth place, needed results to stay ahead of AGF and OB. After mixed results in three matches, their place in the top six depended on the final game against Horsens. Despite falling behind early, Brøndby won 3–1, securing their spot in the championship round and a chance to compete for a top-three finish.[19]
Upon securing their spot in top-six, Retov commented, "We've reached our first goal of making the top six, and now we aim for a top-three finish. We also look forward to the Danish Cup semifinal against AaB."[16]
Source: Danish Football Association(in Danish), Soccerway Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Away goals scored; 5) Play-off (played on neutral ground if determining teams for different rounds); 6) Draw.[20][21]
Results by matchday
Matchday
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
Ground
A
H
A
H
A
H
A
H
H
A
H
A
H
A
H
H
A
H
A
H
A
A
H
A
H
A
Result
W
D
W
W
L
L
W
D
L
L
L
W
D
L
L
W
W
W
W
L
D
L
W
L
D
W
Position
2
4
1
1
4
4
3
3
4
5
8
6
7
7
8
6
5
4
3
3
3
4
3
5
4
4
Source: SuperStats A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss Notes:
Positions show the situation at the end of the corresponding Game Weeks (GW), not the position at the conclusion of matches or game days.
Championship round
The 2019 Danish Superliga championship round began on 29 March and featured the top six teams from the regular season. Points and goals from the regular season were carried over in full. Each team played 10 matches, facing the others both home and away. The team with the most points at the end was crowned champion and qualified for the UEFA Champions League, while the remaining positions determined qualification for other European competitions.[22]
Brøndby had a challenging start to the 2019 championship round, earning just two points from their first four matches. With six games remaining and a four-point deficit to OB in the race for European qualification, their prospects in the league looked uncertain. Brøndby faced Midtjylland away on the 31st matchday, a match seen as a rehearsal for the upcoming Danish Cup final. Despite a strong record against Midtjylland, Brøndby fell behind early but rallied to win 2–1 with goals from Simon Hedlund and Jens Martin Gammelby, ending their four-game winless run, and adding three vital points to their tally.[23] Brøndby then lost another two games, against Esbjerg fB and rivals Copenhagen before bouncing back with a win over Nordsjælland.[16]
By this point, Brøndby was in sixth place, five points behind OB. To secure European qualification, they needed to win their final two league matches—a home game against Midtjylland and an away match against OB—while hoping OB would drop points. OB's draw with Nordsjælland kept Brøndby's hopes alive, and a convincing 4–1 home victory over Midtjylland set up a decisive final match in Odense. Brøndby secured a 2–0 win in a tense encounter, completing their late-season surge.[16]Kamil Wilczek played a crucial role in Brøndby's final push, scoring three goals in the last two games and finishing the season with 21 league goals. With this achievement, he became the first Brøndby player to score more than 20 goals in a season since 2002.[24]
The 4th-placed team of the championship round advances to a play-off match against the winning team of the qualification round (no. 7) in a single-leg tie, with the team from the championship round as hosts. The winner earns a place in the Europa League second qualifying round.
Having finished in second place in the 2017–18 Danish Superliga and having won the 2017–18 Danish Cup, Brøndby entered the 2018–19 UEFA Europa Leaguethird qualifying round, where they faced off against Serbian club Spartak Subotica. In the first match at the Rajko Mitić Stadium,[b] Brøndby secured a 2-0 victory, with Dominik Kaiser netting his first goal for the club just before halftime and Hany Mukhtar doubling the lead shortly after the break. Although Brøndby dominated with their high press, they struggled to convert possession into clear chances, yet they managed the game effectively to secure the win.[26] In the return leg at Brøndby Stadium, Brøndby advanced in the Europa League qualification by defeating Subotica 2-1. Despite being reduced to ten men after Joel Kabongo's early red card, Dominik Kaiser put Brøndby ahead in the 68th minute. Subotica equalised ten minutes before the end through Dejan Đenić, but Kamil Wilczek secured the victory with a stoppage-time goal.[27]
Brøndby were drawn against Belgian club Genk in the play-off round. Brøndby started the away match at Luminus Arena with manager Alexander Zorniger's characteristic aggressive pressing, but despite their efforts, they were unable to score early on. Hany Mukhtar's long-range shot hit the crossbar, and his subsequent attempt was saved by Genk's goalkeeper, Danny Vukovic. Genk took the lead in the 36th minute when Mbwana Samatta headed in a cross from Alejandro Pozuelo. Shortly before halftime, Johan Larsson was penalised for handling the ball in the penalty area, and Leandro Trossard converted the resulting penalty, giving Genk a 2–0 lead. In the second half, Brøndby responded with renewed pressure and pulled a goal back through Hjörtur Hermannsson, who scored from a corner kick. Kamil Wilczek then equalised by finishing a pass from Ante Erceg. However, Genk regained their lead when Samatta scored twice more, completing his hat-trick, including a goal following a Brøndby defensive error. The match concluded with a stoppage-time goal from Trossard, making the final score 5–2 in favor of Genk.[28][29]
Brøndby's Europa League campaign concluded with a 4–2 defeat to Genk at Brøndby Stadium, resulting in a 9–4 aggregate loss. Despite trailing 5–2 from the first leg, Brøndby applied high pressure but struggled from the outset as Genk took the lead through Ruslan Malinovskyi in the 15th minute. Dieumerci Ndongala then doubled Genk's advantage before Kamil Wilczek pulled one back for Brøndby. Johan Larsson equalised shortly after, but Sébastien Dewaest's header restored Genk's lead. Mbwana Samatta added a fourth for Genk in the 87th minute, ending Brøndby's hopes of advancing to the Europa League group stage.[30][31]
