Hibs Euro opponents chasing 'crazy big dreams' - a deeper dive into Midtjylland model, methods and mood

The tactical breakdowns and full opposition analysis can wait until FC Midtjylland have actually broken the seal on the 2025-26 campaign. David Gray will want eyes on at least one proper pre-season friendly – could he somehow sneak out footage of tomorrow’s training-ground bounce game against fellow Danish Superliga side Silkeborg? – before beginning full preparations for next month’s Europa League second qualifying round tie against a side who fell just a point short in their bid for back-to-back titles last season.

We’ve also moved beyond the initial reaction to last week’s draw. Complete with predictably dismissive comments from mouthy manager Thomas Thomasberg – and an equally inevitable response from inside the first-team dressing room at East Mains.

Exactly four weeks from the date of that first leg showdown in Denmark, though, we’re beginning to pick up more nuggets on what makes Midtjylland tick. Keeping tabs on their activity in the market. And getting to grips with the vibes of a club who, according to their director of football himself, are chasing “crazy big dreams” that go far beyond sending Hibs spinning into the Europa Conference League.

“I won't stand and say where the bar is, but I can say that what is being talked about within the walls is extremely high,” is how Jacob Larsen put it in an interview with Danish outlet Herning Folkeblad, the former academy coach adding: “We are certainly up in the high air.

“And that's something I love. There is humility, modesty and hard work in everyday life - and then there are also crazy big dreams

“We live once, and we're part of the entertainment industry, so it's great to dream. That's also what's going to take us to the next level.

“We came in second last season, and you might think that second place isn't completely terrible, but there's still a disappointment in the club. So it's great to be somewhere with power and that crazy approach to always wanting to be the best.

“We are in football to achieve something. We don't just want to be a development club. We want to develop our own players because we believe that is the way we can become Danish champions - and go far in Europe. But it's about titles.”

Denmark’s richest man exploiting multi-club model

Midtjylland are clear favourites to beat Hibs over two legs, with their regular presence in group/league phases of European football giving them an advantage in terms of experience and ability to attract players. Not that the latter is really a problem, given the network built by the club’s owner – Denmark’s richest man, Anders Holch Povlsen.

In a model that many Hibs fans would very much like to see replicated with regard to their own place in the Black Knight Football Club group of teams, particularly when it comes to transfer, Midtjylland have just completed the signing of much sought-after Nigerian striker Friday Etim. The 23-year-old was transferred to the Danish side from Portuguese team CD Mafra – one of the clubs in the Football Collective group created by Povlsen.

Etim represents an ideal example of what Midtjylland hope to do by promoting from within their record, the forward having impressed in Liga Portugal 2 last season – despite his team suffering relegation. He is expected to compete for game time immediately and, when it comes to ambition, the striker is clear, declaring: “I want to help the team win the championship AND do well in Europe. For me personally, it's about developing and surpassing my performance from last season.”

Midtjylland will still be relying on their top strikers for goals at the moment, with experienced Polish international Adam Buksa and 20-year-old Guinea Bissau attacker Francolino Dju leading the line. They’ve just off-loaded Brazilian forward Marrony, who cost the thick end of £6 million in 2021, for a loss – proving that their data-driving recruitment model can’t possibly achieve a 100 per cent success rate.

Chairman Claus Steinlein, meanwhile, has confirmed receiving bids in excess of £15 million for Dju and Chilean attacking midfielder Dario Osorio. Steinlein, who also sits on the Football Collective board, also confirmed that he’d consider the “right offer” for Werder Bremen and Borussia Monchengladbach target Oliver Sorensen.

Midtjylland work on the basis of selling one player for a clear profit every year. The academy remains the bedrock of everything they’re trying to build.

Just this week they handed a five-year contract to 18-year-old midfielder Sofus Johannsen, who made his first-team debut on his birthday in May. An attacking midfielder described as a real game breaker by his coaches in the development squad, he could be an ideal long-term replacement for a current star.

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Still smarting over finishing just a point behind champions Copenhagen last season, Midtjylland are fixated on reclaiming the league title. But chairman Steinlein, putting more flesh on the bones of those “crazy” dreams, is equally keen that his club – who played in the Champions League proper as recently as season 2020-21 – make an impact on Europe.

“We are the top seed throughout the qualification - regardless of whether it is called the Europa League or the Conference League, so it gives better opportunities,” he said, adding: “That is the first step.

“The next step is to advance from the group stage. We have done so every year in the Europa League, but we need to crack the code to make it through afterwards.

“We have always been eliminated in the following round. This is the next development step in Midtjylland's history because I believe that we have the material and quality to go a few rounds further. This is the next discipline for us.”

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