“Danish football club Esbjerg at risk of bankruptcy with deficit of 29.3 million Danish kroner”

The Danish “traditional team” Esbjerg, which won the Superliga five times and the Danish Cup three times, has had a tough time in recent years. Esbjerg fell out of the Superliga three years ago, and was relegated to the Danish third league last year.

Now Esbjerg risks, in the worst case, bankruptcy, reports the local newspaper West Coast of Jutland.

The newspaper has read the club’s annual report for 2022, which was sent out to the club’s shareholders on Monday, which shows a deficit of 29.3 million Danish kroner, equivalent to 44.3 million Swedish kroner.

According to JydskeVestkysten, the club now needs an urgent addition of eight million Danish kroner, equivalent to twelve million Swedish kronor, in order to continue operations.

“We draw attention to the fact that there is a significant uncertainty that may give rise to significant doubts about the company’s ability to continue operations,” the independent auditor’s report says, according to the newspaper.

An extraordinary general meeting is expected on May 30 this year, and there is hope in the club that the situation will be resolved in the future through loans or capital contributions in 2023.

– I can only say that our board works very hard. The hope is, of course, that we will reach the goal at the end of the month when there is an extra general meeting, says director Jens Hammer Sørensen according to JydskeVestkysten and continues:

– It is also important for me to say that the “worst case scenario” is eight million (Danish) kroner. And that’s the money we’ll need urgently – if we don’t make it to the second division.

Esbjerg is currently fighting at the top of the third division, as the club is in fourth place in the promotion series, two points ahead of Aarhus Fremad in the league lead. Two teams go up to the second division, and five rounds remaining in the series.

Former IK Sirius goalkeeper Lukas Jonsson, 30, then plays in January in Esbjerg, when he joined from Vendsyssel, and is so far listed for ten games with the Danish club. The 30-year-old has also acted as team captain in recent league matches.

Several Swedish players have belonged to Esbjerg over the years, such as Erik Friberg, Daniel Larsson, Fredrik Berglund, Christian Karlsson, Andreas Klarström, Alexander Östlund, Joakim Persson and Erik Wahlstedt.