2022–23 Brøndby IF Season

The 2022–23 Brøndby IF season was Brøndby IF's 42nd consecutive season in top-division of the Danish football league, the 33rd consecutive in Danish Superliga, and the 57th as a football club. Besides the Superliga, the club also competed in the Danish Cup and this season's editions of the UEFA Europa Conference League. It was the fourth season with head coach Niels Frederiksen, after he replaced caretaker manager Martin Retov during the 2019–20 campaign.

The team started the season poorly and by the end of August were in the lower realms of the league table, where they remained until the winter break. As a result of the disappointing results, head coach Niels Frederiksen was sacked in November, and replaced by his former assistant Jesper Sørensen. By the end of March, results had improved somewhat and being in sixth place, they secured a spot in the championship round. The mixed results continued, and Brøndby finished the season in fifth place in the league table, missing out on European play-offs by a margin of seven points.

Brøndby also competed in two knock-out competitions, the UEFA Europa Conference League, and the Danish Cup. In Europe, they were eliminated in the third qualifying round to Basel after a penalty-shootout, and in the Danish Cup they suffered a humiliating 4–0 defeat to third tier Aarhus Fremad, also in the third round.

Season summary

After winning the championship in 2021, head coach Niels Frederiksen had to watch his team slowly disintegrate. One key player after another had left (Jesper Lindstrøm to Eintracht Frankfurt in July 2021, Morten Frendrup to Genoa and Mikael Uhre to Philadelphia Union in January 2022), and the cohesive unit that had won the club's first championship in 16 years had transformed into a significantly different and more fragile entity by the start of the 2022–23 season. On the opening matchday of the 2022–23 season, which took place on on 17 July 2023 against AGF, Frederiksen made a notable change in his team's formation. He shifted from the previously successful 3–5–2 formation to a 4–3–3 setup, introducing academy players Mathias Kvistgaarden and the 16-year-old Oscar Schwartau into the attacking lineup. However, the previously solid defensive structure seemed to have vanished, leading to an increased number of opportunities for their opponents. Subsequent matches were marred by tactical confusion as Frederiksen experimented with a 4–4–2 diamond formation; without improvement. The team continued to allow too many scoring opportunities to their rivals while struggling to create chances of their own.

Part of the tactical confusion stemmed from a shortage of players capable of executing their roles within the system. The reinforcements that the squad had been craving arrived too late in the transfer window, which had immediate consequences for the results. This included an early exit from the UEFA Europa Conference League: after comfortably defeating Polish side Pogoń Szczecin 5–1 on aggregate, they were eliminated on penalties by Basel in the third qualification round.

On 12 August 2022, just a day after their elimination from European competition, Brøndby made a significant announcement regarding the return of Daniel Wass to the club. This move had been surrounded by rumours for years, as fans eagerly anticipated his return to his childhood club. Brøndby reportedly paid a fee of €1.7 million to La Liga club Atlético Madrid to secure his services, and Wass signed a three-year contract with the club. Shortly before the transfer window closed, Brøndby also signed Ohi Omoijuanfo, a renowned target forward and profilic goal-scorer, from Red Star Belgrade. This signing was aimed at strengthening their offensive capabilities. Brøndby also welcomed Nicolai Vallys from Silkeborg to their squad, a player known for his ability to operate between the opponent's lines, using his exceptional vision to both create assists and score goals.

Players

Squad information

Notes:
* Players and squad numbers last updated on 31 January 2023.
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Age as of 30 June 2023.
* Appearances and goals last updated on 9 June 2023, including all competitions for senior teams.
* Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
* Player^* – Player who joined the club permanently or on loan during the season.
* Player^† – Player who departed the club permanently or on loan during the season.

Transfers

In

Out

Competitions

Danish Superliga

League table

Results by round – Regular season

Championship round

Results by round - Championship round

Regular season

Danish Cup

UEFA Europa Conference League

Statistics

Goalscorers

References

Work cited

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:2022-23 Brondby IF season
Brøndby IF seasons
Brondby IF