Danish football club trains young players in media skills and personal branding

FC Midtjylland is teaching its youth academy players how to handle media interviews, body language, and self-promotion to prepare them for the demands of modern professional football, reports Danish broadcaster DR.

The Danish Superliga club has introduced a special eight-month programme for selected under-19 players, focusing on communication skills, personal branding, and emotional expression—both on and off the pitch. The initiative aims to equip young talents with tools beyond football as they enter an industry where exposure to fans, sponsors, and media is increasingly intense.

“We’re part of an entertainment industry where journalists, fans, and sponsors want to see emotion,” said Christian Hüttemeier of communications agency Ulveman & Børsting, which has led the training. “If players excel at this, they become more interesting.”

The programme included practical exercises such as mock interviews, body language workshops led by an actor, and evaluations by a sports journalist during a U19 match. Players also heard from sponsors—including underwear manufacturer JBS, which has worked with Cristiano Ronaldo—about the expectations placed on professional athletes. A fan was invited to explain how player personality strengthens supporter engagement.

Mads Hviid Jakobsen, FC Midtjylland’s communications director, emphasised that the goal is not to make players conform to a single mould. “They shouldn’t all fit into an FCM box and act the same. You should still see that it’s Player X or Player Y,” he said. “TV deals are getting bigger. Everyone has social media where they can message players directly. They need to understand the industry they’re in and feel secure.”

The training culminated this week in a final test: before Monday’s Superliga match against Viborg FF, each player delivered a short speech to the club’s sponsors. Sebastian Lodberg, acting captain of FC Midtjylland’s U19 team, said he values the additional skills—even if his primary focus remains football. “I’m here to play, but it’s good to have other tools for a future that might not always be about football,” he told DR.

The media and communication course is a pilot project, with the club evaluating whether to expand it in future seasons.