Copenhagen has encapsulated 150 years of history in a jersey Denmark’s oldest football club has definitely raised the bar
Founded in April 1876, KB (Kjøbenhavns Boldklub) is Denmark’s oldest football club; it was founded in Copenhagen and initially matches were played in the area around what is now Parken, the area of the iconic F.C. Copenhagen stadium, right in the heart of the capital. Now, 150 years later, its legacy forms the foundation of Danish football and of F.C. Copenhagen itself. To celebrate this historic milestone, the club and adidas present a tribute to Copenhagen’s rich football tradition, celebrating the legacy, identity and culture that continue to shape the game today.
F.C. Copenhagen before F.C. Copenhagen
Kjøbenhavns Boldklub was founded by local pioneers at a time when interest in sport was growing in Copenhagen. The club played its first matches at Blegdamsfælleden, in the area around Parken, where early ball games helped lay the foundations for organised football in Denmark. Few clubs in world football can trace their origins this far back—and even fewer remain part of a living football ecosystem at the highest level. “KB has played a defining role in Danish football and in F.C. Copenhagen’s success. To celebrate a truly special anniversary, unmatched by any other club on the continent, we have created something truly unique in collaboration with adidas: a tribute that highlights Copenhagen as a true football capital with a remarkable sporting heritage,” says Jacob Lauesen, CEO of F.C. Copenhagen.
Kjøbenhavns Boldklub has been instrumental in developing football culture in Denmark and has produced generations of top-level players—from pioneers such as Nils Middelboe and Eigil Nielsen to modern internationals like William Kvist and Thomas Delaney. Today, KB continues to serve as a key environment for talent development, forming the pathway to F.C. Copenhagen’s first team and sustaining its legacy across generations. “KB is a club steeped in tradition that forms the cultural foundation on which F.C. Copenhagen has been built. With more than 5,700 members and a wide range of active teams, K.B. continues to play a central role in developing talent, many of whom go on to become professional players and represent F.C. Copenhagen,” says Henrik Eigenbrod, Director of Kjøbenhavns Boldklub.
Football legacy and identity
The special 150th anniversary jersey, designed by adidas, features a classic vintage aesthetic, built around KB’s iconic blue and white stripes—colours that still define F.C. Copenhagen today: “F.C. Copenhagen’s DNA is rooted in one of the oldest football clubs in the world. That is incredibly rare on a global scale, and something we at adidas are proud to celebrate. This is a tribute that simply could not be made with many other clubs in the world,” says Henrik Hallberg, Director PR and Brand Communications at adidas Nordics.
