Profiling Leicester City’s Next European Opponents - Randers FC
The Foxes finished third in their Europa League pool, while Randers ended up in second spot from Europa Conference League Group D to set up a two-legged tie which begins at Leicester City Stadium this week.
Ahead of the first-ever encounter between the two teams, which will decide who progresses into the last-16 of the inaugural Conference League tournament, LCFC.com provides a rundown of the visitors to Filbert Way...
Thomas Thomasberg – Danish know-how
A coach with significant experience in Denmark, Thomas Thomasberg is into his fourth season in charge at Randers, having taken over in the summer of 2018. He holds a 41 per cent win ratio with the Horses, with success in 60 of his 145 competitive matches in charge.
As a player, the 47-year-old enjoyed lengthy spells with Aalborg BK from 1991 to 1999, making his debut in 1994 and winning the Danish Superliga title twice.
At Midtjylland between 1999 and 2004, the midfielder played over 100 times for both clubs, having come through the ranks at hometown club Haverslev IF and also Aars IK.
Although never earning a senior cap, Thomasberg also made four appearance for Denmark’s Under-16s.
Retiring at Midtjylland due to injury, his first coaching job was as assistant to Erik Rasmussen, taking over himself four years later, though he only lasted one season in the role. A year later, in 2010, he was appointed head coach at Hjørring (now Vendsyssel FF), leading the club to promotion into the second tier of Danish football.
A spell at fellow second tier side FC Fredericia followed for the next three years, before his association with Randers began, via a four-year stint as assistant manager. Briefly departing to take over at Hobro in January 2017, Thomasberg was back just over a year later, this time as head coach, and led the Club to their second Danish Cup trophy in 2020/21.
The European record – Making their name
Despite their short history, Randers have competed in European competition several times, including their first foray into continental football just three years after forming. Qualifying for the UEFA Cup as 2006 Danish Cup winners, the Horses defeated sides from Iceland and Lithuania in the two qualifying rounds to set up a tie with Turkish giants Fenerbahçe in the first round proper, losing 5-1 on aggregate.
They were back in the reformed competition, now known as the UEFA Europa League, in 2009/10 and 2010/11, owing to their fair play ranking. Randers progressed through two qualifying rounds in both seasons, before losing out over two legs to Hamburg and Lausanne-Sport respectively at the third qualifying stage.
It was the same story in 2013/14, too, as defeat in the Danish Cup Final, after finishing third in Danish Superliga, led to a place in the third qualifying round, where Rubin Kazan were 4-1 aggregate victors. And after defeat in the 2015/16 Europa League Second Qualifying Round, this campaign finally saw Randers enter the group stage of a European competition.
Narrowly losing out to Galatasaray in the Europa League play-off, Randers entered Group D in the newly-formed UEFA Conference League, finishing second behind AZ Alkmaar in a group also containing Jablonec and CFR Cluj.
The squad – Local names combined with foreign talent
Randers moved to add defensive reinforcements to their squad in January, recruiting 23-year-old Swedish centre-backs Hugo and Mattias Andersson from Malmö and FC Sion respectively. Those signings will ease the burden left by Erik Marxen’s departure, after the experienced 31-year-old defender signed for FC Nordsjaelland.
A goalkeeper has also been added to Randers’ ranks, with Alexander Nybo joining from FC Fredericia.
Although the squad is mainly made up of Danish natives, it is two African nationals who top Randers’ goalscoring charts this term – 24-year-old Nigerian forward Stephen Odey has 10 goals to his name in 18 appearances, while Sierra Leone striker Alhaji Kamara boasts a record of six strikes from eight league games.
Vito Hammershöy-Mistrati is also a regular source of goals from midfield, netting seven times for the Horses. No player has made more appearances this season than the 29-year-old, with Simon Piesinger, Simon Tibbing and Lasse Berg Johnsen also on 28 appearances to date across all competitions in 2021/22.
Match tickets remain available for Thursday night’s clash online and can be purchased HERE.