FC Helsingør has extended the contract of head coach Morten Eskesen, who is now under contract until the summer of 2023.
The successful coach joined FCH two years ago and led the club up from 2. Division at the first attempt, and this season has already secured survival in 1. Division, as a place in the top-six group was confirmed in the penultimate round of the regular season.
For director Jim Kirks and FC Helsingør's ownership group, the extension was a no-brainer:
– Morten has done an absolutely fantastic job. He inherited a squad in a difficult situation, and completed his task with flying colors. Some clear goals were set, and the whole squad worked hard until we achieved those goals, and more. We cannot fault the work he has carried out, and we are very happy with him, both as a coach and as a person.
His results speak for themselves, and in addition to the sporting side, Morten is a person who works well with everyone, from the board to management and down through the squad and staff. We are completely sure that he is the right man to take the club further.
For Morten Eskesen himself, there was also not much to think about:
– I think FC Helsingør is in a really good and exciting development. We have grown together, the club and I, and with the very good cooperation everyone here has on a daily basis, it was easy to extend.
– We started talking about an extension already in December, and both I and the club were ready to continue the partnership. Chairman of the board Jordan Gardner got in touch with me at a time when we had just lost the last three matches before the winter break, and it was typical of the support I have felt from the club that management looked beyond the immediate picture and could see we were on the right track, in terms of play. We had actually planned to sit down with the contract already in February, but Corona got in the way a little, and we postponed it until the crucial matches for the top six had been decided. I wanted to be able to focus 100% on those matches, and now that they were over, it did not take long to get things in place.
– I think that over the last two years we have found a foundation and a footballing concept that works, and that we now need to work on developing further. I have a really good cooperation with management and sporting director Brian Gellert, who throughout my time at the club has had my back, and who I know does not panic if we lose a couple of matches. It means a lot to know that you have that trust from the club.
– I also have a fantastic cooperation with my assistant Mikkel Thygesen. We clicked quickly, and he complements me excellently on a daily basis, together with the rest of the staff we have around the players. Thyge and I see football very much in the same way, while at the same time he is not afraid to challenge me, and he has a really good feel for the players and the state of the squad. It is important for me to point out that “Thyge” and the rest of the staff are a big part of the reason for our great success, and for me being able to sign an extension today. Now we need to go out and perform in the last ten matches, and set new goals for the coming season, where I hope and expect that we can compete for the fun spots again.
53-year-old Morten Eskesen came to FCH from a position as assistant coach at Randers FC, and has been at the helm of FC Helsingør in 47 matches, with 28 wins, 6 draws and 13 defeats. If the two cup defeats are removed from the equation, that corresponds to an impressive average of 2,0 points per match.
Photo: FC Helsingør
