Copenhagen ban signs asking players for shirts, says it makes players uncomfortable

Danish Superliga champions FC Copenhagen will not welcome signs held by fans asking players for match jerseys next season, saying it results in disappointment for supporters and makes players uncomfortable as they cannot accommodate the requests.

The ban will be in place at the club’s Parken Stadium and in the Copenhagen fans’ section at away games, it said.

“It is not possible for the players or the club to meet the many wishes, and we therefore disappoint a lot of children who come with the hope of getting a shirt,” Copenhagen added in their statement on Thursday.

“The number of signs has increased significantly over recent seasons, and unfortunately we have many children who get a bad experience from carrying a sign.

“At the same time, the players are put in a difficult situation because they cannot fulfill the wish and are perceived negatively because they have to say no to the many requests.”

The club added that players will be allowed give their shirts to fans but without being prompted to do so by the signs.

Record 36-time Dutch champions Ajax Amsterdam and Czech side Slavia Prague have also banned such signs in the past.

Slavia said in February that they noticed an organised group operating within their stadium, using children to ask for players’ shirts which then appeared for sale online.

The club instead organised contests for under 15s at home games, with the winner receiving a shirt signed by all first-team players.

Ajax said in August that besides players being criticised as arrogant when they walked by without handing over a shirt, the cardboard used to create the signs also posed a fire hazard.