Can Vikings play football?

You might have seen them in the crowd, supporters or even players wearing this odd headgear with two antlers, trying to look like Vikings. Well there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for that phenomenon… It’s because the original Vikings came from the cold and dark north! But whether they came from Denmark, Sweden (or maybe even Norway) depends on who you ask. And with that said, you can figure out that there is a small built-in rivalry between ERV Nordic's two countries Denmark and Sweden.

Maybe not only based on the Viking issue, but maybe it all started there. You notice the rivalry in many areas, not at least in the world of sports! So no matter what big tournament’s going on at the moment, there's always a Battle of the North playing in the background. So it may be good that the two countries are in different groups during the preliminaries so that our daily work can flow without major clashes...

Small countries – great players

Football is one of the biggest sports in both countries, and although the countries are relatively small compared to other European countries, there are plenty of well-known Swedish and Danish football players. Sweden can be proud of, among others, Zlatan (he who no longer needs to use his last name!), Henke Larsson, Fredrik Ljungberg and Emil Forsberg. Some of Denmark's football heroes are Christian Eriksen, Peter Schmeichel, the Laudrup brothers Michael and Brian and Nicklas Bendtner.

ERV Nordic Football challenge

During World Cup many places will broadcast the games on big TV screens. Downtown both Stockholm and Copenhagen, roof top bars, sports arenas, beach bars and restaurants will show the games. Of course ERV Nordic also want to be a part of the football mania, so we arrange our own football challenge. All employees can bet on the final score in the preliminaries (Denmark’s and Sweden’s games) and also bet on which country wins the entire World Cup (according to betting status right now it’s Germany!). The challenge is popular and many are participating. I mean, who doesn’t want to fight for eternal football betting glory!

So... can Vikings actually play football?

The answer is of course: Hell yes! So look out, if you meet Nordic Viking Steel during the tournament, be prepared for sparks, thunder and strong fighting football players, dressed in yellow/blue or red/white. And while there will always be a certain rivalry between Denmark and Sweden, we'll still stand united when there's a threat from outside, as it definitely will be during the World Cup. Because that’s what Vikings do! Go ERV Nordics!

Author: Maria Rönnberg, Internal Communication ERV Nordic