"The Shortest Route to Europe"

AB begins their Betano Cup campaign on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, with kickoff at 6:00 PM.

The Betano Cup Final will be played on Ascension Day, May 6, 2027, and the winner earns a place in European competition.

AB famously lifted the Danish Cup in 1999, defeating AaB in the final before later being eliminated by Slavia Prague in the UEFA Cup. The club also reached the 2001 Danish Cup Final, where they were defeated by Silkeborg.

Before dreaming of another trip to Europe, however, AB must first overcome Holbæk B&I on Tuesday evening at Holbæk Sportsby.

A Difficult Cup Opponent

AB do not have fond memories of facing Holbæk B&I in the Cup.

In the autumn of 2008, AB traveled to Holbæk Stadium to face the club—then competing under the name Nordvest FC. It turned into one of the biggest cup upsets in club history.

Nordvest FC, then playing in the Denmark Series, stunned AB, who were competing in the Danish First Division. The upset came just one round after AB had knocked FC Midtjylland out of the competition with a 1–0 victory at Gladsaxe Stadium.

After extra time and a dramatic penalty shootout, Nordvest FC eliminated AB 5–3. The team was coached at the time by Flemming Christensen.

AB also suffered another cup defeat against Holbæk B&I on September 10, 2024.

Head coach Joey Guðjónsson, alongside current head coach Fannar Berg Gunnólfsson, watched AB fall 2–0 and exit the competition. That evening, AB fielded a mixed side made up of first-team reserves and U19 players. Agúst Hlynsson was the only player to retain his place from the club's previous league match.

Holbæk Off to a Strong Start

Holbæk B&I opened their CampoBet 3. Division campaign with a 2–1 home victory over BK Frem last Saturday. The goals came from Marc Garly Pedersen—a former AB player—and Nicki Bentsen.

The match will be officiated by Benjamin Helm Svendborg, assisted by Anders Randrup and Gustav Qwist Olsen.

Fannar Berg Gunnólfsson: "An opportunity for those waiting for their chance."

"I'm expecting a good experience and a good football match, even though there will be several changes to our team. There are players who have been waiting for their opportunity, so it'll be exciting to see how the game unfolds. We'll approach the match with full commitment and intensity. It should be a good match for AB tomorrow.

I remember when we lost the Cup match against Holbæk two years ago. You lose matches from time to time, but you also learn valuable lessons from them. Now it's up to the players to prove that I was wrong not to give them more minutes in our first two league matches. It's always up to the players to show they deserve to be on the pitch, so tomorrow is a great opportunity for those who will play."