<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/danny-agger.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-115777" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2014/09/danny-agger-579x900-457x710.webp" alt="danny agger" width="457" height="710" sizes="(max-width: 457px) 100vw, 457px"></figure></div></a>
After eight-and-a-half injury-plagued, yet successful years at Anfield, Liverpool’s Danish vice captain Daniel Agger was allowed to leave this summer after finding himself dropping further down the pecking order. However, Agger was not only allowed to leave, he was allowed to leave for practically nothing. The main reason for this was that it was his boyhood club Brøndby that came knocking on the door – and perhaps Agger’s allegedly tearful “please allow me to leave” plead to <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2014/05/29/brendan-rodgers-extension-may-be-liverpools-most-important-piece-of-business-this-summer/">Brendan Rogers</a>, Liverpool’s manager, also played its part. Brøndby bought Agger back for three million pounds, perhaps a big sum for a Danish club but nevertheless very cheap compared to what Liverpool might have gotten for Agger if they had sold him to Napoli or FC Barcelona. After all, we are talking about a player that was wanted last year by Barcelona who supposedly offered close to 15 million pounds only twelve months ago.
This summer, Agger could also have gone to almost every decent club in the top four leagues of Europe – Napoli, Arsenal, and Barcelona was mentioned among others. And if he had, he would definitely have had an instant impact. But he chose to return to his boyhood club, and he did so out of what I wouldn’t hesitate to call “existential necessity”. For Agger, there are only two clubs in this world, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2014/09/02/tactical-analysis-of-liverpools-aggressive-tackling-and-pressing-mentality/">Liverpool FC</a> and Brøndby IF. Both of them are literally inscribed onto his body. Again, Agger could have gone to Napoli this year or Barcelona last year, but he chose – quite sensationally – Brøndby in Denmark. Why? Because money didn’t matter to Agger. But feelings did. And they are the kind of feelings we don’t see anymore in the world of professional soccer. Feelings of loyalty and belonging, but also of pride and happiness – or, in Agger’s case at Anfield, hurt pride and unhappiness.
After all, we are talking about a player who, apart from turning his back on several possibilities in the best leagues in Europe, is only 29 years old, that is, in his prime, and still captain of the Danish national team. To many, it was inexplicable why Agger wasn’t good enough for Liverpool’s starting XI. He was rated among the best playing and ball-passing centre-halfs in the Premier League, a player with incredible composure, vision, and presence.
There runs a constant undercurrent beneath all this, though. Agger’s health. His body is quite simply more fragile than others. Apparently, he himself became increasingly aware that life in the Premier League was too hard for his injury-prone body.
When returning to the Danish Superliga, Agger will definitely be in a class of his own, a level or even two levels above the rest. And due to him being an intelligent and game-reading central defender, and because Brøndby’s coaching staff will undoubtedly create a training program individually fine-tuned to Agger, he will be able to play for several years in the Superliga, and he will probably remain its absolute star for just as long.
At Brøndby IF, he is welcomed back as a saint, and his homecoming has already meant a sold-out Brøndby Stadion. His transfer is by far the most sensational in the history of Danish soccer. And it could only happen because feelings of loyalty, belonging, (hurt) pride, and (un)happiness means more to Agger than money.
In that respect Agger is a dying breed in modern day soccer. Perhaps the very last of a dying breed.

Daniel Agger Is The Last Of A Dying Breed

Daniel Agger Is The Last Of A Dying Breed - World Soccer Talk

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Manchester City are in danger of an early exit from Europe after a shock 1-0 home defeat by Danish side Midtjylland in their UEFA Cup second qualifying round first-leg match on Thursday. The loss adds to the ongoing turmoil at the club. Mark Hughes had been obliged to state publicly he would be staying at the club amid talk of financial constraints and internal conflict and could have used a victory in this match to lighten the mood around the club.
It was the worst possible start for City manager Mark Hughes as midfielder Danny Olsen struck in the 15th minute to give Midtjylland a good chance of progressing to the first round after the return leg in two weeks’ time. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/aug/15/manchestercity.uefa">The Guardian reports</a> that the City supporters booed the team off the field, while <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_city/article4535795.ece">The Times</a> quotes Thomas Thomasberg, the 33-year-old coach of Midtjylland, who accused City of complacency and of underestimating his side. “Maybe they didn’t know our players,” he said. “Maybe they made stupid decisions because they lost the ball and thought it would be so easy to get it back.”
There was no complacency for one of City’s domestic rivals, Aston Villa, as they cruised past FH Hafnarfjordur by a 4-1 scoreline. Almost as significant as the scoreline was the fact that Gareth Barry started for Villa, making himself ineligible to represent another club in the Champions League until the knockout phase in February. Could that signal the end of the much discussed courtship by Liverpool? <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2008/08/15/liverpool-still-interested-in-cup-tied-gareth-barry-115875-20697488/">The Daily Mirror has the rumour</a> that Liverpool are going to come back with yet another bid for Barry.
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Another club that was on the wrong end of an upset was Ligue 1 side Rennes, as they fell to Norwegian league leaders Stabaek by a 2-1 score. 36 year-old central defender Kjolo headed home a corner kick in each half for the home side while Moussa Sow (pictured above) scored a critical away goal to give Rennes hope for the return leg at home.As always, a collection of highlights that have made their way to the web has been compiled by the people at <a href="http://www.101greatgoals.com/2008/08/uefa-cup-goals-man-city-shocked-at-home-by-fc-midtjylland-villa-hit-four-in-iceland/">101greatgoals.com</a>.
The complete list of first-leg scores is posted below: 
Metalurgs 0 – 2 SC Vaslui 
FK Borac 	1 – 0 Lokomotiv Sofia 
Vojvodina 	0 – 0 Hapoel Tel Aviv 
FC Honka 	0 – 0 Viking Stavanger 
Legia Warsaw 1 – 2 FC Moscow 
FC Haka 0 – 4 Brondby 
Stuttgart 2 – 1 Gyor 
APOEL Nicosia 2 – 2 Crvena Zvezda 
Litex Lovech 0 – 0 Hapoel Ironi KS 
Djurgarden 2 – 1 Rosenborg 
Elfsborg 2 – 2 St Patrick’s Athletic 
Stabaek 2 – 1 Rennes 
FK Suduva 1 – 4 Red Bull Salzburg 
Young Boys Berne 4 – 1 Debreceni VSC 
Hafnarfjordur 1 – 4 Aston Villa 
Gent 2 – 1 Kalmar 
Aris Salonika 1 – 0 NK Slaven Koprivnica 
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 3 – 2 AC Bellinzona 
Slovan Liberec 	1 – 2 MSK Zilina 
FC Copenhagen 	3 – 1 Lillestrom 
Maccabi Netanya 1 – 1 Cherno More 
FC Zurich 1 – 1 Sturm Graz 
AEK Athens 0 – 1 Omonia Nicosia 
KS Vllaznia 0 – 3 Napoli 
Siroki Brijeg 1 – 2 Besiktas 
Manchester City 0 – 1 Midtjylland 
Queen of the South 1 – 2 Nordsjaelland 
NK Ljubljana 0 – 2 Hertha Berlin 
Braga 1 – 0 Zrinjski Mostar 
Lech Poznan 6 – 0 Grasshoppers 
Deportivo La Coruna 	0 – 0 Hajduk Split

Manchester City Shocked In UEFA Cup Second Qualifying Round First-Leg

Manchester City Shocked In UEFA Cup Second Qualifying Round First-Leg - World Soccer Talk

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Daniel Agger Is The Last Of A Dying Breed

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Manchester City Shocked In UEFA Cup Second Qualifying Round First-Leg