Speakman named Director of Football at FC Copenhagen

Former Sunderland Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman has been appointed as the new Director of Football at FC Copenhagen.

The 47-year-old, who left Sunderland in February, will take up the post on July 1st and have overall responsibility for the entire football operation. He succeeds Sune Smith-Nielsen, who was sacked in February, and inherits a club in transition.

Copenhagen finished seventh in the 12-team Superliga last season — one of their worst seasons in recent memory – entering the relegation phase for the first time, before recovering to claim a Conference League place by beating Brøndby on the final day.

At Sunderland, Speakman oversaw the data-integrated recruitment structure that carried the club from League One to the Premier League in little over four seasons. He had previously spent more than a decade at Birmingham City, joining as an Academy coach in 2006 and rising to Head of Academy in 2017.

Speakman has set out plans for “an even more data-driven approach” at Copenhagen, saying it must “strengthen our decision-making basis, make it possible to track development more closely and identify opportunities before they arise.”

He has framed the job as a structural rebuild rather than a quick fix, talking about aligning “our processes and ambitions, our identity and strategy” so the club can return to the top of Danish football.

Chairman Henrik Møgelmose said: “We have run a very thorough recruitment process, and Kristjaan made a strong impression throughout. He is exactly the profile we were looking for.”

CEO Jacob Lauesen added that Speakman’s strategic insight had “already proved defining for the plan we are about to roll out,” describing him as “a man who knows what he wants and how to do it.”