Danish Soccer Club Buys esports Team, Blurring the Line Between Sports and Gaming

Danish Soccer Club Buys esports Team, Blurring the Line Between Sports and Gaming

FC Copenhagen, a leading Danish soccer club, has signed a team of eSports players.

The two-year contract will see the newly-formed team, North, taking part in esports competitions such as the ELeague Major tournament later this month.

Players who now play under North are: Mathias ”MSL” Lauridsen, Kristian ”k0nfig” Wienecke, Ruben ”RUBINO” Villarroel, René ”cajunb” Borg, and Emil ”Magiskb0Y” Reif.

These professional CS:GO players originally came from Team Dignitas, which belongs to the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team.

The current deal with FC Copenhagen came about through a partnership with Nordisk Film, an entertainment company also based in Denmark.

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“We are two leading companies within entertainment and sports, venturing into esport at the very highest level,” Anders Hørsholt, the chief executive of FC Copenhagen, said in a statement. “We see great potential and have high ambitions with North that will be among the world’s strongest from day one.”

According to Polygon, this isn’t the first time a sports entity has bought a professional gaming team. NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, along with NBA club owners Ted Leonsis and Peter Guber, took ownership Team Liquid last September.

Former Los Angeles Laker player Rick Fox bought a League of Legends team in 2015, and European clubs the likes of FC Schalke 04, FC Valencia and Besiktas have ownership of eSports teams as well.

Which professional gaming team would you like to see under the banner of a sports club? Tell us in the comments below.

Read More: Community Makes Esports Boom

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