Capelli Purchases Danish Professional 2nd Division Team HB KOGE in 2019 – Uses American Players and Wins Promotion to First Division in 2020 and Then Wins BACK TO BACK FIRST DIVISION TITLES in 2021 and 2022
HB Køge, with five Americans on its roster, for the second straight season finished first in the Gjensidige Kvindeliga, Denmark’s top tier women’s league. Its captain, Kyra Carusa, was named the league’s 2021-22 Player of the Year.
Carusa, who helped Stanford win the 2017 NCAA Division I title and a year later as Georgetown grad student helped the Hoyas reach the semifinals, arrived in Denmark in early 2020 when HB Køge played in the second tier. After American George Altirs, the founder of Capelli Sport, bought the club in July 2019, a pipeline to American talent helped HB Køge win promotion to the top tier in 2020 and the 2020-21 title that led to a group stage appearance in the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League.
Last year, HB Køge took the league crown by finishing five points ahead runner-up Brøndby IF. This year, HB Køge clinched with two games left, finishing 12 points ahead of runner-up Fortuna Hjørring and 33 points ahead of third-place Brøndby IF.
Cecilie Fløe led HB Køge in scoring in 2021-22 with 14 goals, followed by former St. Louis University star Maddie Pokorny (11) and Carusa (
. American midfielder Lauren Sajeiwch (TCU) played in 23 league games and scored twice. Kelly Fitzgerald (Cal Berkeley) scored five goals in 14 appearances.