Aarhus went AGF-crazy, and on Monday it culminated at the city hall

Aarhus has been singing loudly the last week

Only when Brøndby was beaten away from home, and the first championship in 40 years was finally secured. In the middle of the night, the player bus rolled back towards the city, where the bus lane was already full long before it arrived. Fire trucks stood across the street, sirens mingled with communal singing, and many thousands of people had gathered in the city center.

The following Sunday, Aarhus went wild again when Viborg were sent home 6-2 at Ceres Park Vejlby. Tivoli Friheden, Tangkrogen and the sports bars were all packed. Even King Frederik had made a trip to Aarhus to experience the match and Thomas Helmig sang Malaga live on the pitch.

Over 55.000 people had tickets for the official screenings around the city, but that number doesn't tell the whole story. Even outside the fences, people stood close together, while the rest of the city erupted in blue and white cheers.

When the trophy was lifted on the home field, and the fireworks went up over Tangkrogen later in the evening, it almost felt like Aarhus took it all in at the same time.

On Monday, the party moved into Aarhus City Hall.

We were inside the city council chamber.

We were there when the official Aarhus welcomed us. Inside the city council hall, the atmosphere was already special long before the players arrived. People stood in small groups and chatted, while photographers tested cameras, and several people kept moving towards the windows to look down at the City Hall Square, which was slowly filling up with people.

Phones were raised to the glass to capture the atmosphere. Journalists, guests and city council members stood side by side, waiting for exactly the same thing. Namely the sound of the bus carrying the AGF players.

At the entrance, a long white table was set with Aarhus set. Ceres bottles stood in a row next to small glasses of Arnbitter, while the guests were almost ceremoniously poured.

The bus is approaching.

Then we started to hear it. First as a distant hum from outside the city, then louder with music and shouts from fans.

The AGF players were on their way through Aarhus in the open double-decker bus from Ceres Park, while DJ and AGF fan Morten Breum stood on top and played his AGF song over the city. Morten had flown home from Las Vegas to join the celebration, and inside the city hall we could feel the excitement growing as the bus got closer.

People automatically started looking towards the windows again. And when the bus pulled up next to the city hall, the square outside exploded.

The children stood in the front row and the players took time for high fives, autographs and selfies, while mobile phones were held out from all sides.

The players enter the hall.

When the players entered the city council chamber, they were greeted by applause from the entire hall.

The photographers got busy, the cameras clicked in series, and the flash lights hit the white Mestre jerseys and the gold medals around the players' necks.

They smiled and chatted with each other, several of them looking a bit tired after several days of the city partying with them.

The most touching thing was almost how they took it all in.

They stood and looked around the hall, out towards the windows and up at the old paintings on the walls. No big gestures, no star status. Just smiles, slightly tired eyes and an atmosphere of someone who knew very well that they were in the middle of something that Aarhus will remember for many years.

Girlfriends, wives and children stood around among the players, and several of the families watched from the sidelines. In the midst of it all, laughter, champagne glasses and camera flashes mingled with the sounds of the crowd outside.

The Mayor's Speech

Anders Winnerskjold gave the speech in English so that the foreign players could also join in. He spoke about the fans who had stood faithful through difficult years, cold November games and disappointments, and how this triumph belonged to the entire city.

On the balcony above the Town Hall Square

While ROYA played from the balcony, the players stood behind the curtains, waiting to go out to the sea of ​​people on Rådhuspladsen.

Some stood with champagne glasses in their hands. Others leaned forward against the windows and looked down at the square. They smiled and looked proud, but also a little overwhelmed.

When the balcony doors were opened, the Town Hall Square exploded again. Patrick Mortensen raised the trophy to the crowd that filled the square, all the way down the surrounding streets.

Back inside

After the balcony, the shoulders slumped a little again.

There was laughter, talking and interviews, while the players slowly began to look like people who still hadn't quite understood what they had started in their own city. Several guests got AGF shirts signed, while others just stood there soaking up the last few minutes.

Patrick Mortensen: It's the city's title

We caught up with Patrick Mortensen for a short interview, and here he put into words what many Aarhusians had been feeling all weekend.

“It's not our title, it's the city's title,” he said and continued:

"They are the ones who have supported this club through thick and thin. It has been absolutely insane support, not just now, but for the last 5-10-20-30-40 years."

A city that celebrates itself

Finally, the entire team and staff gathered for a group photo in the town hall before heading home to their families and the rest of the celebration in the city.

And maybe that's what you've been able to feel all week: that it wasn't just a football team that Aarhus was celebrating, but also a celebration of itself.