Roberto Risnæs: FC København’s most exciting youth prospect – scout report

FC Københavns youth system has been a source of talent, nurturing players who have gone on to have a significant impact on football. Midfielder Thomas Delaney made over 170 appearances for the 15-time Danish champions before moving to the Bundesliga, where he donned the shirts of both Werder Bremen and Borussia Dortmund. Jonas Wind is another player whose career has followed a similar trajectory as he now plays for Wolfsburg.

We cannot talk about FC Københavns youth system without mentioning the young starlet that is Roony Bardghji. The highly-rated Sweden U21 international made his first team debut for the club in 2021 at the age of 16 and six days, which saw him become the youngest player ever to play in a senior game for the Danish giants. Since stepping onto the scene, Bardhji has gone on to make over 50 appearances for the club and had a huge impact in big games such as the UEFA Champions League clash with Manchester United.

In this tactical analysis piece, we will undertake a scout report on another exciting prospect in the København youth setup. 16-year-old forward Roberto Risnæs is one of the standout performers in the Under 17s and Under 19s, and we will look into what makes him one to watch. The left-footed attacker can play anywhere across the front line: left wing, right wing or centre forward.

In this report, we will analyse how Risnæs fits into the tactics utilised by FC København U17s and U19s to pinpoint his unique skillset and show what makes him one to watch in the future.

Goals, goals, goals

We are going to kick this analysis off with quite an obvious starting point  goals. Naturally, as a forward, we would expect Risnæs to aid his teams cause with his fair share of goals, and that is just what the youngster does exceptionally well. 

A forwards primary responsibility is to convert goalscoring opportunities into actual goals. The effectiveness of the teams attack is directly tied to their ability to finish chances. Whether through accurate shots, volleys, or well-placed headers, a forward with the ability to find the back of the net becomes the focal point of a teams offensive strategy, turning opportunities into tangible results on the scoreboard.

On this occasion, we can see that FC København adopts a high-pressing strategy which forces their opponents to play backwards. When it becomes evident that the goalkeeper is going to pass to his centre-back, Risnæs quickly moves to intercept the pass and, as a result, calmly passes the ball into the back of the net. 

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