During the first week of June, Greenland's national football team went on a week-long tour of Denmark and Germany, and played three games against local opposition, winning one, drawing one and losing the other. It was a tour which had left manager Morten Rutkjær feeling very content indeed before the team left for home on 7 June, and they were all looking forward to going to England for a short training-camp in the first week of October.
The national football association, the KAK, had been sounding out possible opponents - including national sides from within CONCACAF - and venues for at least two matches during the training-camp, which the KAK had been hoping to hold in or around London.
Three days later, however, the KAK's plans had been thrown into disarray after news had been received from CONCACAF's Extraordinary Congress that their application for membership of the organisation, which had been submitted in May of last year, had been unanimously rejected by CONCACAF's forty-one member associations.
CONCACAF's decision raised a wave of sympathy amongst football fans the world over, and a deal of curiosity amongst still more. There was also anger at the way the Greenlandic FA's application had been summarily dismissed in a terse statement, which had been issued without containing any explanation of CONCACAF's decision. It brought back memories of the Gibraltar FA's treatment by both UEFA and FIFA's from the late 1990s until their belated admission to both organisations in 2013 and 2016 respectively.
Rutkjær, a native of Denmark who has been in charge of the Greenlandic national team since 2021, told PFB the weekend after CONCACAF's decision: "We were surprised..we were shocked. We didn't expect to become member at the first time [of asking]..we expected them to say that we have to work on the football pitches or to change something before we can become a member, but they did not mention anything to us. they just sent an e-mail saying: 'You can not be a member of CONCACAF. Goodbye, good luck.'
"We received another e-mail from CONCACAF today saying that they had done everything by the book; they asked the members in CONCACAF to choose if Greenland should become a member or not, and forty-one members stuck their hands in the air and said that they didn't want Greenland to become a member of CONCACAF.
"CONCACAF will not change its decision. That's the first thing. But right now, we ask the world..this is not a victory for football, because FIFA said that they want every country to play football against each other and they want to spread football to every place on Earth. But, they respect the decision from CONCACAF that Greenland cannot play international matches against other countries. It is a big failure for football that, right now, Greenland cannot play against UEFA members and, right now, they can't play against CONCACAF teams. They can't play international matches against other countries, and that is a disaster.
"Small countries have big problems when they try to join FIFA, CONCACAF and so on. They haven't a chance of joining. CONCACAF haven't treated Greenland very well at all.
"But, right now, Greenland is ready. We are ready. We have talked to politicians in Greenland and we will build airdomes so we can play throughout the year. We have a good economy, and we want to go and play CONCACAF teams in the first years, so what is the problem?"
"At the minute, we are very surprised and a little bit angry. We don't know what we should do, because there's no way for us to play football matches against other countries. That's a disaster."
One thing going in the KAK's favour is that they can still take part in the Island Games, although they were not drawn out of the hat to take part in this year's edition, which kicks off in Orkney, Scotland, at the beginning of next week. Participation in the tournament is always something to look forward to, but that isn't enough for Rutkjær and Greenland's footballers.
"Yes, we can play in the Island Games, but we have big ambitions. For Greenlandic football, the Island Games is perfect, but we want to play World Cup matches. We want to be part of something bigger. We can play in the Island Games, but we want more.
"During the past 48 hours, we [the KAK] have talked and asked ourselves what we can do now, but I hope that Greenland will go further with football. It's very important for the people of Greenland. They really love football. Twelve per cent of the population is playing football. That's a very high percentage. I hope that the KAK will succeed with a positive attitude to playing football. Now we are part of the Island Games, and we will try to [hold] our own tournaments, if we can.
"We hope we can play against other countries and show the world that we are ready, that we have a good national team, that we have talented young players who really want to play for their country. So, right now, it's very important to send a message to the world that we're still working hard, that we're still on a journey with this country and we want to build up football in Greenland.
Since CONCACAF's decision not to allow Greenlandic football's governing body a seat at their table, there has been a world-wide explosion of interest in the game there, especially on social media. Rutkjaer used the Greenland national team's Instagram account as an example of this.
"Three days ago, our Instagram profile had 2000 followers. Today, we have 70000 followers from all over the world. Now, we are going for 250000 followers, because I have had so many mails and messages from all around the world who said 'It's totally crazy! We love Greenland, we want them to be part of something'. So, right now, the world is with us.
"Two days ago [12 June], I was on CBS [their Sports Golazo network's Morning Footy programme]. For a big game, 200 million people watch CBS, but on that day, 20 million people saw the interview with me. It was crazy."
There has been an increase in interest in the UK in Greenlandic football since the announcement was made that the KAK intended to visit England in October. Following CONCACAF's announcement, there is uncertainty as to whether the trip will still go ahead. Rutkjær: "I really hope so, but now, we are in a new situation for Greenland and what I hope for in the next 14 days is that we know what we shall do. But, I hope we will [be able to go to England] in October."
There was disappointment in Greenlandic football circles at CONCACAF's decision, especially as it has thrown the KAK's short-term plans up in the air, but Rutkjær remained hopeful for the future: "We want to build up football in Greenland. We can do so many things to build up football so that it will be much better, for the youth and so on. Greenland has a long way to go to being a good football country, so we have to look inside and ask: 'How can we do it better?' Again, we hope to remain part of the Island Games, and then to play some international matches if we can."
US president Donald Trump has made no secret of his desire to bring Greenland under American control, by hook or by crook. CONCACAF did not provide any reasons for their refusing to admit the KAK to the organisation, and a number of observers have wondered whether the American government had put political pressure put on CONCACAF's forty-one members to deny KAK membership.
PFB put this to both the US Department of State and CONCACAF - the Department of State were also asked for their thoughts on the KAK applying for CONCACAF membership in the first place, and their application's eventual rejection - but has as yet received no response from either body.
Rutkjær was also asked for his thoughts on the subject, and he repeated what he told CBS' Morning Footy programme a couple of days before this interview:
"I don't know. As you know, I am a football coach. I know a lot about playing football, but I don't know anything about politics. I don't know..maybe, but I can't answer that. You never know in this world. Football and politics are not good together. So, maybe, maybe not. I don't know, but I don't think so."
As mentioned earlier, Rutkjær and his charges had just completed a tour of Denmark and Germany a couple of days before CONCACAF's decision, and he was extremely positive about how it panned out: "It was a very good experience for us", he said, "because we had a high level for the first time in my time as national coach, and we played with a lot of young players.
"We didn't expect anything from this trip, as we were due to have a training camp in Nuuk a couple of weeks earlier which was cancelled because of bad weather. But, when they arrived in Denmark, they were fit, they played very well, they understood my thoughts as a coach, so I was so happy. and we thought 'Yes, we're on the right road.' The Tuesday after, we got the news from CONCACAF. It was terrible."
During the Greenland team's tour-slash-training camp, they played three matches: they began with a 2:1 defeat against Danish fourth-level side Skaerbaek BK, and followed that up with a 1:1 draw against Superliga side Silkeborg's reserves, and finished off the tour by defeating a Sydslesvig (South Schleswig) selection in the German town of Flensburg by 4 goals to 3.
Who stood out for Greenland as far as Rutkjær was concerned? "Søren Kreutzmann was very good, Rene Eriksen Petersen, Thomas Høgh, and Milo Biilmann, who plays for KÍ Klaksvík..they all played very well."
Progress is being made on the pitch, if not off it, and Rutkjær and the Greenland team seem to be very happy together. However, his contract ends this month, and, although the KAK have offered him a new contract, th the time of writing, he is still waiting to see how things pan out but hopes to attend the final stages of this year's national championship, which will take place in Nuuk at the end of this month, a little earlier than usual.
"They have offered me three more years, but now it's a new situation and I don't know what the KAK want to do now, but I hope to stay. I want to fight, I really want to be a part of Greenlandic football. We are like a family. I have a wonderful wife and two wonderful sons. The Greenland players and everyone in the KAK, they are like part of my family."
One hopes that, for the sake of football in Greenland, Rutkjær's extended family doesn't break up any time soon.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Many thanks to Morten Rutkjær for his time and patience, and for supplying the photos used in the article, which were taken by Mikkel Tholstrup Dahlquist on behalf of the KAK.
