"It will be the most nerve-taking game I've played in 25years,"political scientist Tonny Brems Knudsen states in his chat with the Law team’s leader and head of department, Michael Steinicke. On May 3, at 5:15 PM they and their colleagues will play each other. The match will take place at Katrinebjergskolen and is followed by a match between students from the same departments.

Michael is also excited before the match: "There is much more at stake than one might think." Not only is it – according to Tonny’s and Michael's points of view – immensely important to beat the other department; it is also humiliating to fail in front of all the colleagues and students who are expected to watch the game.

There is a witty tone between the two football playing researchers. They are both looking forward to the game, and Tonny says encouraging: "Anybody can win the ‘third round’ ” where players and colleagues meet in the political scientist’s lunch room for beer and sandwiches. Rumor says that the losing department will have to pay. In addition to food, drinks and maybe even a trophy, the honor (read: bragging rights), of course, is at stake.

- The thought of losing against Political Science and Government has to carry us far
To the question of how Political Science and Government will intend to beat Law, Tonny answers: "When it comes to tactics, we first have to refine it, and then we keep it for ourselves. Nonetheless, we expect to have a lot of ball possession, and then we take it from there.""I guess we have to live on counter-attacks then," Michael laughs and continues: "Our tactics involves simply waiting and observing for the first couple of minutes, and then I think we will adapt." The somewhat defensive tactics from Law is followed by Michael’s remark: "In other words, if we come under pressure, then that is simply how it is".

Tonny claims that his team’s strength is that they are a technically good team. Michael on the other hand, says about his team: "We are a wise team. We have fighter will and are very dedicated," and then he, full of hope, concludes: "The thought of losing against Political Science and Government has to carry us far."

There have been differences between the departments concerning the recruitment of players. While Tonny emphasizes that, "People obviously stand in line to play against Law, so I had an easy task recruiting”, the case is different for Michael, who has witnessed a greater challenge in this regard. Political Science and Government provides 14 men while Law so far only counts 10 but Law will now make a final effort to recruit a couple of additional players.

Football traditions from the past
Both teams have a background in indoor football, which for Political Science and Government goes back to the former associate professor and rector Niels Christian Sidenius in the late 1970s and for Law goes back to Professor Stig Jørgensen. The researchers at Law have previously played against their students, FC Jura. Both law and political science scholars practice every week on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings at 8, respectively, and so we are talking dedicated players with a clear intention of winning the football match. However, both teams also has quite inexperienced players in their stock.

Both the fact that researchers from two departments are competing and that researchers and students are holding this event together, are highlighted by Michael as factors that should provide a good atmosphere.

According to the initiator of the game, Head of Secretariat at Political Science and Government, Henrik Friis Bach, it is not inconceivable that the concept can be extended to include other departments in the future. "When the rumor of this glorious event spreads to the other departments, I imagine that there will be some envy, and then the other departments have to see if they can enlist teams themselves," he says.

Football as a breeding ground for interdisciplinary collaboration?
According to Tonny and Michael, there is plenty of interdisciplinary collaboration between the two departments already. But they are open for the idea that the football match can lead to even more. It is a prerequisite for collaboration that people know each other and talk together, although it is not obvious which research may come out of a football match.

"Political Science and Government and Law have for a long time lived side by side in Hyllegården, and there may be a special relationship between them. I do not think anyone would mind if we won over Political Science and Government", Michael expresses. "You prefer to beat your friends, is this not how the saying goes?" Tonny laughs.

The Head of Department is part of the team
On Friday 3 May the match is played at Katrinebjergskolen in Aarhus, and although the teams have long known that they were going to play against each other, the reality that there is only one and a half weeks to the match is only clear to them now. "It is scary close," Tonny says.

Tonny is accompanied by colleagues from PhD level and up to professor level, while at Law, the Head of Department himself joins the team. "Let's put it this way: the head of department could not be kept from the match," Michael says humorously. Political Science and Government’s, Head of Department, Thomas Pallesen, known to be a real goal striker, unfortunately cannot attend this year because of an injury.

The match is played in old-boys format which means 2x35 minutes, while the students’ match is played full time. The researchers start at 5:15 PM, and the students play immediately thereafter. The referee is Poul Holst Jensen.

Team Lineup
So far, the line-ups for the two VIP-teams are as follows:

Political Science and Government
Svend-Erik Skaaning
Tonny Brems Knudsen
Jakob Tolstrup
Jørgen Møller
Bruno Martins
Niels Mejlgaard
Elias Götz
Lasse Nielsen
Derek Beach
Peter Bjerre Mortensen
Lasse Lindekilde
Lasse Lykke Rørbæk
Mads P. Sørensen
Morten Jakobsen
Team leaders: Henrik Friis Bach & Jørgen Dige Pedersen

Jura
Michael Hansen-Jensen (Professor)
Morten Midtgaard (Professor)
Hans Henrik Edlund (Professor)
Emil Greve (PhD student)
Camilla Hammerum (PhD student)
Dimitar Kondev (PhD student)
Peter Nick Stausholm-Møller (PhD student)
Kasper Steensgaard (associate professor)
Carsten Willemoes (associate professor)
Martin Christian Kruhl (honorary associate professor)
Christian Maly (visiting researcher)
Christian Skadborg (student teacher)
Anders Yde (student assistant)
Per Andersen
Michael Steinicke (Head of Department)
Team leader: Michael Steinicke