Centennial School Cup | The tournament’s sole foreign player: A Danish boy holding onto his Chengdu football dream

Written by Han Bing The legendary move by Dutch coach Van Gaal in the 2014 World Cup—switching goalkeepers before the penalty shootout—almost played out again at the second Centennial School Cup in Hengyang. On August 18th, as the quarterfinal between Xi’an Tieyi High School and Chengdu Huaxi High School neared a penalty shootout, Huaxi’s coach tried to substitute their Danish goalkeeper, Peitersen, for the shootout. Unfortunately, time ran out, and the substitution couldn’t happen. The tournament’s only foreign player missed the chance to replicate his previous penalty-saving heroics.

Tall, with golden curls, yet speaking fluent Mandarin—Marcel Peitersen, the Danish goalkeeper for Chengdu Huaxi High School, is the first and only foreign player in the history of the Centennial School Cup. From the moment he arrived in Hengyang, he drew everyone’s attention. This shy, sunny Danish boy was born in England, moved to Beijing at age one due to his parents’ work, and then to Chengdu at two. His father was once a professional footballer but had to retire early because of a serious injury.

“My grandfather, dad, and brother all played football, so it was only natural for me to like it too.” Influenced by his family, Peitersen switched from basketball to football. He initially played as a forward, but at age 11, he began transitioning to goalkeeper. Peitersen explained that this wasn’t based on advice from professional school coaches, but rather from his experiences in community football, where he found his true position. “The year before joining Huaxi, I was a goalkeeper. After joining Huaxi, I became part of the school team.” Now at 14, he’s already over 1.8 meters tall.

After joining Huaxi High School at age 12, Peitersen quickly became the team’s penalty specialist. He’s often been brought on specifically for shootouts, even managing to save three penalties in a single match. Huaxi assistant coach Zhan Shenghong explained that Peitersen’s success isn’t just due to his physique—he’s also a “big-game player” who stays calm under the pressure of a penalty shootout.

As a goalkeeper, Peitersen naturally looks up to the legendary Danish keepers Schmeichel—father and son. Although he didn’t witness Peter Schmeichel’s miraculous Euro 1992 win, Peitersen’s pride in his roots is clear. He proudly shares that Denmark ranked as high as ninth in the world from November 2021 to February 2022, and reached a historic third in 1997. For the upcoming World Cup in North America, he hopes Denmark can make it to the quarterfinals.

Growing up playing school football in Chengdu, Peitersen has compared Danish and Chinese youth training and school football. He believes Denmark’s strong youth development is partly due to its robust scouting system, which helps young players get noticed even if they’re not in top clubs or school teams. In China, with its vast territory and less developed scouting, young players need to join stronger teams or school squads to get better opportunities.

Having spent most of his life in Chengdu, Peitersen faces one unbeatable challenge: he can’t handle spicy food. When asked which language he’s most fluent in among Danish, English, and Chinese, he replied, “English is the worst; Chinese is the best.” Although he hasn’t mastered Sichuan dialect, he does know the most iconic word in Sichuan football culture: “Xiongqi!” (Go for it!)

A Messi fan, Peitersen’s favorite club is Barcelona. As a Dane, he’s familiar with Copenhagen and Brøndby, the capital’s football rivals. As a “half-Chengdu local,” he often serves as a ball boy at Chengdu Rongcheng matches, sometimes standing near the passionate Blade Fan Association section, fully immersed in the city’s vibrant football fan culture. He loves traveling in China, having visited Shanghai, Zhuhai, Hong Kong, and Dali. His favorite spot is Shanghai Disneyland—after all, besides being a goalkeeper, he’s still a big kid at heart.

Perhaps one day Peitersen will get a chance to play professionally in Europe. Maybe he’ll look back on this summer in Hengyang, where— as the tournament’s only foreign player—he became a unique memory in the Centennial School Cup’s history.