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Bent Christensen (1967)
Encyclopedia
Bent Christensen Arensøe, formerly known as Bent René Christensen, (born January 4, 1967) is a Danish
former professional football (soccer)
player who has been part of the coaching team at Brøndby IF
since 2005.
During his active career he earned the nickname "Turbo" for his tenacity in the attacking striker
position. He played in a string of clubs, most notably Danish club Brøndby IF
, where he scored a combined 116 goals in 208 games and won five Danish championships
. He played 26 games and scored 8 goals for the Denmark national football team
, and was a part of the Danish 1992 European Championship
winning side.
, Christensen started his career with Brønshøj BK
in 1985, under manager Ebbe Skovdahl
. He moved abroad in the same year, 17 years old, to play for Swiss
club Servette FC
. With Servette, he won the 1985 Swiss Super League
. He wanted away from the club, and was initially loaned out to Danish club Vejle BK in 1987. He moved permantly to Brøndby IF, under Brøndby manager Ebbe Skovdahl, later that year. He was a part of the Brøndby team that won the 1988 and 1989 Danish championships.
In his time for Brøndby, he was Danish league top goalscorer three times, in the 1988 season
, 1990 season
and 1991 season
tournaments. He was part of the Brøndby team who, under manager Morten Olsen
, reached the semi-finals of the European 1991 UEFA Cup
tournament, and he was sold to German
team Schalke 04 later that year. The transfer deal was a race for Christensen's signature between Schalke and Eintracht Frankfurt
, and was worth DEM
5 million, which made Turbo the most expensive Danish footballer at the time, with a monthly wage of DKK 400,000. He did not find playing success at Schalke, where he scored 8 goals in 49 games, and he earned the nickname "Trabi
-Bent".
He moved to Greek
club Olympiacos for the 1993 season, where he found playing success. In July 1994, he moved on to SD Compostela
in Spain
. He remained three seasons at Compostela with good success, before moving to Genclerbirligi
in Turkey
in 1997. Christensen returned to Brøndby in March 1998, under manager Ebbe Skovdahl
, and was a part of Brøndby's 1998 Danish Superliga
and 1998 Danish Cup
wins. He also took part in Brøndby's campaign in the European 1998–99 UEFA Champions League
tournament. After the 1999–00 season
, he ended his professional career, and played his last games with childhood club Brønshøj BK
in 2000.
in July 1983. He scored a combined five goals in 28 games for the under-19 and under-17 teams
until June 1985, scoring one goal at the 1984 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
. He made his Danish under-21
debut in October 1986, and scored two goals in six games for the team until September 1987.
He made his senior debut for the Danish national team
in the February 1989 friendly match against Malta
. He scored six goals in four games in Denmark's UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying campaign. He was selected to represent the Danish national team at the UEFA Euro 1992 in Sweden
. Turbo played Denmark's first two games in the tournament without scoring, but was injured and travelled home while the rest of the squad went on to win the tournament. Christensen didn't take part in the Danish public celebrations of the trophy, and did not really feel a part of the winning team. While at Compostela, Christensen played his last national team match in November 1994, against Spain
, and ended his national team career after 26 matches and 8 goals.
. In October 2005 he was hired as head coach of the Brøndby IF youth team, and in June 2010 he was additionally named coach in charge of special training of attackers for the first team.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
former professional football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player who has been part of the coaching team at Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF is a Danish professional football club based in Brøndbyvester, Brøndby, on the western outskirts of Copenhagen and is the biggest football club in Denmark with almost 2000 members. The club is also known as Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening, or Brøndby and BIF for short...
since 2005.
During his active career he earned the nickname "Turbo" for his tenacity in the attacking striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
position. He played in a string of clubs, most notably Danish club Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF is a Danish professional football club based in Brøndbyvester, Brøndby, on the western outskirts of Copenhagen and is the biggest football club in Denmark with almost 2000 members. The club is also known as Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening, or Brøndby and BIF for short...
, where he scored a combined 116 goals in 208 games and won five Danish championships
Danish football champions
The Danish football champions are the winners of the highest league of football in Denmark. The title has been contested since 1913, in a varying form of competitions. Since 1991, the winners have been found through the Danish Superliga championship...
. He played 26 games and scored 8 goals for the Denmark national football team
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
, and was a part of the Danish 1992 European Championship
1992 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1992 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was hosted by Sweden between 10 and 26 June 1992. It was the ninth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and supported by UEFA. Eight national teams contested the championship, which was won by Denmark, one of...
winning side.
Club career
Born in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Christensen started his career with Brønshøj BK
Brønshøj BK
Brønshøj Boldklub is a Danish football club, currently playing in the Danish 1st Division.-Current squad:As of November 13, 2011-Famous players:Patrick Tronborg Kent Nielsen...
in 1985, under manager Ebbe Skovdahl
Ebbe Skovdahl
Ebbe Skovdahl Hansen is a retired Danish football manager. He most prominently was a successful manager at Brøndby IF, for whom he had also played in his active years...
. He moved abroad in the same year, 17 years old, to play for Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
club Servette FC
Servette FC
Servette FC is a Swiss football club, based in Geneva currently playing in the Swiss Super League. They were playing in the Swiss Challenge League, the second highest tier of Swiss football having been relegated from the Swiss Super League at the end of 2004/05 season...
. With Servette, he won the 1985 Swiss Super League
Swiss Super League
The Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
. He wanted away from the club, and was initially loaned out to Danish club Vejle BK in 1987. He moved permantly to Brøndby IF, under Brøndby manager Ebbe Skovdahl, later that year. He was a part of the Brøndby team that won the 1988 and 1989 Danish championships.
In his time for Brøndby, he was Danish league top goalscorer three times, in the 1988 season
Danish 1st Division 1988
The 1988 Danish 1st Division season was the 43rd season of the Danish 1st Division league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
, 1990 season
Danish 1st Division 1990
The 1990 Danish 1st Division season was the 45th season of the Danish 1st Division, and the last in which it was the country's top flight. At the end of the season the new Danish Superliga was formed as the country's new top division....
and 1991 season
Danish Superliga 1991
The 1991 Danish Superliga season was the 1st season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association.After about 33 years it had been decided to abandon the format where the league would follow the calendar year, therefore the first superliga season was a...
tournaments. He was part of the Brøndby team who, under manager Morten Olsen
Morten Olsen
Morten Per Olsen is a Danish football manager and former football player. He has been the head coach of the Danish national team since 2000, guiding Denmark to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2004 European Championship and 2010 FIFA World Cup...
, reached the semi-finals of the European 1991 UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup 1990-91
The UEFA Cup 1990–91 was won by Internazionale on aggregate over Roma. This tournament also marked the return of English clubs after a five-year ban resulting from the Heysel Stadium Disaster in 1985...
tournament, and he was sold to German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
team Schalke 04 later that year. The transfer deal was a race for Christensen's signature between Schalke and Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
, and was worth DEM
DEM
- Codes :* DEM, the ISO 4217 code for Deutsche Mark, the former currency of Germany- Computing :* Digital elevation model, a digital representation of ground surface topography or terrain** .dem, a common extension for USGS DEM files...
5 million, which made Turbo the most expensive Danish footballer at the time, with a monthly wage of DKK 400,000. He did not find playing success at Schalke, where he scored 8 goals in 49 games, and he earned the nickname "Trabi
Trabant
The Trabant is a car that was produced by former East German auto maker VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau in Zwickau, Sachsen. It was the most common vehicle in East Germany, and was also exported to countries both inside and outside the communist bloc...
-Bent".
He moved to Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
club Olympiacos for the 1993 season, where he found playing success. In July 1994, he moved on to SD Compostela
SD Compostela
Sociedade Deportiva Compostela also known as Compostela is a Spanish football team based in Santiago de Compostela, in the autonomous community of Galicia. Founded on 26 June 1962, it currently plays in Preferente Autonómica.-History:...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. He remained three seasons at Compostela with good success, before moving to Genclerbirligi
Gençlerbirligi
Gençlerbirliği Spor Kulübü is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Ankara, which is the capital of Turkey. Formed in 1923, Gençlerbirliği are nicknamed Ankara Rüzgârı . The club colours are black and red. They play their home matches at Ankara 19 Mayıs Stadium.Domestically,...
in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
in 1997. Christensen returned to Brøndby in March 1998, under manager Ebbe Skovdahl
Ebbe Skovdahl
Ebbe Skovdahl Hansen is a retired Danish football manager. He most prominently was a successful manager at Brøndby IF, for whom he had also played in his active years...
, and was a part of Brøndby's 1998 Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga 1997-98
The 1997-98 Danish Superliga season was the 8th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 25, 1997 to final match on June 1, 1998....
and 1998 Danish Cup
Danish Cup
The Danish Cup is the official "knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955...
wins. He also took part in Brøndby's campaign in the European 1998–99 UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League 1998-99
The 1998–99 UEFA Champions League was the seventh season of the UEFA Champions League, Europe's premier club football tournament, since it was renamed from the "European Champion Clubs' Cup" or "European Cup". The competition was won by Manchester United, coming back from a goal down in the last...
tournament. After the 1999–00 season
Danish Superliga 1999-2000
The 1999–2000 Danish Superliga season was the 10th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
, he ended his professional career, and played his last games with childhood club Brønshøj BK
Brønshøj BK
Brønshøj Boldklub is a Danish football club, currently playing in the Danish 1st Division.-Current squad:As of November 13, 2011-Famous players:Patrick Tronborg Kent Nielsen...
in 2000.
International career
Christensen made his international debut with the Denmark under-19 national teamDenmark national under-19 football team
The Denmark national under-19 football team was founded in 1950 as a under-18 team. In 2001, it was changed to a under-19 team.-Competitive record:...
in July 1983. He scored a combined five goals in 28 games for the under-19 and under-17 teams
Denmark national under-17 football team
The Denmark national under-17 football team was founded in 1964 as a under-16 team. In 2001, it was changed to a under-17 team.-Competitive record:The Danish under-17 squad will make its World Cup debut at the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico....
until June 1985, scoring one goal at the 1984 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
The European Under 19 Football Championship is an annual football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. The competition has been held since 1948. It was originally called the FIFA junior tournament, until it was taken over by UEFA in 1955...
. He made his Danish under-21
Denmark national under-21 football team
The Denmark national under-21 football team has played since 1976 and is controlled by the Danish Football Association. Before 1976, the age limit was 23 years.-U-21 European Championship:*1978 – Quarterfinals*1980 to 1984 – Did not qualify...
debut in October 1986, and scored two goals in six games for the team until September 1987.
He made his senior debut for the Danish national team
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
in the February 1989 friendly match against Malta
Malta national football team
The Malta national football team is the national football team of Malta and is controlled by the Malta Football Association. Malta played its first international game in February 1957, and began competing for qualification to major tournaments in 1962. The side's first competitive victory came in...
. He scored six goals in four games in Denmark's UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying campaign. He was selected to represent the Danish national team at the UEFA Euro 1992 in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Turbo played Denmark's first two games in the tournament without scoring, but was injured and travelled home while the rest of the squad went on to win the tournament. Christensen didn't take part in the Danish public celebrations of the trophy, and did not really feel a part of the winning team. While at Compostela, Christensen played his last national team match in November 1994, against Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, and ended his national team career after 26 matches and 8 goals.
Coaching career
In January 2003, he started as head coach of Værløse Boldklub, which he led to the Danish 2nd DivisionDanish 2nd Division
The 2nd Division is the third tier Danish football league, just after the 1st Division.It was founded in 1945, after World War II, as the second-best Danish football division. When the Danish Superliga was founded in 1991, the 2nd Division became the third level league...
. In October 2005 he was hired as head coach of the Brøndby IF youth team, and in June 2010 he was additionally named coach in charge of special training of attackers for the first team.
Club statistics
Total number of goals for Brøndby (1987-1991 and 1998-2000):- - In the Danish leagueDanish SuperligaThe Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
: 80 goals - - In the Danish CupDanish CupThe Danish Cup is the official "knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955...
: 16 goals - - In the UEFA Intertoto CupUEFA Intertoto CupThe UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
: 10 goals - - In the UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
/European CupUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 10 goals - - Total score in 208 games: 116 goals
Honours
- Swiss Super LeagueSwiss Super LeagueThe Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
: 1985 - Danish ChampionshipDanish football championsThe Danish football champions are the winners of the highest league of football in Denmark. The title has been contested since 1913, in a varying form of competitions. Since 1991, the winners have been found through the Danish Superliga championship...
: 1987Danish 1st Division 1987The 1987 Danish 1st Division season was the 42nd season of the Danish 1st Division league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
, 1988Danish 1st Division 1988The 1988 Danish 1st Division season was the 43rd season of the Danish 1st Division league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
, 1990Danish 1st Division 1990The 1990 Danish 1st Division season was the 45th season of the Danish 1st Division, and the last in which it was the country's top flight. At the end of the season the new Danish Superliga was formed as the country's new top division....
, 1991Danish Superliga 1991The 1991 Danish Superliga season was the 1st season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association.After about 33 years it had been decided to abandon the format where the league would follow the calendar year, therefore the first superliga season was a...
, 1997–98Danish Superliga 1997-98The 1997-98 Danish Superliga season was the 8th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 25, 1997 to final match on June 1, 1998.... - Danish CupDanish CupThe Danish Cup is the official "knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955...
: 1988–89, 1997–98 - 1992 European Championship