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Christian Keller (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Christian Thielsen Keller (born 17 August, 1980 in Brørup
) is a Danish
professional football (soccer)
player, playing in a midfield
position. He plays for Danish
club Randers
, and has represented his country in 27 matches for various Danish youth national teams.
, Keller started playing football in nearby Vejen
, before moving to top-flight club Vejle BK. He was called up for the Danish under-17 national team
in January 1996, at age 15, before making his under-16 national debut in March 1996. He made his senior debut for Vejle in April 1999. A regular in the Vejle starting line-up, he moved to Viborg FF
when Vejle were relegated to the secondary Danish 1st Division
at the end of the 2001–02 season
. He spent three years at Viborg, playing 92 league games and scoring 11 goals, until his contract ran out in June 2005.
He moved abroad on a free transfer, to play for Italian
club Torino F.C.
, who looked to win promotion
for the top-flight Serie A
championship. Because of financial irregularities, Torino were not allowed to compete in the Serie A, and were relegated to the secondary Serie B
division. After a few games for Torino, Keller was brought to Serie A club S.S. Lazio
in August 2005. He played seven Serie A games for the club, before moving to Stabæk Fotball in August 2006.
While at Stabæk, Keller was called up for the league national team by national team manager Morten Olsen
in January 2007, to play a number of unofficial national team games in the United States
, El Salvador
and Honduras
. He played in all three games of the tour. Keller was also voted 'Player of the Year' by the Stabæk supporters in 2008, after the club took home the Norwegian Championship.
In June 2009, Keller signed a contract with Turkish
club Kasımpaşa S.K.
.
Brørup
Brørup is a town with a population of 4,442 in Vejen municipality, Region of Southern Denmark in Denmark.Until January 1, 2007, Brørup was also a municipality in Ribe County. The municipality covered an area of 107 km², and had a total population of 6,485...
) is a Danish
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...
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, playing in a midfield
Midfield
Midfield is the part of a sports pitch that lies approximately in the center. It is a term most commonly associated with football to refer to the area in and around the center circle, as well as the players who occupy that region, but it can be used in field hockey to describe the same area, or in...
position. He plays for Danish
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...
club Randers
Randers
Randers is a city in Randers municipality on the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark. It is Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 60,656 . Randers city is the main town of the municipality and the site of its municipal council.-Overview:Randers municipality has 94,750 inhabitants...
, and has represented his country in 27 matches for various Danish youth national teams.
Biography
Born in BrørupBrørup
Brørup is a town with a population of 4,442 in Vejen municipality, Region of Southern Denmark in Denmark.Until January 1, 2007, Brørup was also a municipality in Ribe County. The municipality covered an area of 107 km², and had a total population of 6,485...
, Keller started playing football in nearby Vejen
Vejen
Vejen Municipality is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark on the Jutland peninsula in south Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 817 km², and has a total population of 42,447...
, before moving to top-flight club Vejle BK. He was called up for the Danish under-17 national team
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....
in January 1996, at age 15, before making his under-16 national debut in March 1996. He made his senior debut for Vejle in April 1999. A regular in the Vejle starting line-up, he moved to Viborg FF
Viborg FF
Viborg FF is a Danish professional football club located in Viborg. The full name of the club is Viborg Fodsports Forening , but the name is frequently abbreviated as Viborg FF or VFF. The club was founded in 1896, but would have to wait more than a century before winning its only countrywide...
when Vejle were relegated to the secondary Danish 1st Division
Danish 1st Division
The 1st Division has been the name of the second highest football league in Denmark since 1991. From 1945 to 1991 the 1st Division was the name of the highest level of football in Denmark...
at the end of the 2001–02 season
Danish Superliga 2001-02
The 2001–02 Danish Superliga season was the 12th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
. He spent three years at Viborg, playing 92 league games and scoring 11 goals, until his contract ran out in June 2005.
He moved abroad on a free transfer, to play for Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
club Torino F.C.
Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....
, who looked to win promotion
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
for the top-flight Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
championship. Because of financial irregularities, Torino were not allowed to compete in the Serie A, and were relegated to the secondary Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
division. After a few games for Torino, Keller was brought to Serie A club S.S. Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
in August 2005. He played seven Serie A games for the club, before moving to Stabæk Fotball in August 2006.
While at Stabæk, Keller was called up for the league national team by national team 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...
in January 2007, to play a number of unofficial national team games in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
and Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
. He played in all three games of the tour. Keller was also voted 'Player of the Year' by the Stabæk supporters in 2008, after the club took home the Norwegian Championship.
In June 2009, Keller signed a contract with Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
club Kasımpaşa S.K.
Kasimpasa S.K.
Kasımpaşa Spor Kulübü is a Turkish football club located in Istanbul, Turkey. They play their home games in the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Stadium. The club was founded in 1921 as Altıntuğ. They played in the Istanbul First League between 1939–1945 and 1946–1959. The club was promoted to the Turkish...
.
Honours
- TippeligaTippeligaenTippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
winner (1): 2008 (with Stabæk)