Flemming Povlsen
Encyclopedia
Flemming Søgaard Povlsen (born 3 December 1966 in Brabrand
) is a Danish
former professional football (soccer)
player who most notably played as a striker
for Borussia Dortmund
in Germany
.
, but moved on to Danish top-flight club AGF Aarhus
in 1984. In 1985 he was awarded the Danish 1st Division Revelation of the Year. He moved abroad in 1986, when he signed for Spanish
club Castilla CF
, the reserve team of multiple European champions Real Madrid
. While at Castilla, he made his debut for the Danish national team
in the 5–0 win over Greece
in an 1988 Olympic Games
qualifier. After only a year at CF Castilla, Povlsen moved on to 1. FC Köln
in Germany
, where he played alongside fellow Dane Morten Olsen
. Even though he wasn't a top goal scoring striker, Povlsen's speed and work rate endeared him to the fans, and he won two sets of silver medals, as the Köln team finished second in the 1988–89 and 1989–90 Bundesliga seasons. Povlsen did not play more than three matches for Köln in the 1989–90 season though, as he was bought by Dutch
club PSV Eindhoven in 1989. He played the remainder of the season at PSV, going on to win the Dutch cup and finishing second in the League. He moved back to Germany, where he settled down at Borussia Dortmund
in 1990.
At Dortmund, he experienced his most successful time as a player, and quickly became a fan favourite. However, in an April 1993 game for Dortmund against 1. FC Köln, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament
in the knee, and was out for recovery until October of the same year, when he made his come-back against Wattenscheid 09. In an September 1994 match in the DFB Pokal tournament against 1. FC Kaiserslautern
he suffered a cruciate ligament injury in his other knee, and though he had a short appearance in March 1995 against Eintracht Frankfurt
, and thus was a part of the 1994–95 Bundesliga
winning Dortmund side, Povlsen had to terminate his career as his knee injuries forced him to retire.
, after an intense battle of nerves with Dutch keeper Hans van Breukelen, Povlsen's former PSV teammate. He was a constant part of the Denmark national football team
from his debut in 1987 until he retired. He scored 21 goals in his 62 international appearances for Denmark, and played at the 1988 European Championship (Euro 1988) as well as Euro 1992
, a tournament which Denmark won. A knee injury ended his career in March 1995.
club FC Aarhus in December 2001. As the club underwent economical downsizing in November 2002, Povlsen offered to step down, which the club accepted. He played lower league football in Brabrand
and later switched to the old-boys team in his childhood club Aarhus GF. In March 2005, he became part of the coaching staff at Danish Superliga
club AC Horsens
. In July 2009 he joined as Assistant Coach to Randers FC
but resigned on 6 October 2009 when Manager John Jensen
was sacked. He is also teaching teenage kids at a football school called Hessel Gods Fodboldkostskole in Jutland.
Brabrand
Brabrand is a Danish town 6–9 km west of Aarhus with a population of 19,000 which became a suburb of Århus in 1970.South of the town lies the lakes "Brabrand Sø" and "Aarslev Engsø", which is the largest recreational areas of Aarhus County...
) 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...
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 most notably played as a 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...
for Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
in Germany
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...
.
Career
Povlsen started playing football in local town VibyViby J
Viby is a district in the southwestern part of Aarhus with almost 30,000 inhabitants. The "J" stands for Jutland, as there is another town called Viby on the island of Zealand called Viby Sj. It is primarily a working class area, including many immigrants who also live in Viby J...
, but moved on to Danish top-flight club AGF Aarhus
Aarhus Gymnastik Forening
Aarhus Gymnastikforening is one of the oldest sport clubs in Denmark. AGF participates in a variety of activities in both individual and team sports. AGF is best known for its football team which has the longest streak in the Danish top division and also holds the record for most number of cup wins...
in 1984. In 1985 he was awarded the Danish 1st Division Revelation of the Year. He moved abroad in 1986, when he signed for Spanish
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...
club Castilla CF
Real Madrid Castilla
Real Madrid Castilla is a Spanish football team that plays in the Segunda División B. It is the reserve team of Real Madrid. They play their home games at Alfredo di Stéfano Stadium....
, the reserve team of multiple European champions Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
. While at Castilla, he made his 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 5–0 win over Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
in an 1988 Olympic Games
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
qualifier. After only a year at CF Castilla, Povlsen moved on to 1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....
in Germany
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...
, where he played alongside fellow Dane 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...
. Even though he wasn't a top goal scoring striker, Povlsen's speed and work rate endeared him to the fans, and he won two sets of silver medals, as the Köln team finished second in the 1988–89 and 1989–90 Bundesliga seasons. Povlsen did not play more than three matches for Köln in the 1989–90 season though, as he was bought by Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
club PSV Eindhoven in 1989. He played the remainder of the season at PSV, going on to win the Dutch cup and finishing second in the League. He moved back to Germany, where he settled down at Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
in 1990.
At Dortmund, he experienced his most successful time as a player, and quickly became a fan favourite. However, in an April 1993 game for Dortmund against 1. FC Köln, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
in the knee, and was out for recovery until October of the same year, when he made his come-back against Wattenscheid 09. In an September 1994 match in the DFB Pokal tournament against 1. FC Kaiserslautern
1. FC Kaiserslautern
1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern, also known as 1. FCK, FCK or simply Kaiserslautern, is a German association football club based in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate. On 2 June 1900, Germania 1896 and FG Kaiserslautern merged to create FC 1900...
he suffered a cruciate ligament injury in his other knee, and though he had a short appearance in March 1995 against 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 thus was a part of the 1994–95 Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga 1994/95
1860 Munich played four high risk home matches at Olympiastadion.-League table:-Top goalscorers:20 goals Mario Basler Heiko Herrlich 17 goals Toni Polster ...
winning Dortmund side, Povlsen had to terminate his career as his knee injuries forced him to retire.
International career
When won the 1992 European Championship with the Danish national team, his reputation was on the rise. Povlsen played all five Denmark matches in the tournament, and scored once in the semi-final penalty shootout against NetherlandsNetherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
, after an intense battle of nerves with Dutch keeper Hans van Breukelen, Povlsen's former PSV teammate. He was a constant part of 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...
from his debut in 1987 until he retired. He scored 21 goals in his 62 international appearances for Denmark, and played at the 1988 European Championship (Euro 1988) as well as Euro 1992
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...
, a tournament which Denmark won. A knee injury ended his career in March 1995.
Coaching career
Following his retirement, Flemming Povlsen became a sports director at Danish 1st DivisionDanish 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...
club FC Aarhus in December 2001. As the club underwent economical downsizing in November 2002, Povlsen offered to step down, which the club accepted. He played lower league football in Brabrand
Brabrand
Brabrand is a Danish town 6–9 km west of Aarhus with a population of 19,000 which became a suburb of Århus in 1970.South of the town lies the lakes "Brabrand Sø" and "Aarslev Engsø", which is the largest recreational areas of Aarhus County...
and later switched to the old-boys team in his childhood club Aarhus GF. In March 2005, he became part of the coaching staff at Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The 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...
club AC Horsens
AC Horsens
AC Horsens is a professional Danish football team, playing in the Danish Superliga championship. They play on Forum Horsens Stadion in Horsens. The club was founded in 1994, as a superstructure on Horsens fS and the merger of Dagnæs IF and B 1940; FC Horsens.-History:When the new team started in...
. In July 2009 he joined as Assistant Coach to Randers FC
Randers FC
Randers FC is a Danish professional football team based in Randers, which plays in the top-flight Danish Superliga championship. Founded as a merger on January 1, 2003, the club builds upon the license of Randers Freja, a former three-time Danish Cup winning team...
but resigned on 6 October 2009 when Manager John Jensen
John Jensen
John Jensen , nicknamed Faxe, is a former Danish international footballer who is unemployed. He is known for his temper and is often outspoken in interviews. His playing career lasted over a decade, during which he played most famously for Arsenal F.C...
was sacked. He is also teaching teenage kids at a football school called Hessel Gods Fodboldkostskole in Jutland.
Honours
- 1992 European Championship, with Denmark
- 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...
: 1992–93 runner-up, with Borussia Dortmund - Dutch CupKNVB CupThe KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
:- Champion Dutch Cup 1989–90KNVB Cup 1989–90The 72nd edition of the KNVB Cup started on September 2, 1989. The final was played on April 25, 1990: PSV beat Vitesse 1–0 and won the cup for the sixth time.-Teams:* All 18 participants of the Eredivisie 1988-89, eight of which entering in the second round...
, with PSV Eindhoven
- Champion Dutch Cup 1989–90
- German Bundesliga:
- Champion: 1994–95, with Borussia Dortmund
- Runner-up: 1988–89 and 1989–90, with 1. FC Köln; 1991–92, with Borussia Dortmund