Frank Arnesen
Encyclopedia
Frank Arnesen is a former Danish
football player and currently sporting director at Hamburger SV
. Arnesen was Director of Football at English
football clubs Tottenham Hotspur
and Chelsea
.
As a player, he most notably played with Dutch
clubs Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, winning the 1988 European Cup
with PSV. Arnesen was capped
52 times and scored 14 goals for the Danish national team
, and participated in the Euro 1984
and 1986 FIFA World Cup
tournaments.
team Ajax in November/December 1975. At the time he was only 19, and he made the move together with Fremad Amager teammate Søren Lerby
, who was only 17. Arnesen got his debut with Ajax 3 or 4 months later, on 7 March 1976, in a 1–1 draw with FC Utrecht. It was also in his time at Ajax, that Arnesen debuted for the Danish national team, in a 1977 friendly 1–0 loss against Sweden
, in Malmö
. In Arnesen's six seasons at Ajax, he won three Dutch Eredivisie
championship titles in 1977, 1979, and 1980, and won the KNVB Cup
in 1979, beating FC Twente
3–0 in the final. In 1980, Arnesen and Ajax reached the semi-final of the European Cup
, before they were eliminated by English team Nottingham Forest
(2–0 away loss, 1–0 home win).
In the summer of 1981, Arnesen was bought by Spanish
side Valencia CF
, and two years later he went to Belgium
to play for RSC Anderlecht. In November 1985, Arnesen returned to Holland to play for Ajax' rivals PSV Eindhoven. Here he saw three extremely successful seasons, winning the Eredivisie three years in a row, in 1986, 1987, and 1988, with fellow Danes Jan Heintze
, Søren Lerby
and Ivan Nielsen
also in the team. Arnesen stopped his international career in 1987, after the Danish team qualified for the Euro 1988
. In 1988, he won the KNVB Cup once more, and he was part of the PSV team that conquered the European Cup, though he did not play in the final match due to injury.
from 1991 to 1993, and in 1994 he became the general manager of the club. Arnesen spent 10 years as director of football at PSV Eindhoven, and was credited with discovering major talents, such as Brazil
ian striker Ronaldo and Dutch players Jaap Stam
, Ruud van Nistelrooy
, and Arjen Robben
. In May 2004, Arnesen was brought to Tottenham Hotspur, replacing David Pleat
. Arnesen was to function as the manager responsible for player transfers and scouting for new talent, while coach Jacques Santini handled the daily training sessions and match setups; an arrangement identical to Arnesen's days as PSV manager. Things didn't work out well, and Santini left within months citing "personal problems" as his reason for leaving. Arnesen's original hiring for assistant coach, Martin Jol
, was put in charge of the club.
Arnesen was suspended by Spurs on 4 June 2005 for expressing a desire to move to rival club Chelsea
, after Chelsea allegedly made an illegal approach to sign him as manager. Arnesen was photographed aboard one of Roman Abramovich
's three luxury yachts on 22 June 2005 thus reinforcing Tottenham's compensation claim. Arnesen was recommended to Abramovich by Piet de Visser
, in a move which was opposed by Jose Mourinho
. On 24 June, both clubs announced that they had reached a financial settlement, later disclosed to be £5 million but widely reported to be closer to £8 million, and Arnesen would move to Chelsea, filling in the role of head talent scout, in charge of uncovering footballing talents. Arnesen has since played a key role in bringing Salomon Kalou
, Florent Malouda
and John Obi Mikel to Chelsea, however the club has still pursued expensive purchases of established international players, rather than unearthing and developing young talent as hoped. Recently it has been reported that former Chelsea manager José Mourinho
has blamed Arnesen for the lack of talented youth in the Chelsea ranks. On 27 November 2010 Chelsea announced that Arnesen had resigned as sporting director and would be leaving the club at the end of the 2010–11 season. On 20 February he decided to join Hamburger SV
for the foreseeable future as sporting director.
On 10 October 2011 Arnesen took over the additional task of the head coach of Hamburger SV.
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...
football player and currently sporting director at Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
. Arnesen was Director of Football at English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football clubs Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
and Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
.
As a player, he most notably played with 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...
clubs Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, winning the 1988 European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The 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...
with PSV. Arnesen was capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
52 times and scored 14 goals 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...
, and participated in the Euro 1984
1984 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1984 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in France. West Germany also bid for the hosting of this event. It was the seventh European Football Championship, held every four years and endorsed by UEFA...
and 1986 FIFA World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
tournaments.
Playing career
Arnesen moved from childhood club Fremad Amager, in the lower leagues of Danish football, to the big DutchNetherlands
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...
team Ajax in November/December 1975. At the time he was only 19, and he made the move together with Fremad Amager teammate Søren Lerby
Søren Lerby
Søren Lerby, is a Danish former football player, manager, and licensed agent. As a player, he spent the bulk of his career in Dutch football, winning five Eredivisie championships with Ajax Amsterdam as well as the 1988 European Cup and two further Eredivise titles with PSV Eindhoven...
, who was only 17. Arnesen got his debut with Ajax 3 or 4 months later, on 7 March 1976, in a 1–1 draw with FC Utrecht. It was also in his time at Ajax, that Arnesen debuted for the Danish national team, in a 1977 friendly 1–0 loss against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
, in Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
. In Arnesen's six seasons at Ajax, he won three Dutch Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
championship titles in 1977, 1979, and 1980, and won the KNVB Cup
KNVB Cup
The 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...
in 1979, beating FC Twente
FC Twente
FC Twente is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, playing in the Eredivisie. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Eredivisie Champions, Sportclub Enschede and Enschedese Boys...
3–0 in the final. In 1980, Arnesen and Ajax reached the semi-final of the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The 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...
, before they were eliminated by English team Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
(2–0 away loss, 1–0 home win).
In the summer of 1981, Arnesen was bought by 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...
side Valencia CF
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
, and two years later he went to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
to play for RSC Anderlecht. In November 1985, Arnesen returned to Holland to play for Ajax' rivals PSV Eindhoven. Here he saw three extremely successful seasons, winning the Eredivisie three years in a row, in 1986, 1987, and 1988, with fellow Danes Jan Heintze
Jan Heintze
Jan Heintze is a retired Danish professional football player, a left-sided defensive midfielder and defender who started and ended his career in the Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven, where he was a part of the PSV team which won the 1988 European Cup...
, Søren Lerby
Søren Lerby
Søren Lerby, is a Danish former football player, manager, and licensed agent. As a player, he spent the bulk of his career in Dutch football, winning five Eredivisie championships with Ajax Amsterdam as well as the 1988 European Cup and two further Eredivise titles with PSV Eindhoven...
and Ivan Nielsen
Ivan Nielsen
Ivan Nielsen is a Danish former professional football player, who most prominently played professionally for Dutch clubs Feyenoord Rotterdam and PSV Eindhoven, winning the European Cup with PSV...
also in the team. Arnesen stopped his international career in 1987, after the Danish team qualified for the Euro 1988
1988 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1988 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in West Germany. West Germany won the right to host the tournament with five votes ahead of a joint bid from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, who gained 1 vote, and a bid from England. It was the eighth European Football...
. In 1988, he won the KNVB Cup once more, and he was part of the PSV team that conquered the European Cup, though he did not play in the final match due to injury.
Managerial career
After his active career, Frank Arnesen was first appointed assistant coach at PSV under Bobby RobsonBobby Robson
Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....
from 1991 to 1993, and in 1994 he became the general manager of the club. Arnesen spent 10 years as director of football at PSV Eindhoven, and was credited with discovering major talents, such as Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian striker Ronaldo and Dutch players Jaap Stam
Jaap Stam
Jakob "Jaap" Stam is a retired Dutch football player who was twice voted best defender in the 1998–99 and 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League. He played for several European clubs like PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, S.S. Lazio, A.C. Milan and AFC Ajax before retiring in October 2007...
, Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
, and Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben is a Dutch footballer who plays for the German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Though often classified as a forward, he usually plays behind the forwards as a winger, and he is also known for his dribbling skills...
. In May 2004, Arnesen was brought to Tottenham Hotspur, replacing David Pleat
David Pleat
David John Pleat is an English football player turned manager and sports commentator.He is remembered by his contemporaries primarily for his career as manager of Tottenham Hotspur and Luton Town football clubs, and for an oft-televised clip of him running onto the pitch in 1983 to celebrate after...
. Arnesen was to function as the manager responsible for player transfers and scouting for new talent, while coach Jacques Santini handled the daily training sessions and match setups; an arrangement identical to Arnesen's days as PSV manager. Things didn't work out well, and Santini left within months citing "personal problems" as his reason for leaving. Arnesen's original hiring for assistant coach, Martin Jol
Martin Jol
Maarten Cornelis "Martin" Jol is a Dutch football manager and former midfielder who currently manages Fulham in the Premier League. Jol played over 400 games during his career which included spells in the Netherlands, Germany, and England, as well as earning three caps with the Dutch national team...
, was put in charge of the club.
Arnesen was suspended by Spurs on 4 June 2005 for expressing a desire to move to rival club Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, after Chelsea allegedly made an illegal approach to sign him as manager. Arnesen was photographed aboard one of Roman Abramovich
Roman Abramovich
Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich is a Russian businessman and the main owner of the private investment company Millhouse LLC.In 2003, Abramovich was named Person of the Year by Expert, a Russian business magazine. He shared this title with Mikhail Khodorkovsky...
's three luxury yachts on 22 June 2005 thus reinforcing Tottenham's compensation claim. Arnesen was recommended to Abramovich by Piet de Visser
Piet de Visser
Piet de Visser is a Dutch football manager and scout. He is best known for scouting players like Romário and Ronaldo and successfully bringing them to Europe. He is currently a personal adviser to Roman Abramovich, the owner of the English club Chelsea F.C...
, in a move which was opposed by Jose Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
. On 24 June, both clubs announced that they had reached a financial settlement, later disclosed to be £5 million but widely reported to be closer to £8 million, and Arnesen would move to Chelsea, filling in the role of head talent scout, in charge of uncovering footballing talents. Arnesen has since played a key role in bringing Salomon Kalou
Salomon Kalou
Salomon Armand Magloire Kalou is an Ivorian footballer who plays as a striker for Chelsea in the Premier League.He is often used on the wings at Chelsea. He has a preference for playing on the left wing as this gives him opportunities to cut inside and take shots with his favoured right foot...
, Florent Malouda
Florent Malouda
Florent Johan Malouda is a French footballer who plays as a left winger for Chelsea and the French national team.-Châteauroux:A street footballer in his teen years, Malouda gradually developed into an interesting, new football talent, able to penetrate defenses with his technical skills and...
and John Obi Mikel to Chelsea, however the club has still pursued expensive purchases of established international players, rather than unearthing and developing young talent as hoped. Recently it has been reported that former Chelsea manager José Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
has blamed Arnesen for the lack of talented youth in the Chelsea ranks. On 27 November 2010 Chelsea announced that Arnesen had resigned as sporting director and would be leaving the club at the end of the 2010–11 season. On 20 February he decided to join Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
for the foreseeable future as sporting director.
On 10 October 2011 Arnesen took over the additional task of the head coach of Hamburger SV.
Honours
- EredivisieEredivisieThe Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
- 1977, 1979, and 1980, with Ajax
- 1986, 1987, and 1988, with PSV
- 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...
- 1979, with Ajax
- 1988, with PSV
- 1988 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...
with PSV