Ivan Jensen
Encyclopedia
Tage Ivan Jensen, known as Ivan Jensen for short (November 10, 1922 – January 26, 2009) was a Danish
association footballer, who won three Danish championships with Akademisk Boldklub
and played professionally for Bologna FC. He played 25 games and scored two goals for the Denmark national football team
and won a bronze medal
at the 1948 Summer Olympics
.
, Hansen started playing with local clubs KFUM's Boldklub and Akademisk Boldklub
(AB). He was a hard working defensive midfielder, physically imposing with a great stamina, but also an elegant player on and off the field. Jensen won three Danish championships with AB in 1943, 1945, and 1947, and made his debut for the Denmark national football team
in September 1945. He went on to play 25 games and score two goals for the national team, including four games as Denmark won a bronze medal
at the 1948 Summer Olympics
in London
. Jensen signed a professional contract in 1949, and was excluded from further games with the amateur-only Danish national team.
He moved abroad to play professionally for Italian
club Bologna FC in the Serie A
championship. He quickly gained popularity in Bolgona, and was asked to recommend another Danish player for the club. He chose fellow Danish international Axel Pilmark, who was then signed. The two complemented each other perfectly in the Bologna midfield, with Jensen the defensive anchor supporting Pilmark's offensive playmaking passes. Jensen spent seven seasons with Bologna, playing 180 games and scoring one goal in Serie A until 1956.
Jensen was an educated teacher, and attended several courses in Roman history at the University of Bologna
during his time in Bologna
. When he ended his playing career, he became a teacher in Gladsaxe
. He studied at the University of Copenhagen
, and became a gymnasium
teacher in Lyngby. He continued playing amateur football until above the age of 70, and wrote a number of books on football. He died on January 26, 2009, in Vedbæk
.
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...
association footballer, who won three Danish championships with Akademisk Boldklub
Akademisk Boldklub
Akademisk Boldklub or AB is a Danish professional football club from Copenhagen,currently playing at the second highest level in Danish domestic football, the 1st Division.-History:...
and played professionally for Bologna FC. He played 25 games and scored two 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 won a bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
at the 1948 Summer Olympics
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
.
Biography
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...
, Hansen started playing with local clubs KFUM's Boldklub and Akademisk Boldklub
Akademisk Boldklub
Akademisk Boldklub or AB is a Danish professional football club from Copenhagen,currently playing at the second highest level in Danish domestic football, the 1st Division.-History:...
(AB). He was a hard working defensive midfielder, physically imposing with a great stamina, but also an elegant player on and off the field. Jensen won three Danish championships with AB in 1943, 1945, and 1947, and made his debut 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...
in September 1945. He went on to play 25 games and score two goals for the national team, including four games as Denmark won a bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
at the 1948 Summer Olympics
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Jensen signed a professional contract in 1949, and was excluded from further games with the amateur-only Danish national team.
He moved abroad to play professionally 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 Bologna FC in the 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. He quickly gained popularity in Bolgona, and was asked to recommend another Danish player for the club. He chose fellow Danish international Axel Pilmark, who was then signed. The two complemented each other perfectly in the Bologna midfield, with Jensen the defensive anchor supporting Pilmark's offensive playmaking passes. Jensen spent seven seasons with Bologna, playing 180 games and scoring one goal in Serie A until 1956.
Jensen was an educated teacher, and attended several courses in Roman history at the University of Bologna
University of Bologna
The Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university in the world, the word 'universitas' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...
during his time in Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
. When he ended his playing career, he became a teacher in Gladsaxe
Gladsaxe
Gladsaxe Kommune is a municipality near Copenhagen in Region Hovedstaden on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 25 km², and has a total population of 62,562...
. He studied at the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
, and became a gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
teacher in Lyngby. He continued playing amateur football until above the age of 70, and wrote a number of books on football. He died on January 26, 2009, in Vedbæk
Vedbæk
Vedbæk is a small town in the municipality of Rudersdal , Denmark. It is located on the Øresund coast of Zealand, between Rungsted to the north and Skodsborg to the south. The town has a station on the busy Kystbanen railway line, approximately midway between Copenhagen and Helsingør...
.