Jan Heintze
Encyclopedia
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
. He played 86 matches for the Denmark national football team
in the course of 15 years, playing four international tournaments with the team, which he captained in his last two years before he retired in 2003.
, he started playing for his hometown club Tårnby Boldklub. He had a short spell in the youth team of Københavns boldklub (KB) alongside future national team player Michael Laudrup
, but Heintze quickly moved on to play for the senior side of Kastrup Boldklub in January 1981, then in the top-flight Danish 1st Division
. However, the team was relegated, and though he had offers from foreign clubs, the 17-years-old Heintze stayed at Kastrup, on orders of his mother.
He was bought by PSV in 1982 as a left winger, in which position he had been most successful in his first years at Kastrup Boldklub. Once at PSV, he was re-schooled as a defender, using his aggressiveness to charge up and down the sideline, and following a first season of few matches, he commanded the left back position in his second year, and made it his own. He won six Dutch Eredivisie
league titles and a European Cup
with the club, which at times counted three other Danes, Frank Arnesen
, Søren Lerby
and Ivan Nielsen
, before the club hired coach Aad de Mos, who did not want him in the team. Heintze went to Germany
to play for Bundesliga
relegation battlers Bayer Uerdingen
in 1994, and when the team was relegated in 1996, he went on to Bayer Leverkusen
under coach Christoph Daum
, with whom he finished in the Bundesliga top-three for three years in a row. Heintze returned to finish his career at PSV in 1999, with his old team mate Eric Gerets the head coach. Approaching 40, Heintze was looking to help the young Wilfred Bouma
into the team as new left back, while using his experience to provide stability in the defense. He won another three Dutch championship titles before retiring in 2003.
, and he played all three matches at the final Euro 1988 tournament, though Denmark lost them all. At the final qualification match for the Euro 1992 against Yugoslavia
on 1 May 1991, Heintze's then club, PSV, wanted him to stay home to play an important match for PSV, but he decided to travel with the Denmark team, though they were already eliminated from the qualification. Once at the Denmark camp, Heintze learned that national coach Richard Møller Nielsen
did not intend to start with him in the game, and after consulting PSV, who still wanted him to play, Heintze decided to go back to the Netherlands, without the knowledge of Møller Nielsen. Back in Eindhoven, Heintze found out he wasn't eligible for the PSV match since he had been written off to play for Denmark. Heintze would see the PSV game from the sideline, and as a punishment for leaving the national team, he received a one-year ban from the national team by Møller Nielsen. As the ban expired before the Euro 1992, Heintze was once more called up, but an injury kept him from re-entering the team. Thus, he missed Denmark's later victory in Euro 1992, following Yugoslavia's exclusion from the tournament due to the Yugoslav wars
. He played a further four matches under Møller Nielsen, before his national team career went on hiatus.
When Denmark hired new coach Bo Johansson in 1996, Heintze was once more called up for Denmark, and he played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup
and Euro 2000 tournaments. Following the international retirement of Peter Schmeichel
in April 2001, Heintze captained his country at the 2002 FIFA World Cup
, under new Denmark coach Morten Olsen
. At the 2002 World Cup in South Korea
and Japan
, Heintze was suffering in the heat, and after being substituted after the second match of the tournament, Heintze watched the last two games from the bench, before Denmark was eliminated. He ended his national career following the competition, 38 years of age, though he continued to play another season for PSV.
In a Euro 2000 qualifying match against Belarus on 5 June 1999 he scored a memorable goal, directly from a corner kick.
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 player, a left-sided defensive midfielder and defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
who started and ended his career in the Netherlands
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...
with PSV Eindhoven, where he was a part of the PSV team which won 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...
. He played 86 matches 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 the course of 15 years, playing four international tournaments with the team, which he captained in his last two years before he retired in 2003.
Club career
Born in TårnbyTårnby
Tårnby Kommune is a municipality bordering Copenhagen on the island of Amager just south of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality includes the islands of Saltholm and Peberholm, and covers an area of 65 km². It has a total population of 40,214...
, he started playing for his hometown club Tårnby Boldklub. He had a short spell in the youth team of Københavns boldklub (KB) alongside future national team player Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup is a retired Danish footballer, who works as a manager and last coached La Liga side RCD Mallorca. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of football. His most prominent run of football came with Spanish club Barcelona, with whom he won four straight La...
, but Heintze quickly moved on to play for the senior side of Kastrup Boldklub in January 1981, then in the top-flight Danish 1st Division
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...
. However, the team was relegated, and though he had offers from foreign clubs, the 17-years-old Heintze stayed at Kastrup, on orders of his mother.
He was bought by PSV in 1982 as a left winger, in which position he had been most successful in his first years at Kastrup Boldklub. Once at PSV, he was re-schooled as a defender, using his aggressiveness to charge up and down the sideline, and following a first season of few matches, he commanded the left back position in his second year, and made it his own. He won six 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....
league titles and a 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 the club, which at times counted three other Danes, Frank Arnesen
Frank Arnesen
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....
, 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...
, before the club hired coach Aad de Mos, who did not want him in the team. Heintze went to 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...
to play for Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
relegation battlers Bayer Uerdingen
KFC Uerdingen 05
KFC Uerdingen 05 is a German association football club in the Uerdingen district of the city of Krefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. The one time Bundesliga side enjoyed its greatest successes in the 1980s, but most recently has been part of fifth and sixth tier competition.-History:The club was...
in 1994, and when the team was relegated in 1996, he went on to Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen is a German football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the most well-known department of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a sports club whose members also participate in athletics, gymnastics, basketball and other sports.-Origins and early years:On 27 November...
under coach Christoph Daum
Christoph Daum
Christoph Daum is a German football coach, currently managing Club Brugge.-Career as a player:Daum began his football career in 1971 in the youth league with Hamborn 07, transferred in 1972 to Eintracht Duisburg and then in 1975 to 1...
, with whom he finished in the Bundesliga top-three for three years in a row. Heintze returned to finish his career at PSV in 1999, with his old team mate Eric Gerets the head coach. Approaching 40, Heintze was looking to help the young Wilfred Bouma
Wilfred Bouma
Wilfred Bouma is a Dutch footballer who plays for PSV Eindhoven. Bouma is a technically refined left back/centre back who is known for his hard working nature, defensive positioning and tackling ability.-Early career:...
into the team as new left back, while using his experience to provide stability in the defense. He won another three Dutch championship titles before retiring in 2003.
International career
Heintze made his Denmark debut on 29 April 1987 in a Euro 1988 qualifying match, a 1–0 win over FinlandFinland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
, and he played all three matches at the final Euro 1988 tournament, though Denmark lost them all. At the final qualification match for the Euro 1992 against Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
on 1 May 1991, Heintze's then club, PSV, wanted him to stay home to play an important match for PSV, but he decided to travel with the Denmark team, though they were already eliminated from the qualification. Once at the Denmark camp, Heintze learned that national coach Richard Møller Nielsen
Richard Møller Nielsen
Richard Møller Nielsen , nicknamed Ricardo, is a Danish former football player and football manager. His greatest triumph came when he coached the Danish national football team which surprisingly won the 1992 European Championship tournament. In 1995, he was knighted as Knight 1st Degree of the...
did not intend to start with him in the game, and after consulting PSV, who still wanted him to play, Heintze decided to go back to the Netherlands, without the knowledge of Møller Nielsen. Back in Eindhoven, Heintze found out he wasn't eligible for the PSV match since he had been written off to play for Denmark. Heintze would see the PSV game from the sideline, and as a punishment for leaving the national team, he received a one-year ban from the national team by Møller Nielsen. As the ban expired before the Euro 1992, Heintze was once more called up, but an injury kept him from re-entering the team. Thus, he missed Denmark's later victory in Euro 1992, following Yugoslavia's exclusion from the tournament due to the Yugoslav wars
Yugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
. He played a further four matches under Møller Nielsen, before his national team career went on hiatus.
When Denmark hired new coach Bo Johansson in 1996, Heintze was once more called up for Denmark, and he played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
and Euro 2000 tournaments. Following the international retirement of Peter Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel
Peter Bolesław Schmeichel MBE is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the "World's Best Goalkeeper" in 1992 and 1993...
in April 2001, Heintze captained his country at the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, under new Denmark coach 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...
. At the 2002 World Cup in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Heintze was suffering in the heat, and after being substituted after the second match of the tournament, Heintze watched the last two games from the bench, before Denmark was eliminated. He ended his national career following the competition, 38 years of age, though he continued to play another season for PSV.
In a Euro 2000 qualifying match against Belarus on 5 June 1999 he scored a memorable goal, directly from a corner kick.
Honours
- All with PSV Eindhoven.
- 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....
titles (9): 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2003 - Dutch Cup (3): 1988, 1989, 1990
- Dutch Super CupJohan Cruijff-schaalThe Johan Cruijff Schaal is a football trophy in the Netherlands named after legendary Dutch football player Johan Cruyff, also often referred to as the Dutch Super Cup. The winner is decided in one match only, played by the winner of the national football league and the winner of the national...
: 1992, 2000, 2001 - 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...
: 1988
- Eredivisie
Biography
- Jan Heintze, "Tyve år på toppen" (Twenty years at the top), Denmark, 2002, ISBN 87-7714-459-7
External links
- Danish national team profile
- Career stats at beijen.net