Kristen Nygaard (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Kristen Nygaard Kristensen (born September 9, 1949) is a Danish
former football
player, who played professionally for Dutch
team AZ Alkmaar and several French
clubs. He scored 11 goals in 36 games for the Denmark national football team
, and represented Denmark at the 1972 Summer Olympics
.
Born in Sunds near Herning
, Nygaard started playing football with Holstebro BK
. He moved to IHF Aarhus, whom he helped win promotion
from the Danish 3rd Division in 1969, by scoring 25 goals in 22 league games. He scored 15 goals in the 1970 Danish 2nd Division
season, and was called up for the Danish national team in July 1970. He played on for IHF Aarhus, but could not win promotion for the top-flight Danish 1st Division
with the team.
Nygaard was included in the Danish 1972 Olympic squad, and played six games and scored one goal at the 1972 Olympic football tournament
. He played a further national team game in October 1972, before moving abroad to play professionally for AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch Eredivisie
championship. He played his last Danish national team game in November 1979. With Alkmaar, he reached the finals of the international UEFA Cup 1980-81 tournament, which the team lost to English
club Ipswich Town
on aggregate
. He left Alkmaar to play his career out in France, first playing at Nîmes Olympique
, before ending his career at smaller French clubs.
After retiring from the active game, he went on to coach Nîmes Olympique
from 1986 to 1987. In 1994 he was seriously injured in a traffic accident. He spent eight weeks in a coma
afterwards and still has grave health problems. Two years later his old club Alkmaar held a benefit match for him. The supporters home in the new DSB Stadion is named after Nygaard.
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 football
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 played professionally for 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...
team AZ Alkmaar and several French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
clubs. He scored 11 goals in 36 games 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 represented Denmark at the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
.
Born in Sunds near Herning
Herning
Herning Municipality is a municipality in Region Midtjylland on the Jutland peninsula in western Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 1,336 km² and a total population of 84,208...
, Nygaard started playing football with Holstebro BK
Holstebro BK
Holstebro BK is a Danish football club currently playing in the Denmark Series. They play at Holstebro Idrætspark in Holstebro, West Jutland, which has a capacity of 15,000.-External links:...
. He moved to IHF Aarhus, whom he helped 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...
from the Danish 3rd Division in 1969, by scoring 25 goals in 22 league games. He scored 15 goals in the 1970 Danish 2nd Division
Danish 2nd Division
The 2nd Division is the third tier Danish football league, just after the 1st Division.It was founded in 1945, after World War II, as the second-best Danish football division. When the Danish Superliga was founded in 1991, the 2nd Division became the third level league...
season, and was called up for the Danish national team in July 1970. He played on for IHF Aarhus, but could not win promotion for the top-flight 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...
with the team.
Nygaard was included in the Danish 1972 Olympic squad, and played six games and scored one goal at the 1972 Olympic football tournament
Football at the 1972 Summer Olympics
Final results for the Football competition at the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich, Augsburg, Ingolstadt, Nürnberg, Passau, and Regensburg.-Medalists:-Group A: ---- -----------------Group B: ---- ----------------...
. He played a further national team game in October 1972, before moving abroad to play professionally for AZ Alkmaar in the 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. He played his last Danish national team game in November 1979. With Alkmaar, he reached the finals of the international UEFA Cup 1980-81 tournament, which the team lost to 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...
club Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
on aggregate
Two-legged match
In sport , a two-legged tie is a contest between two teams which comprises two matches or legs, with each team as the home team in one leg. The winning team is usually determined by aggregate score, the sum of the scores of the two legs...
. He left Alkmaar to play his career out in France, first playing at Nîmes Olympique
Nîmes Olympique
Nîmes Olympique is a French association football club based in Nîmes. The club was formed on 10 April 1937 and currently play in Championnat National, the third level of French football. The club's only achievement was winning Ligue 2 in 1950 and the Championnat National in 1997...
, before ending his career at smaller French clubs.
After retiring from the active game, he went on to coach Nîmes Olympique
Nîmes Olympique
Nîmes Olympique is a French association football club based in Nîmes. The club was formed on 10 April 1937 and currently play in Championnat National, the third level of French football. The club's only achievement was winning Ligue 2 in 1950 and the Championnat National in 1997...
from 1986 to 1987. In 1994 he was seriously injured in a traffic accident. He spent eight weeks in a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
afterwards and still has grave health problems. Two years later his old club Alkmaar held a benefit match for him. The supporters home in the new DSB Stadion is named after Nygaard.