Morten Olsen
Encyclopedia
Morten Per Olsen is a Danish
football (soccer)
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
. He has also managed Brøndby IF
to two Danish Superliga
championships and Ajax Amsterdam
to the Double
of the 1998 Dutch Eredivisie
championship and Dutch Cup trophy. His career as a coach is remarkable in that he has been fired in all of his clubs. He is the only person ever in football to achieve 100 national matches as player as well as coach.
In his active career, Olsen predominantly played as a defensive midfielder and libero. He played professionally in Belgium
and Germany
, and won the 1983 UEFA Cup and three Belgian First Division championships with RSC Anderlecht. Olsen played a total 102 matches and scored four goals for the Danish national team from 1970 to 1989, and was named 1983 and 1986 Danish Player of the Year
. He captained the Danish national team in 50 games during the 1980s, and represented Denmark at the 1984 European Championship
, 1986 FIFA World Cup
, and 1988 European Championship
. Towards the end of his active career, Olsen was characterized as the most important player in the history of Danish football
.
rather than a ball-winning tackler, Olsen eventually excelled as a defensive midfielder possessing great determination, dedicated professionalism, and organisational skills. He gradually took on a strong leadership role, a trait he worked hard to develop.
At the age of 32, Olsen was moved back to the libero position, which transformed him from an established player to an international star-player. Olsen employed a wide variety of skills for a defensive player, including attacking surges and technical dribbling
, taking advantage of his acceleration and vision of the game. He provided long passes from his deep position, while his forward surges helped create numerical advantages in the midfield. He was a consummate professional, known as a gentleman of the game.
championship by coach Kurt "Nikkelaj" Nielsen. At B 1901, Olsen was moved from right winger to central midfielder, in order to accommodate another right winger in the squad.
Olsen played three seasons at B 1901, before he moved abroad to play professionally with Belgian
club Cercle Brugge K.S.V.
in 1972, who had been promoted
to the top-flight Belgian First Division championship one year earlier. At Brugge, Olsen played alongside fellow Danish international Benny Nielsen
, who had recommended Olsen to Brugge manager Urbain Braems
. In Olsen's first year with the club, Cercle Brugge finished in 11th place in the 1972–73 Belgian First Division and went on to establish itself in the mid-table. While at Brugge, Olsen was used as a multi-purpose player, playing every position except from goalkeeper. In 1976, Olsen moved to league rivals R.W.D. Molenbeek
, who had won the 1974–75 Belgian First Division. Olsen joined Danish internationals Benny Nielsen and Kresten Bjerre
at Molenbeek. His time at Molenbeek featured even better league results, and consistent finishes in the top third of the league.
In 1980, Olsen moved to 16-time Belgian champions R.S.C. Anderlecht
, to play alongside Danish internationals Benny Nielsen and Kenneth Brylle. At Anderlecht, Olsen won his first trophy of his senior career. In his first year at Anderlecht, the club won the 1979–80 Belgian First Division, conceding only 24 goals in 34 games. Olsen played six years at Anderlecht, winning three Belgian championships with the club, and he was eventually named Anderlecht team captain. During most of 1982, Olsen suffered from a severe shin injury, which prompted Anderlecht manager Tomislav Ivic
to move him back from the midfield into the libero position. As the libero at Anderlecht, Olsen controlled an aggressive form of off-side trap, which had 3-4 players converge towards the ball-possessing player as the off-side trap was sprung, in order to prevent the ball-possessing player from countering the off-side by dribbling
on his own.
Olsen was a part of the Anderlecht team which beat Portuguese
team FC Porto and Spanish
team Valencia CF
, among others, to reach the final game of the international 1982–83 UEFA Cup tournament. Anderlecht faced Portuguese team S.L. Benfica in the final, and won 2–1 on aggregate score. Olsen was subsequently named 1983 Danish Player of the Year
. Anderlecht also reached the 1983–84 UEFA Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur from England
. Olsen scored a goal in the first leg, but missed his shot in the deciding penalty shoot-out which Tottenham won.
36 years old, Olsen left Anderlecht following the 1986 World Cup. He moved to Germany
, to play for 1. FC Köln
in the German Bundesliga. While at Köln, Olsen was moved back to his previous defensive midfield position. He helped Köln reach third and second place finishes in the 1987-88 and 1988-89 Bundesliga seasons respectively. Olsen played 80 games and scored two goals for Köln in the Bundesliga, before retiring from his active career in June 1989, 39 years of age.
in September 1970, scoring a single goal in a 2–2 friendly match draw with the Poland u-21s
. Three weeks later, he was called up for the senior Danish national team under national team manager Rudi Strittich
, and Olsen made his national team debut in September 1970 against Norway
. He played his first national team game as a right winger, but eventually settled as a defensive midfielder. He helped Denmark qualify for the 1972 Summer Olympics
, but could not participate at the tournament, as he had signed a professional contract with Cercle Brugge beforehand.
While at Anderlecht, Olsen became the 7th Dane to play 50 games for the national team, in June 1981. For Olsen's 53rd national team game in April 1983, national team manager Sepp Piontek named Olsen permanent national team captain, as Olsen replaced the retiring Per Røntved
as both libero and team captain. Olsen played as an attacking libero, and had defensive midfielder Jens Jørn Bertelsen
cover for him when he was on the attack. Olsen, alongside defender Søren Busk
, persuaded Piontek to implement the aggressive off-side trap they practiced at Anderlecht.
Olsen captained the Danish team that qualified for the 1984 European Championship
; Denmark's first international tournament participation since the 1972 Olympics. Denmark reached the semi-finals, before being eliminated by Spain
on penalty shootout. In October 1985, Olsen became the second Dane, after Per Røntved, to play 75 national team matches. He captained Denmark at the 1986 World Cup
, Denmark's first World Cup participation, which ended in a second round defeat to Spain. Olsen's most noticeable effort at the tournament came in the 2-0 group stage win against West Germany. He took the ball from his own half and made an irresistible dribbling run that was only stopped by a foul in the West German penalty area
, with Jesper Olsen
scoring the 1-0 goal on the resulting penalty kick
. Olsen was identified as one of the overall top performers at the World Cup, and he was subsequently named 1986 Danish Player of the Year
.
While he was moved to a midfielder position at Köln, Olsen continued to play as a libero for Denmark. He captained Denmark at the 1988 European Championship
, which ended in the preliminary group stage. During the tournament, Olsen proved too slow for the libero position, and was moved up as defensive midfielder, leaving the libero position for Lars Olsen
. Morten Olsen ended his international career following the 1988 European Championship, having played 99 national team games, but was called up again 10 months later. Olsen became the first Dane to play 100 games for the national team in April 1989, before ending his national team career in June 1989. Olsen played a total 102 games and scored four goals for the national team, and set a record of 50 games as Danish national team captain. He only got one yellow card in his national team career.
, and guided the club to two Danish championships
. He put the team through tough fitness training which, even though it disgruntled some players, elevated the team into European top class, as Brøndby reached the semi final of the 1990–91 UEFA Cup
with Olsen at the helm. With the notable exception of Nigerian international
defender Uche Okechukwu, his dabblings in the transfer market were not equally successful. This caused anger among the amateur department of the club, whose youth scheme they felt Olsen overlooked. As the club faced financial hardship and results began to lack in 1992, Olsen was fired from the club in May.
In April 1993, Olsen moved to his former team 1. FC Köln
which he saved from relegation, when coming to its aid in the last six games of the 1992-93 Bundesliga season. In his time in Germany he would become a certified coach, earning his "Fußball-Lehrer-Lizenz" diploma in 1993. For two seasons he had the club positioned somewhat safely from relegation, despite not having any especially good players. At the start of the 1995-96 season, Köln were eliminated in the DFB Cup by an amateur team from Beckum
, and Olsen was fired in August 1995.
He would have to wait for almost two years until Ajax Amsterdam
in the Netherlands
hired him on a contract starting from July 1997. He attracted Danish national team captain Michael Laudrup
to the club, and together they won the Double
of the Eredivisie
championship and Dutch Cup trophy. In his second year at the club, tension arose in the Ajax dressing room, as Dutch internationals
Ronald de Boer
and Frank de Boer
boycotted training in order to leave the club in favour of FC Barcelona
. As results began to suffer, Olsen was sacked in December 1998.
In the fall of 1999, Olsen signed a two-year contract with the Danish Football Association
(DBU) to manage the Danish national team, effective after Denmark's participation at the 2000 European Championship
. In July 2000, he replaced Swedish
coach Bo Johansson as the head coach of the Denmark national football team. As his assistant coach, Olsen chose Michael Laudrup. The duo guided Denmark to qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
tournament, a campaign which ended in the round of 16 match against England in a 0-3 defeat after Denmark won the initial stage group. Prior to the 2002 World Cup, Olsen signed a new four-year contract until June 2006. When Laudrup went on to coach Brøndby IF, Olsen chose Keld Bordinggaard
as his new assistant coach. With Bordinggaard, Olsen guided Denmark to the 2004 European Championship
tournament, which once again ended at the first knock-out stage. Olsen failed to qualify Denmark for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
, but prolonged his contract with DBU in November 2005. A part of the new deal, which ran until and including the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, was the added responsibility of defining a "red thread", or common denominator, in the talent work of the Danish national youth teams, thus giving Olsen a large influence on the future football being played by Denmark.
In March 2008, Olsen stated that he would like to see Michael Laudrup
succeed him as coach of the Danish national team. Olsen did not qualify Denmark for the 2008 European Championship
, and in August 2008 Olsen stated that he planned to let his contract expire in 2010, in order to return to coaching on club level. On October 10, 2009 he coached his 100th match as national team coach, as Denmark won 1-0 against Sweden
and qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
. In January 2010, Olsen extended his contract until and including the 2012 European Championship
.
Manager
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 (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...
manager and former football player. He has been the head coach of 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...
since 2000, guiding Denmark to 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...
, 2004 European Championship
2004 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in...
and 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. He has also managed Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF is a Danish professional football club based in Brøndbyvester, Brøndby, on the western outskirts of Copenhagen and is the biggest football club in Denmark with almost 2000 members. The club is also known as Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening, or Brøndby and BIF for short...
to two 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...
championships and Ajax Amsterdam
Ajax Amsterdam
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax , also referred to as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax , is a professional football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands...
to the Double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
of the 1998 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 and Dutch Cup trophy. His career as a coach is remarkable in that he has been fired in all of his clubs. He is the only person ever in football to achieve 100 national matches as player as well as coach.
In his active career, Olsen predominantly played as a defensive midfielder and libero. He played professionally in 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...
and 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...
, and won the 1983 UEFA Cup and three Belgian First Division championships with RSC Anderlecht. Olsen played a total 102 matches and scored four goals for the Danish national team from 1970 to 1989, and was named 1983 and 1986 Danish Player of the Year
Danish Player of the Year
The Danish Player of the Year award is an annual prize, which has been given to the best Danish football player by the Danish Football Player Association since 1963. The winner is decided in a vote amongst the professional Danish footballers....
. He captained the Danish national team in 50 games during the 1980s, and represented Denmark at the 1984 European Championship
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...
, 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...
, and 1988 European Championship
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...
. Towards the end of his active career, Olsen was characterized as the most important player in the history of Danish football
Football in Denmark
Association football is the national sport of Denmark, with 342,955 players and 1,647 clubs registered under the Danish FA.- League system :The top 4 levels in Denmark are governed by the Danish Football Association...
.
Playing style
Olsen played a wide variety of positions, including right winger, central midfielder, and libero. In his youth, Olsen's strengths were his acceleration, agility, and play intelligence and he played as a winger. In his first senior years, Olsen played all positions except goalkeeper, maturing him into a versatile team-player. He eventually found his place as a central midfielder. Though initially filling the role of playmakerPlaymaker
In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals....
rather than a ball-winning tackler, Olsen eventually excelled as a defensive midfielder possessing great determination, dedicated professionalism, and organisational skills. He gradually took on a strong leadership role, a trait he worked hard to develop.
At the age of 32, Olsen was moved back to the libero position, which transformed him from an established player to an international star-player. Olsen employed a wide variety of skills for a defensive player, including attacking surges and technical dribbling
Dribbling
In sports, dribbling refers to the maneuvering of a ball around a defender through short skillful taps or kicks with either the legs , hands , stick or swimming strokes...
, taking advantage of his acceleration and vision of the game. He provided long passes from his deep position, while his forward surges helped create numerical advantages in the midfield. He was a consummate professional, known as a gentleman of the game.
Club career
Born in Vordingborg, Morten Olsen started playing youth football at the local club in 1957. He started his career playing as a right winger. In 1970, at 20 years of age, he was brought to B 1901 in the top-flight 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...
championship by coach Kurt "Nikkelaj" Nielsen. At B 1901, Olsen was moved from right winger to central midfielder, in order to accommodate another right winger in the squad.
Olsen played three seasons at B 1901, before he moved abroad to play professionally with Belgian
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...
club Cercle Brugge K.S.V.
Cercle Brugge K.S.V.
Cercle Brugge Koninklijke Sportvereniging is a Belgian football team from Bruges. Cercle have played in the Belgian Pro League since the 2003-04 season, having previously spent several years in the Belgian Second Division following relegation in 1997. Their matricule is the n°12. The club play...
in 1972, who had been promoted
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...
to the top-flight Belgian First Division championship one year earlier. At Brugge, Olsen played alongside fellow Danish international Benny Nielsen
Benny Nielsen (footballer)
Jørgen "Benny" Nielsen is a Danish former football player. His position on the field was usually striker, although he also could play as midfielder. Nielsen played 28 matches for Denmark, scoring 7 goals. He made his début against Scotland in a 1–0 loss....
, who had recommended Olsen to Brugge manager Urbain Braems
Urbain Braems
Urbain Braems is a retired Belgian football player and manager.He played for K.S.V. Sottegem, K.R.C. Mechelen, Club Brugge and Daring Club Bruxelles....
. In Olsen's first year with the club, Cercle Brugge finished in 11th place in the 1972–73 Belgian First Division and went on to establish itself in the mid-table. While at Brugge, Olsen was used as a multi-purpose player, playing every position except from goalkeeper. In 1976, Olsen moved to league rivals R.W.D. Molenbeek
R.W.D. Molenbeek
Racing White Daring Molenbeek was a Belgian football club founded in 1909 as White Star Club de Bruxelles. It then became a member of the Belgian Football Association later the same year as White Star Athletic Club and received the matricule n°47....
, who had won the 1974–75 Belgian First Division. Olsen joined Danish internationals Benny Nielsen and Kresten Bjerre
Kresten Bjerre
Kresten Bjerre is a Danish retired football player, who played professionally for Houston Stars in the United States, and European clubs PSV Eindhoven and R.W.D. Molenbeek...
at Molenbeek. His time at Molenbeek featured even better league results, and consistent finishes in the top third of the league.
In 1980, Olsen moved to 16-time Belgian champions R.S.C. Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
, to play alongside Danish internationals Benny Nielsen and Kenneth Brylle. At Anderlecht, Olsen won his first trophy of his senior career. In his first year at Anderlecht, the club won the 1979–80 Belgian First Division, conceding only 24 goals in 34 games. Olsen played six years at Anderlecht, winning three Belgian championships with the club, and he was eventually named Anderlecht team captain. During most of 1982, Olsen suffered from a severe shin injury, which prompted Anderlecht manager Tomislav Ivic
Tomislav Ivic
Tomislav Ivić was a Croatian football player and manager.Often described as a brilliant strategist, Ivić is credited with helping develop the modern style of the game...
to move him back from the midfield into the libero position. As the libero at Anderlecht, Olsen controlled an aggressive form of off-side trap, which had 3-4 players converge towards the ball-possessing player as the off-side trap was sprung, in order to prevent the ball-possessing player from countering the off-side by dribbling
Dribbling
In sports, dribbling refers to the maneuvering of a ball around a defender through short skillful taps or kicks with either the legs , hands , stick or swimming strokes...
on his own.
Olsen was a part of the Anderlecht team which beat Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
team FC Porto and 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...
team 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...
, among others, to reach the final game of the international 1982–83 UEFA Cup tournament. Anderlecht faced Portuguese team S.L. Benfica in the final, and won 2–1 on aggregate score. Olsen was subsequently named 1983 Danish Player of the Year
Danish Player of the Year
The Danish Player of the Year award is an annual prize, which has been given to the best Danish football player by the Danish Football Player Association since 1963. The winner is decided in a vote amongst the professional Danish footballers....
. Anderlecht also reached the 1983–84 UEFA Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur from England
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...
. Olsen scored a goal in the first leg, but missed his shot in the deciding penalty shoot-out which Tottenham won.
36 years old, Olsen left Anderlecht following the 1986 World Cup. He moved 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 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 the German Bundesliga. While at Köln, Olsen was moved back to his previous defensive midfield position. He helped Köln reach third and second place finishes in the 1987-88 and 1988-89 Bundesliga seasons respectively. Olsen played 80 games and scored two goals for Köln in the Bundesliga, before retiring from his active career in June 1989, 39 years of age.
International career
Olsen made his debut for the Denmark under-21 national teamDenmark national under-21 football team
The Denmark national under-21 football team has played since 1976 and is controlled by the Danish Football Association. Before 1976, the age limit was 23 years.-U-21 European Championship:*1978 – Quarterfinals*1980 to 1984 – Did not qualify...
in September 1970, scoring a single goal in a 2–2 friendly match draw with the Poland u-21s
Poland national under-21 football team
The Poland national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Poland and is controlled by the Polish Football Association....
. Three weeks later, he was called up for the senior Danish national team under national team manager Rudi Strittich
Rudi Strittich
Rudi Strittich was an Austrian football coach and former player.-Club career:He debuted for Vorwärts Steyr, and later played for First Vienna FC. While with First Vienna, he went on a tour of the Middle East and upon returning was arrested along with two other players for smuggling narcotics into...
, and Olsen made his national team debut in September 1970 against Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
. He played his first national team game as a right winger, but eventually settled as a defensive midfielder. He helped Denmark qualify for 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....
, but could not participate at the tournament, as he had signed a professional contract with Cercle Brugge beforehand.
While at Anderlecht, Olsen became the 7th Dane to play 50 games for the national team, in June 1981. For Olsen's 53rd national team game in April 1983, national team manager Sepp Piontek named Olsen permanent national team captain, as Olsen replaced the retiring Per Røntved
Per Røntved
Per Christian Røntved is a Danish former footballer, who played professionally for German club SV Werder Bremen from 1972 to 1979. He also played for Danish clubs Brønshøj BK, Randers Freja, and Hvidovre IF...
as both libero and team captain. Olsen played as an attacking libero, and had defensive midfielder Jens Jørn Bertelsen
Jens Jørn Bertelsen
Jens Jørn Haahr Bertelsen , known as Jens Jørn Bertelsen, is a Danish former association football player in the defensive midfielder position. He played 362 matches and scored 42 goals for Danish club Esbjerg fB, and played for a number of European clubs...
cover for him when he was on the attack. Olsen, alongside defender Søren Busk
Søren Busk
Søren Thomas Busk is a former Danish football defender, who played professionally for a number of European clubs, and helped K.A.A. Gent win the Belgian Cup. He played 61 games and scored two goals for the Denmark national football team, and represented Denmark at the Euro 1984, 1986 World Cup,...
, persuaded Piontek to implement the aggressive off-side trap they practiced at Anderlecht.
Olsen captained the Danish team that qualified for the 1984 European Championship
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...
; Denmark's first international tournament participation since the 1972 Olympics. Denmark reached the semi-finals, before being eliminated by Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
on penalty shootout. In October 1985, Olsen became the second Dane, after Per Røntved, to play 75 national team matches. He captained Denmark at the 1986 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...
, Denmark's first World Cup participation, which ended in a second round defeat to Spain. Olsen's most noticeable effort at the tournament came in the 2-0 group stage win against West Germany. He took the ball from his own half and made an irresistible dribbling run that was only stopped by a foul in the West German penalty area
Penalty area
The penalty area , is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends to each side of the goal and in front of it. Within the penalty area is the penalty spot , which is from the goal line, directly in-line with the centre of the goal...
, with Jesper Olsen
Jesper Olsen
Jesper Olsen is a Danish former footballer who most notably played for Ajax of the Netherlands and Manchester United of England. Olsen was a regular left winger for the Danish national team, scoring five goals in 43 matches...
scoring the 1-0 goal on the resulting penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
. Olsen was identified as one of the overall top performers at the World Cup, and he was subsequently named 1986 Danish Player of the Year
Danish Player of the Year
The Danish Player of the Year award is an annual prize, which has been given to the best Danish football player by the Danish Football Player Association since 1963. The winner is decided in a vote amongst the professional Danish footballers....
.
While he was moved to a midfielder position at Köln, Olsen continued to play as a libero for Denmark. He captained Denmark at the 1988 European Championship
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...
, which ended in the preliminary group stage. During the tournament, Olsen proved too slow for the libero position, and was moved up as defensive midfielder, leaving the libero position for Lars Olsen
Lars Olsen
Lars Christian Olsen is a Danish former professional association football player and manager, who currently coaches Faroe Islands national team. He started his coaching career with Randers FC in 2003, guiding them to promotion for the Danish Superliga. He led the team to the 2006 Danish Cup...
. Morten Olsen ended his international career following the 1988 European Championship, having played 99 national team games, but was called up again 10 months later. Olsen became the first Dane to play 100 games for the national team in April 1989, before ending his national team career in June 1989. Olsen played a total 102 games and scored four goals for the national team, and set a record of 50 games as Danish national team captain. He only got one yellow card in his national team career.
Coaching career
Olsen started his coaching career in January 1990, at the defending Danish champions Brøndby IFBrøndby IF
Brøndby IF is a Danish professional football club based in Brøndbyvester, Brøndby, on the western outskirts of Copenhagen and is the biggest football club in Denmark with almost 2000 members. The club is also known as Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening, or Brøndby and BIF for short...
, and guided the club to two Danish championships
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...
. He put the team through tough fitness training which, even though it disgruntled some players, elevated the team into European top class, as Brøndby reached the semi final of the 1990–91 UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup 1990-91
The UEFA Cup 1990–91 was won by Internazionale on aggregate over Roma. This tournament also marked the return of English clubs after a five-year ban resulting from the Heysel Stadium Disaster in 1985...
with Olsen at the helm. With the notable exception of Nigerian international
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
defender Uche Okechukwu, his dabblings in the transfer market were not equally successful. This caused anger among the amateur department of the club, whose youth scheme they felt Olsen overlooked. As the club faced financial hardship and results began to lack in 1992, Olsen was fired from the club in May.
In April 1993, Olsen moved to his former team 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....
which he saved from relegation, when coming to its aid in the last six games of the 1992-93 Bundesliga season. In his time in Germany he would become a certified coach, earning his "Fußball-Lehrer-Lizenz" diploma in 1993. For two seasons he had the club positioned somewhat safely from relegation, despite not having any especially good players. At the start of the 1995-96 season, Köln were eliminated in the DFB Cup by an amateur team from Beckum
Beckum, Germany
Beckum is a town in the district of Warendorf, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated approximately 20 km north-east of Hamm and 35 km south-east of Münster...
, and Olsen was fired in August 1995.
He would have to wait for almost two years until Ajax Amsterdam
Ajax Amsterdam
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax , also referred to as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax , is a professional football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands...
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...
hired him on a contract starting from July 1997. He attracted Danish national team captain 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...
to the club, and together they won the Double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
of the 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 and Dutch Cup trophy. In his second year at the club, tension arose in the Ajax dressing room, as Dutch internationals
Netherlands 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...
Ronald de Boer
Ronald de Boer
Ronaldus "Ronald" de Boer is a former Dutch football midfielder who has played for the Dutch national team as well as a host of professional clubs in Europe. He is the older twin brother of Frank de Boer.-Club career:...
and Frank de Boer
Frank de Boer
Franciscus "Frank" de Boer is a Dutch former professional footballer, and the younger twin brother of Ronald de Boer. Since 6 December 2010 he is the Manager of AFC Ajax.-Club career:...
boycotted training in order to leave the club in favour of FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
. As results began to suffer, Olsen was sacked in December 1998.
In the fall of 1999, Olsen signed a two-year contract with the Danish Football Association
Danish Football Association
The Danish Football Association is the governing body of football in Denmark. It is the organization of the Danish football clubs and runs the professional Danish football leagues and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in the city of Brøndby and is a founding member of both FIFA...
(DBU) to manage the Danish national team, effective after Denmark's participation at the 2000 European Championship
2000 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe....
. In July 2000, he replaced Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
coach Bo Johansson as the head coach of the Denmark national football team. As his assistant coach, Olsen chose Michael Laudrup. The duo guided Denmark to qualification for 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...
tournament, a campaign which ended in the round of 16 match against England in a 0-3 defeat after Denmark won the initial stage group. Prior to the 2002 World Cup, Olsen signed a new four-year contract until June 2006. When Laudrup went on to coach Brøndby IF, Olsen chose Keld Bordinggaard
Keld Bordinggaard
Keld Tande Bordinggard is a Danish former football player and current football manager. He was most recently the head coach of the Danish national under-21 team from July 2006 until the U21 European Championship in June 2011...
as his new assistant coach. With Bordinggaard, Olsen guided Denmark to the 2004 European Championship
2004 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in...
tournament, which once again ended at the first knock-out stage. Olsen failed to qualify Denmark for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, but prolonged his contract with DBU in November 2005. A part of the new deal, which ran until and including the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, was the added responsibility of defining a "red thread", or common denominator, in the talent work of the Danish national youth teams, thus giving Olsen a large influence on the future football being played by Denmark.
In March 2008, Olsen stated that he would like to see 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...
succeed him as coach of the Danish national team. Olsen did not qualify Denmark for the 2008 European Championship
2008 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by European nations. It took place in Austria and Switzerland from 7 to 29 June 2008...
, and in August 2008 Olsen stated that he planned to let his contract expire in 2010, in order to return to coaching on club level. On October 10, 2009 he coached his 100th match as national team coach, as Denmark won 1-0 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...
and qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. In January 2010, Olsen extended his contract until and including the 2012 European Championship
2012 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2012, will be the 14th European Championship for national football teams sanctioned by UEFA. The final tournament will be hosted by Poland and Ukraine between 8 June and 1 July 2012...
.
International goals
- Scores and results list Denmark's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 1971-05-05 Copenhagen CopenhagenCopenhagen 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...
, DenmarkDenmarkDenmark 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...
2-0 4-0 1972 Olympic Games qualification Football at the 1972 Summer OlympicsFinal results for the Football competition at the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich, Augsburg, Ingolstadt, Nürnberg, Passau, and Regensburg.-Medalists:-Group A: ---- -----------------Group B: ---- ----------------...2 1971-08-01 Aalborg Aalborg-Transport:On the north side of the Limfjord is Nørresundby, which is connected to Aalborg by a road bridge Limfjordsbroen, an iron railway bridge Jernbanebroen over Limfjorden, as well as a motorway tunnel running under the Limfjord Limfjordstunnelen....
, DenmarkDenmarkDenmark 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...
2-1 3-2 Friendly match 3 1988-06-05 Odense OdenseThe city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
, DenmarkDenmarkDenmark 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...
1-1 3-1 Friendly match 4 1989-06-18 Copenhagen CopenhagenCopenhagen 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...
, DenmarkDenmarkDenmark 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...
1-0 4-0 Friendly match
Honours
Player- Belgian First Division (3 titles): 1980–81, 1984–85, 1985–86
- 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...
: 1982–83 - Danish Player of the YearDanish Player of the YearThe Danish Player of the Year award is an annual prize, which has been given to the best Danish football player by the Danish Football Player Association since 1963. The winner is decided in a vote amongst the professional Danish footballers....
: 1983 and 1986
Manager
- Danish ChampionshipDanish SuperligaThe 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...
: 1990, 1991 - Dutch 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....
: 1998 - Dutch Cup: 1998