Ruben Bagger
Encyclopedia
Ruben Bagger is a former Danish
football (soccer)
player, who spent his entire professional career for Brøndby IF
in the Danish Superliga
, and played more than 300 matches for the club. He won five Danish Superliga
championships and three Danish Cup
trophys with Brøndby. Bagger played in the position of left winger
or forward
.
, and moved to Brøndby IF in the summer 1993. He became a part of the senior team under Brøndby manager Ebbe Skovdahl
, and made his debut on November 13, 1993, when he came on as a substitute in the 1-0 win against Ikast fS
. Bagger signed a fully professional two-year contract with Brøndby from July 1994, and went on to compete with a host of Danish international
forwards for a place in the Brøndby team. He initially competed with Bo Hansen
, for a place in the starting line-up alongside Mark Strudal
. When Strudal left the club in July 1995, Bagger saw renewed competition from forwards Peter Møller
and Ebbe Sand
.
Few years later Bagger was a host geast in the Danish comedy show Kvæg-ræs, there he becomed best friends with the famous Danish haandball player, Lars Rasmussen.In Marts 2011, they took their relationship to the next level, and was married on Copenhagen townhall. Now Bagger is pregnant with their first child, and expects to be parrents in June 2012.
From 1996 to 1998, Bagger was a part of a Brøndby team which won three Danish Superliga championships in a row, as well as the 1998 Danish Cup
. In the European competitions, Bagger first made his mark, when he scored twice in the games against German
team Karlsruher SC
in the 1996-97 UEFA Cup
. Brøndby were trailing 0-3 in the first game against Karlsruher, when Bagger reduced to 1-3 in the dying moments of the game. When the two teams met two weeks later, Bagger opened the score in a game which Brøndby won 5-0, beating Karlsruher 6-3 on aggregate. He also took part in Brøndby's 1998-99 UEFA Champions League
campaign. Bagger set a Brøndby scoring record of 12 goals in 51 European games.
His best season came, when he scored 13 goals to help Brøndby win the 2001-02 Superliga
championship. Under new manager Michael Laudrup
, Bagger saw less playing time. From 2003, he was plagued by lesser or larger injuries, though he emerged to score in the 2003 Danish Cup final against FC Midtjylland
as Brøndby won 3-0. He also played the 2005 Danish Cup final, and scored the winning goal as Brøndby beat FC Midtjylland 3-2 in extra time. Bagger retired in December 2007. He played a combined total of 338 games and scored 88 goals for Brøndby, including 243 games and 64 goals in the Superliga championship, making him the second most scoring Brøndby player in the Superliga following Ebbe Sand.
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...
player, who spent his entire professional career for 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...
in the 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...
, and played more than 300 matches for the club. He won five 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 three Danish Cup
Danish Cup
The Danish Cup is the official "knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955...
trophys with Brøndby. Bagger played in the position of left winger
Winger (sport)
In certain sports, such as football, field hockey, ice hockey, handball, rugby union, lacrosse and rugby league, the term winger is the name of a position. It refers to positions on the extreme left and right sides of the pitch . In American football and Canadian football, the analogous position...
or forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
.
Biography
Bagger started playing amateur football with Danish clubs Svogerslev Boldklub and Jyllinge GIF, and made his senior debut with Roskilde Boldklub 1906. He was spotted by Brøndby coach Tom KøhlertTom Køhlert
Tom Køhlert is a Danish former football player at, and former manager of, Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga.He started playing for Brøndby IF right from the beginning in 1964. He becam manager in 1981....
, and moved to Brøndby IF in the summer 1993. He became a part of the senior team under Brøndby manager Ebbe Skovdahl
Ebbe Skovdahl
Ebbe Skovdahl Hansen is a retired Danish football manager. He most prominently was a successful manager at Brøndby IF, for whom he had also played in his active years...
, and made his debut on November 13, 1993, when he came on as a substitute in the 1-0 win against Ikast fS
Ikast FS
Ikast FS is a Danish football club currently playing in the Danish 2nd Division West. In 1999, their first team merged with Herning Fremad, to found FC Midtjylland and Ikast now operates as FCM's reserve team....
. Bagger signed a fully professional two-year contract with Brøndby from July 1994, and went on to compete with a host of Danish international
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...
forwards for a place in the Brøndby team. He initially competed with Bo Hansen
Bo Hansen
Bo Jannik Nyby Hansen is a Danish former football player in the striker position. He scored 52 goals in 143 games for Danish club Brøndby IF and 16 goals in 119 games for English club Bolton Wanderers. Hansen has played one game for the Denmark national football team.-Biography:Hansen started his...
, for a place in the starting line-up alongside Mark Strudal
Mark Strudal
Mark Agner Boecking Strudal is a retired Danish footballer who played as a striker and scored three goals in nine games for the Danish national team...
. When Strudal left the club in July 1995, Bagger saw renewed competition from forwards Peter Møller
Peter Møller
Peter Møller-Nielsen is a Danish former professional football player who became a sports journalist after ending his football career in December 2005. He won three Danish Superliga championships for the rival clubs Brøndby IF and F.C. Copenhagen, and became the most scoring Superliga player ever...
and Ebbe Sand
Ebbe Sand
Ebbe Sand is a Danish former professional footballer who most notably played as a striker for FC Schalke 04 in Germany. He was the German Bundesliga top scorer in 2001, and he won the German Cup in 2001 and 2002 with Schalke...
.
Few years later Bagger was a host geast in the Danish comedy show Kvæg-ræs, there he becomed best friends with the famous Danish haandball player, Lars Rasmussen.In Marts 2011, they took their relationship to the next level, and was married on Copenhagen townhall. Now Bagger is pregnant with their first child, and expects to be parrents in June 2012.
From 1996 to 1998, Bagger was a part of a Brøndby team which won three Danish Superliga championships in a row, as well as the 1998 Danish Cup
Danish Cup
The Danish Cup is the official "knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955...
. In the European competitions, Bagger first made his mark, when he scored twice in the games against German
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...
team Karlsruher SC
Karlsruher SC
Karlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. KSC rose out of the consolidation of a number of predecessor clubs. They currently play in the 2...
in the 1996-97 UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup 1996-97
The UEFA Cup 1996-97 was won by Schalke 04 in penalties over Internazionale.This was the last year in which the UEFA Cup Final was played in a two-legged, home-and-away format...
. Brøndby were trailing 0-3 in the first game against Karlsruher, when Bagger reduced to 1-3 in the dying moments of the game. When the two teams met two weeks later, Bagger opened the score in a game which Brøndby won 5-0, beating Karlsruher 6-3 on aggregate. He also took part in Brøndby's 1998-99 UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League 1998-99
The 1998–99 UEFA Champions League was the seventh season of the UEFA Champions League, Europe's premier club football tournament, since it was renamed from the "European Champion Clubs' Cup" or "European Cup". The competition was won by Manchester United, coming back from a goal down in the last...
campaign. Bagger set a Brøndby scoring record of 12 goals in 51 European games.
His best season came, when he scored 13 goals to help Brøndby win the 2001-02 Superliga
Danish Superliga 2001-02
The 2001–02 Danish Superliga season was the 12th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
championship. Under new manager 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...
, Bagger saw less playing time. From 2003, he was plagued by lesser or larger injuries, though he emerged to score in the 2003 Danish Cup final against FC Midtjylland
FC Midtjylland
FC Midtjylland is a professional Danish football team from Herning and Ikast. The team is a result of a merger between Ikast FS and Herning Fremad...
as Brøndby won 3-0. He also played the 2005 Danish Cup final, and scored the winning goal as Brøndby beat FC Midtjylland 3-2 in extra time. Bagger retired in December 2007. He played a combined total of 338 games and scored 88 goals for Brøndby, including 243 games and 64 goals in the Superliga championship, making him the second most scoring Brøndby player in the Superliga following Ebbe Sand.
Honours
- Danish SuperligaDanish 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...
(5): 1995-96Danish Superliga 1995-96The 1995-96 Danish Superliga season was the 6th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
, 1996-97Danish Superliga 1996-97The 1996-97 Danish Superliga season was the 7th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
, 1997-98Danish Superliga 1997-98The 1997-98 Danish Superliga season was the 8th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 25, 1997 to final match on June 1, 1998....
, 2001-02Danish Superliga 2001-02The 2001–02 Danish Superliga season was the 12th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
, 2004-05Danish Superliga 2004-05The 2004-05 Danish Superliga season was the 15th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 24, 2004 to the final match on June 19, 2005.... - Danish CupDanish CupThe Danish Cup is the official "knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955...
: 1998, 2003 and 2005