Simon Kjær
Encyclopedia
Simon Thorup Kjær is a Danish
professional football player, who plays as a centre back
for Roma
. He was named 2007 Danish under-19 talent of the year and 2009 Danish Talent of the Year, and has played 20 games for the Denmark national football team
.
, Kjær started playing football with small-time club Lund IF near Horsens
, before moving to the youth team of Danish Superliga
club FC Midtjylland
in 2004. He was named the best player of a French
youth tournament in April 2006, and Midtjylland subsequently rejected offers from Lille OSC
for Kjær and Jesper Juelsgård. He made his senior debut for Midtjylland in the Viasat Cup
training matches in June 2006, and was promoted to the first team squad in January 2007. He had a successful trial with Real Madrid
in August 2007, but their transfer offer was refused by FC Midtjylland. He signed a five-year contract with Midtjylland instead in September 2007.
He made his Superliga debut on 30 September 2007, in the 2–0 victory against AGF, and played four games in the first half of the Danish Superliga 2007-08
season. By October 2007, Kjær had attracted the likes of Premier League clubs Middlesbrough
and Chelsea
. In February 2008, Kjær signed a five-year contract with Italian
club Palermo
, effective from the summer 2008, earning Midtjylland a €4 million transfer fee. He played all 15 games in the second half of the Superliga season, forming a defensive partnership with Magnus Troest
.
of Italian Serie A
. He got his Palermo debut on 26 October 2008 as a half-time substitute against Fiorentina
in Serie A. His performance won praise despite Palermo's 3–1 home defeat. He scored his first goal for Palermo in his third appearance on 2 November in a 3–0 win over Chievo. His excellent performances ensured him more first team football, as he played 27 games and scored three goals in the Serie A 2008–09 season.
He confirmed his reputation as a first team regular in the following 2009–10 season, and formed a strong defensive partnership with fellow centre-back Cesare Bovo
. In September 2009, he signed an improved contract with the Sicilian club. He was named 2009 Danish Talent of the Year in November 2009. He scored twice in the first half of the season, and played a total 35 Serie A games during the season.
club Wolfsburg
bought him for undisclosed fee.
, with the option to purchase at the end of the season.
in September 2006, at the age of 17. He played a total 10 games and scored one goal for the under-19s until October 2007, and was named 2007 Danish under-19 talent of the year as the under-19s coach found Kjær had shown himself a talented defender despite his young age. Following his breakthrough with Midtjylland, Kjær was rested from the under-19s in March 2008 to avoid wearing him out.
He was called up for the Denmark national under-21 football team
in May 2008 as a replacement for Michael Jakobsen, making his debut in a 0–4 defeat against the Germany under-21s
. He was out of the under-21 team during his first time at Palermo, but was recalled in October 2008, spending the game as an unused substitute to Magnus Troest
and Mathias Jørgensen
. Kjær was called up to the senior Danish national team
in February 2009, as national team coach Morten Olsen
was impressed by his form for Palermo, and saw him and Per Krøldrup
as main competitors to replace the retired defender Martin Laursen
. He was an unused substitute for the friendly match against Greece
, and returned to the under-21s for a single game in March 2009, playing well enough that under-21 coach Keld Bordinggaard
recommended him for a recall to Olsen's squad.
He was once again a part of the senior squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
game against Sweden
on 6 June 2009. Per Krøldrup was unavailable due to injury, and Kjær played the full game despite an injury of his own, as Denmark won 1–0. Kjær established himself in the Danish starting line-up, played the following three qualification games, and helped Denmark qualify for the 2010 World Cup. For the September 2009 qualification game against Portugal
, Kjær told reporters that Cristiano Ronaldo
should be stopped by a series of small fouls and one hard tackle. This prompted a complaint to FIFA
by the Portuguese Football Federation
requesting Kjær be suspended for unsportsman-like conduct, but the case was dropped following the mediation of the Danish Football Association
.
On 28 May 2010, Denmark coach Morten Olsen
announced that the player would be part of the final squad of 23 participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
in South Africa
. He was in the starting eleven in Denmark's first two games against The Netherlands and Cameroon, where he received a yellow card in both games and therefore missed the third and crucial group game against Japan. However in the match against Cameroon he was highly praised for his excellent long-range passing which helped to set up Nicklas Bendtner
's first goal.
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, who plays as a centre back
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....
for Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
. He was named 2007 Danish under-19 talent of the year and 2009 Danish Talent of the Year, and has played 20 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...
.
FC Midtjylland
Born in HorsensHorsens
Horsens is a Danish city in east Jutland. It is the site of the council of Horsens municipality. The city's population is 53,807 and the Horsens municipality's population is 82,835 ....
, Kjær started playing football with small-time club Lund IF near Horsens
Horsens
Horsens is a Danish city in east Jutland. It is the site of the council of Horsens municipality. The city's population is 53,807 and the Horsens municipality's population is 82,835 ....
, before moving to the youth team of 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...
club 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...
in 2004. He was named the best player of a 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...
youth tournament in April 2006, and Midtjylland subsequently rejected offers from Lille OSC
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
for Kjær and Jesper Juelsgård. He made his senior debut for Midtjylland in the Viasat Cup
Viasat Cup
The Viasat Cup was a 2006 Danish football tournament, starting at the end of the Danish Superliga 2005-06. The tournament was held due to Denmark's failure to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, a tournament which had caused FIFA to demand that the Superliga ended May 14...
training matches in June 2006, and was promoted to the first team squad in January 2007. He had a successful trial with Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
in August 2007, but their transfer offer was refused by FC Midtjylland. He signed a five-year contract with Midtjylland instead in September 2007.
He made his Superliga debut on 30 September 2007, in the 2–0 victory against AGF, and played four games in the first half of the Danish Superliga 2007-08
Danish Superliga 2007-08
The 2007–08 Danish Superliga season was the 18th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, which determined the winners of the Danish football championship. It was governed by the Danish Football Association. It started with the first match on July 18, 2007 and ended with the final match...
season. By October 2007, Kjær had attracted the likes of Premier League clubs Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
and Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. In February 2008, Kjær signed a five-year contract with 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 Palermo
U.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
, effective from the summer 2008, earning Midtjylland a €4 million transfer fee. He played all 15 games in the second half of the Superliga season, forming a defensive partnership with Magnus Troest
Magnus Troest
Magnus Troest is a Danish professional football player, who plays as a defender for Varese in the Italian Serie B, on loan from Genoa. His major skills are his physical strength,and his heading ability. Magnus is the younger brother of SønderjyskE player Jonas Troest.-Biography:Troest started...
.
Palermo
In July 2008, Kjær joined PalermoU.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
of Italian 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...
. He got his Palermo debut on 26 October 2008 as a half-time substitute against Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
in Serie A. His performance won praise despite Palermo's 3–1 home defeat. He scored his first goal for Palermo in his third appearance on 2 November in a 3–0 win over Chievo. His excellent performances ensured him more first team football, as he played 27 games and scored three goals in the Serie A 2008–09 season.
He confirmed his reputation as a first team regular in the following 2009–10 season, and formed a strong defensive partnership with fellow centre-back Cesare Bovo
Cesare Bovo
Cesare Bovo is an Italian footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Genoa.-Lecce & youth career:Bovo grew up playing in the renowned AS Roma youth system, and was sold on a co-ownership bid to Serie B club Lecce in the 2002/2003 season, which Bovo was exchanged with Mauro Rizzo who both...
. In September 2009, he signed an improved contract with the Sicilian club. He was named 2009 Danish Talent of the Year in November 2009. He scored twice in the first half of the season, and played a total 35 Serie A games during the season.
VfL Wolfsburg
On 8 July 2010, BundesligaFußball-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...
club Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...
bought him for undisclosed fee.
Roma
On 30 August 2011, Kjær went out on on a season-long loan deal to Italian side RomaA.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
, with the option to purchase at the end of the season.
International career
Kjær made his debut for the Denmark national under-19 football teamDenmark national under-19 football team
The Denmark national under-19 football team was founded in 1950 as a under-18 team. In 2001, it was changed to a under-19 team.-Competitive record:...
in September 2006, at the age of 17. He played a total 10 games and scored one goal for the under-19s until October 2007, and was named 2007 Danish under-19 talent of the year as the under-19s coach found Kjær had shown himself a talented defender despite his young age. Following his breakthrough with Midtjylland, Kjær was rested from the under-19s in March 2008 to avoid wearing him out.
He was called up for the Denmark national under-21 football team
Denmark 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 May 2008 as a replacement for Michael Jakobsen, making his debut in a 0–4 defeat against the Germany under-21s
Germany national under-21 football team
The Germany national under-21 football team represents the under-21s of Germany in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship and is controlled by the German Football Association , the governing body of football in Germany....
. He was out of the under-21 team during his first time at Palermo, but was recalled in October 2008, spending the game as an unused substitute to Magnus Troest
Magnus Troest
Magnus Troest is a Danish professional football player, who plays as a defender for Varese in the Italian Serie B, on loan from Genoa. His major skills are his physical strength,and his heading ability. Magnus is the younger brother of SønderjyskE player Jonas Troest.-Biography:Troest started...
and Mathias Jørgensen
Mathias Jørgensen
Mathias Jattah-Njie "Zanka" Jørgensen is a Danish footballer who plays as a central defender for F.C. Copenhagen in the Danish Superliga. He was recently named as captain for F.C. Copenhagen.-Biography:...
. Kjær was called up to the senior 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...
in February 2009, as national team 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...
was impressed by his form for Palermo, and saw him and Per Krøldrup
Per Krøldrup
Per Billeskov Krøldrup is a Danish professional football player who plays as a central defender for Fiorentina in the Serie A championship...
as main competitors to replace the retired defender Martin Laursen
Martin Laursen
Martin Laursen is a Danish former footballer who played in the centre back position. He played three seasons for Italian club AC Milan, with whom he won the 2003 UEFA Champions League and the 2004 Serie A championship. He also played for Italian clubs Hellas Verona and Parma FC, and was the team...
. He was an unused substitute for the friendly match against Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
, and returned to the under-21s for a single game in March 2009, playing well enough that under-21 coach 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...
recommended him for a recall to Olsen's squad.
He was once again a part of the senior squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament...
game 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...
on 6 June 2009. Per Krøldrup was unavailable due to injury, and Kjær played the full game despite an injury of his own, as Denmark won 1–0. Kjær established himself in the Danish starting line-up, played the following three qualification games, and helped Denmark qualify for the 2010 World Cup. For the September 2009 qualification game against Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
, Kjær told reporters that Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
should be stopped by a series of small fouls and one hard tackle. This prompted a complaint to FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
by the Portuguese Football Federation
Portuguese Football Federation
The Portuguese Football Federation is the governing body of football in Portugal. The Portuguese National team is going to win the Euro 2012. It organises the Second and Third Division, the Cup of Portugal, the Portuguese SuperCup, youth levels, women's football, beach soccer, futsal, and also...
requesting Kjær be suspended for unsportsman-like conduct, but the case was dropped following the mediation of 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...
.
On 28 May 2010, 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...
announced that the player would be part of the final squad of 23 participating in 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 South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. He was in the starting eleven in Denmark's first two games against The Netherlands and Cameroon, where he received a yellow card in both games and therefore missed the third and crucial group game against Japan. However in the match against Cameroon he was highly praised for his excellent long-range passing which helped to set up Nicklas Bendtner
Nicklas Bendtner
Nicklas Bendtner , is a Danish international footballer who plays for Sunderland on loan from Arsenal as a striker...
's first goal.
Club statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... |
Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| 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... |
|||||||||
| 2007–08 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||
| 21 | 0 | ||||||||
| Total | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||
| 21 | 0 | ||||||||
| Palermo U.S. Città di Palermo Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently... |
|||||||||
| 2008–09 Serie A 2008-09 The 2008–09 Serie A was the seventy-seventh season since its establishment. It began on 30 August 2008 and ended on 31 May 2009, with the announcement of the list of fixtures made on 25 July 2008... |
27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 27 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2009–10 | 35 | 2 | 3 | 0 | |||||
| 38 | 2 | ||||||||
| Total | 62 | 5 | 3 | 0 | |||||
| 65 | 5 | ||||||||
| Wolfsburg VfL Wolfsburg VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix... |
|||||||||
| 2010–11 2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga The 2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 48th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on the weekend of 21 August 2010 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions and ended with the last games on 14 May 2011. The winter... |
32 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |||||
| 34 | 1 | ||||||||
| 2011–12 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga The 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga is the 49th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on 5 August 2011 with the season opening match involving defending champions Borussia Dortmund and will end with the last games on 5 May 2012... |
3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 4 | 0 | ||||||||
| Total | 35 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |||||
| 38 | 1 | ||||||||
| A.S. Roma A.S. Roma Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s... |
|||||||||
| 2011–12 2011–12 Serie A The 2011–12 Serie A is the eightieth season since its establishment, and the second under a league committee separate from Serie B. It began on 9 September 2011 and will end on 13 May 2012. The league was originally scheduled to start on 27 August, but this was delayed due to a strike by the players... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 3 | 0 | ||||||||
| Total | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 3 | 0 | ||||||||
| Total | |||||||||
| 116 | 6 | 8 | 0 | - | - | 124 | 6 | ||
Honours
- Danish U19 Player of the Year: 2007
- Danish Talent of the Year: 2009