 Simonsen in 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Allan Rodenkam Simonsen | ||
| Date of birth | (1952-12-15)15 December 1952 (age 72) | ||
| Place of birth | Vejle, Denmark | ||
| Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1971–1972 | Vejle BK | 42 | (16[1]) |
| 1972–1979 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 178 | (76[2]) |
| 1979–1982 | Barcelona | 98 | (31[3]) |
| 1982–1983 | Charlton Athletic | 16 | (9[3]) |
| 1983–1989 | Vejle BK | 166 | (70[1]) |
| Total | 500 | (202) | |
| International career | |||
| 1971–1972 | Denmark U-21 | 6 | (0[4]) |
| 1972–1986 | Denmark | 55 | (20[4]) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1991–1994 | Vejle BK | ||
| 1994–2001 | Faroe Islands | ||
| 2001–2004 | Luxembourg | ||
| 2011–2013 | Fredericia (General manager) | ||
| 2013 | Fredericia (caretaker) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Allan Rodenkam Simonsen (born 15 December 1952) is a Danish formerfootballer and manager. He most prominently played as astriker for GermanBundesliga clubBorussia Mönchengladbach, winning the 1975 and 1979UEFA Cups, as well as forBarcelona in Spain, winning the 1982Cup Winners' Cup. Simonsen is the only footballer to have scored in theEuropean Cup, UEFA Cup, and Cup Winners' Cup finals. Simonsen was named 1977European Footballer of the Year.
For theDenmark national team, Simonsen wascapped 55 times, scoring 20 goals. He represented Denmark at the1972 Summer Olympics,1984 European Championship and1986 World Cup tournaments. He was voted into theDanish Football Hall of Fame in November 2008.
Born inVejle, Simonsen started playing football with Vejle FC, before he joined the youth team of local top-flight clubVejle BK (VB) in 1963.[5] He made his senior debut for VB on 24 March 1971 in a 3–1 home win againstKarlskoga FF.[6] He won the 1971 and 1972Danish championship with the club, as well as the 1972Danish Cup to completeThe Double. Following an impressive three goals in six matches at the1972 Summer Olympics, Simonsen moved to Germany to play professionally for defendingGerman Bundesliga championsBorussia Mönchengladbach.
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In his first two seasons with Borussia Mönchengladbach, Simonsen had a hard time,[5] as he only played a combined 17 games and scored two goals. However, he was part of the team which won the1972–73 German Cup trophy. He broke into thestarting line-up for the1974–75 season. He played all 34 games of the season, and scored 18 goals as Mönchengladbach won the Bundesliga championship. Simonsen also scored ten goals in 12 games in the international1974–75 UEFA Cup competition, including two goals in the5–1 final victory againstFC Twente. In the following season, Simonsen scored 16 goals as Mönchengladbach regained the Bundesliga in the1975–76 season. He scored four goals in six games of the international1975–76 European Cup competition, before Mönchengladbach were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Spanish teamReal Madrid on theaway goals rule.[2]
1977 was the greatest year in Simonsen's career. In the1976–77 European Cup, Simonsen helped Mönchengladbach to the1977 European Cup Final against English teamLiverpool.[2] In the final, Simonsen scored a memorable goal from a powerful shot to level the game at 1–1, but Mönchengladbach eventually lost 3–1.[5] He was subsequently named the 1977European Footballer of the Year, becoming the first Danish player to win that award. The race was tight, Simonsen edged past English forwardKevin Keegan by three points and French midfielderMichel Platini by four points to win the prestigious prize. The win was notable in that Simonsen's native Denmark was not among the top footballing nations in the 1970s, leaving little room for him to impress at the international tournaments.[7]
In the following two Bundesliga seasons, Simonsen continued his prolific goalscoring, as Mönchengladbach finished 2nd and 8th respectively. He won another international trophy with Mönchengladbach in 1979, when he scored eight goals in eight games to guide the club to the final games of the1978–79 UEFA Cup. He scored the deciding goal in the 2–11979 UEFA Cup Final win againstRed Star Belgrade.[2] Simonsen had been approached by Spanish clubFC Barcelona in 1978, but Mönchengladbach refused to let him go. Instead, Simonsen waited for his contract to expire and moved to FC Barcelona in 1979, rejecting offers fromHamburger SV,Juventus, and severalArabian clubs.[8]
Simonsen spent three successful seasons with Barcelona.[5] In his first Barcelona season, Simonsen was the top goal scorer of the team with ten goals in 32 games,[9] as Barcelona finished in fourth place in the1979–80 La Liga season. The following season saw several new players at Barcelona, and the club won the 1981Copa del Rey. Simonsen's ten goals saw him as third top goalscorer behind new playersQuini (20) andBernd Schuster (11),[10] as Barcelona finished in fifth place in the1980–81 La Liga. Simonsen was second goal scorer behind Quini,[11] as the club finished second in the1981–82 La Liga. He also helped Barcelona reach the final of the continental1981–82 European Cup Winners' Cup competition. In the2–1 final victory againstStandard Liège,[12] Simonsen scored the deciding goal on a header to help Barcelona lift the trophy.[5]
When Barcelona signed Argentinian forwardDiego Maradona in 1982, Spanish league restrictions meant Simonsen was to compete with Maradona and Bernd Schuster for only two places allowed for foreign players in each starting line-up. Simonsen saw it as a personal insult, and asked Barcelona for his contract to be annulled.[8] He made a shock move toEnglish Second Division sideCharlton Athletic for £300,000 in October 1982.[13] He rejected offers from Real Madrid andTottenham Hotspur, in order to play for a club with less stress and attention.[8] Despite scoring nine times in 16 appearances, the club had trouble funding his transfer and wages after three months, and he was put up for sale.[13] His £1,300 per week wages had not been paid, and as a result, he was free to leave the club for nothing.[14] Simonsen then chose to return to his childhood club VB in 1983.
He missed the last half of the 1984 season for VB because of an injury he sustained at the1984 European Championship, but the club managed to win the 1984 Danish championship without him. He returned as a profile of the top-flightDanish 1st Division, but never reached his former form.[5] Simonsen retired from football in 1989 at age 37, and played his last game for VB in November 1989. He played a total 282 games and scored 104 goals, including 208 games and 89 goals in the league, for Vejle Boldklub.[6]
Simonsen debuted for theDanish national team under managerRudi Strittich in the July 1972friendly match againstIceland. He scored two goals as Denmark won 5–2, and Simonsen was included in the Danish squad for the1972 Summer Olympics. At the Olympics, he scored three goals in the first three matches to help Denmark advance beyond the first group stage. In the second group stage, Simonsen ran out of steam and he was substituted at half time in two of the last three games as Denmark were eliminated.[4]
He played a crucial part for the Danish national team under managerSepp Piontek, in Denmark's qualifying campaign for the 1984 European Championship. Denmark trailedEngland in theirqualifying group by a single point with a game in hand before the two teams met at England's home groundWembley Stadium in September 1983. Simonsen scored one of the most important Danish goals ever in this game, as he converted apenalty kick against English goalkeeperPeter Shilton.[5] The 1–0 win eventually secured the Danish national team qualification for their first international tournament since the 1972 Olympic Games, and the first European Championship participation since the1964 tournament. It effectively ended England's hopes of qualification for the tournament,[15] as was confirmed by Denmark's later victory against Greece. Simonsen subsequently finished third in the vote for the 1983 European Footballer of the Year award.[16]
The 1984 European Championship main tournament was a short experience for Simonsen, as he broke his leg in a challenge byYvon Le Roux in Denmark's first match againstFrance.[5] Even without Simonsen, Denmark reached the semi-finals. He was once more a part of the Danish national team at the 1986 World Cup, Denmark's first World Cup participation. He only played a single match at the tournament, coming on as a substitute againstWestGermany, as younger players had surpassed him. He played a farewell match againstGermany in September 1986 before ending his national team career.[4]
Simonsen played a total 55 games for the Danish national team and scored 20 goals, according to theDanish Football Association.[4] However, some sources chose to include Simonsen's appearance in a February 1981 charity match, to tally his national team career as 21 goals in 56 games.[5] The match wasItaly vs. Europe for the benefit of theIrpinia earthquake victims. Simonsen started the game, scored a goal, and was substituted at half time as Europe won 3–0.[17]
Following his retirement, Simonsen went on to coach his former club Vejle Boldklub from 1991 to 1994. During his time at the club, VB were relegated from the new top-flightDanish Superliga to the now second-tier Danish 1st Division. He later coached the national teams of theFaroe Islands from 1994 to 2001 andLuxembourg from 2001 to 2004.[5]
In 2011, he became General Manager of theDanish 1st Division teamFC Fredericia. When Fredericia sacked managerThomas Thomasberg on 8 April 2013, Simonsen andSteen Thychosen took charge of the team as caretaker managers.[18] At the end of the2012–13 season, Simonsen left both his positions at Fredericia.[19]
| Club | Season | League | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | ||
| Borussia Mönchengladbach | 1972–73 | Bundesliga | 8 | 0 |
| 1973–74 | 9 | 2 | ||
| 1974–75 | 34 | 18 | ||
| 1975–76 | 34 | 16 | ||
| 1976–77 | 34 | 12 | ||
| 1977–78 | 31 | 17 | ||
| 1978–79 | 28 | 11 | ||
| Total | 178 | 76 | ||
| Barcelona | 1979–80 | La Liga | 32 | 10 |
| 1980–81 | 33 | 10 | ||
| 1981–82 | 33 | 11 | ||
| Total | 98 | 31 | ||
| Charlton Athletic | 1982–83 | Second Division | 16 | 9 |
| Vejle | 1983 | First Division | 28 | 13 |
| 1984 | 13 | 6 | ||
| 1985 | 30 | 16 | ||
| 1986 | 24 | 13 | ||
| 1987 | 25 | 13 | ||
| 1988 | 23 | 4 | ||
| 1989 | 23 | 5 | ||
| Total | 166 | 70 | ||
| Career total | 458 | 186 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 1972 | 9 | 5 |
| 1973 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1974 | 2 | 1 | |
| 1975 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1976 | 2 | 1 | |
| 1977 | 2 | 2 | |
| 1978 | 1 | 1 | |
| 1979 | 4 | 1 | |
| 1980 | 5 | 2 | |
| 1981 | 7 | 3 | |
| 1982 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1983 | 7 | 4 | |
| 1984 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1985 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1986 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 55 | 20 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 July 1972 | Laugardalsvöllur,Reykjavík, Iceland |  Iceland | 2–2 | 5–2 | Friendly |
| 2 | 4–2 | |||||
| 3 | 27 August 1972 | Drei Flüsse Stadion,Passau, Germany |  Brazil | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1972 Summer Olympics |
| 4 | 3–2 | |||||
| 5 | 29 August 1972 | Rosenaustadion,Augsburg, Germany |  Iran | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1972 Summer Olympics |
| 6 | 3 September 1974 | Idrætsparken, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Indonesia | 4–0 | 9–0 | Friendly |
| 7 | 23 May 1976 | Tsirion Stadium,Limassol, Cyprus |  Cyprus | 1–1 | 5–1 | 1978 World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 1 May 1977 | Idrætsparken, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Poland | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1978 World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 15 June 1977 | Idrætsparken, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Sweden | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1972–77 Nordic Championship |
| 10 | 20 September 1978 | Idrætsparken, Copenhagen, Denmark |  England | 1–2 | 3–4 | 1980 European Championship qualification |
| 11 | 6 June 1979 | Idrætsparken, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Northern Ireland | 3–0 | 4–0 | 1980 European Championship qualification |
| 12 | 21 May 1980 | Idrætsparken, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Spain | 1–1 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 13 | 19 November 1980 | Idrætsparken, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Luxembourg | 4–0 | 4–0 | 1982 World Cup qualification |
| 14 | 15 April 1981 | Idrætsparken, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Romania | 1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 15 | 26 August 1981 | Idrætsparken, Copenhagen, Denmark | Iceland | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 16 | 3–0 | |||||
| 17 | 1 June 1983 | Idrætsparken, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Hungary | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1984 European Championship qualification |
| 18 | 21 September 1983 | Wembley Stadium, London, UK | England | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1984 European Championship qualification |
| 19 | 12 October 1983 | Idrætsparken, Copenhagen, Denmark | Luxembourg | 4–0 | 6–0 | 1984 European Championship qualification |
| 20 | 16 November 1983 | Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece |  Greece | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1984 European Championship qualification |
Updated 16 June 2016
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
 Faroe Islands | 1994 | 2001 | 52 | 8 | 7 | 37 | 015.38 |
| Luxembourg[21] | 13 February 2002 | 17 November 2004 | 27 | 0 | 4 | 23 | 000.00 |
Vejle Boldklub
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Barcelona
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