_Bestanddeelnr_931-5871_(cropped).jpg) Olsen in July 1981 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1961-03-20)20 March 1961 (age 64) | ||
| Place of birth | Faxe, Denmark | ||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||
| Position | Left winger | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1977–1981 | Næstved | 72 | (15) |
| 1981–1984 | Ajax | 85 | (23) |
| 1984–1988 | Manchester United | 149 | (24) |
| 1988 | Næstved | 2 | (1) |
| 1988–1990 | Bordeaux | 54 | (3) |
| 1990–1992 | Caen | 58 | (0) |
| Total | 402 | (59) | |
| International career | |||
| 1980–1990 | Denmark | 43 | (5) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2010–2011 | Melbourne Heart (assistant) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Jesper Olsen (born 20 March 1961) is a Danish former professionalfootballer who played as aleft winger. He is best remembered for representingAjax of the Netherlands andManchester United of England. He was a regular player for theDanish national team, scoring five goals in 43 matches. He represented Denmark at theEuro 1984 and1986 World Cup tournaments.
Næstved IF
He started his senior career forNæstved IF, and made his debut for the Danish national team in a July 1980friendly match against theSoviet Union. He had a trial with Arsenal FC in 1978–79, scoring a goal in a reserve team game. Ajax initially tried to sign Olsen in May 1980, but it was not until 1981 that he moved to the Netherlands.
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While playing for Ajax, Olsen became well known for his part in the infamous "passed penalty" routine he performed withJohan Cruyff.[1] When Cruyff was awarded apenalty kick in a DutchEredivisie league match againstHelmond Sport on 5 December 1982, with Ajax leading 1–0, Cruyff passed the ball sideways to Olsen, who returned it to Cruyff, with the Dutchman then slotting the ball past the bemusedgoalkeeper to make the score 2–0. It was allowed by the referee because the penalty is a direct free kick, so it can also be taken indirectly.
During his stay with Ajax, Olsen earned the nicknameDe Vlo (The Flea) due to his posture and his ability to twist, turn and jump to avoid tackles. He was also called "The Untouchable". The Ajax coach in the 1981–82 season, Kurt Linder, regarded him the most surprisingly talented player in the young Ajax squad, both technically and tactically phenomenal.Frank Rijkaard,Gerald Vanenburg,Wim Kieft and captainSoren Lerby also played for Ajax then.
Olsen won the 1981–82 Eredivisie championship in his first season at the club (117 goals for and 42 goals against). The next season, 1982–83, Ajax successfully defended the Eredivisie title, and also won theDutch Cup to completeThe Double, with also young playersJan Molby andMarco van Basten in the squad. In the 1983–84 season, Olsen was the best player in the match Ajax-Feyenoord (8-2!). Olsen scored twice in the qualification tournament forEuro 1984, including a last-minute equaliser in the 2–2 draw againstEngland. He was selected to represent Denmark at the finals tournament, and played two games, including Denmark's semi-final againstSpain. The game ended a draw, but even though Olsen scored in thepenalty shootout, Denmark were eliminated whenPreben Elkjær missed his shot.
Olsen moved from Ajax to England in July 1984, joining Manchester United for a fee of £350,000, signed by managerRon Atkinson. He scored a total of 24 goals for the Reds in more than four years atOld Trafford, including a hat-trick againstWest Bromwich Albion in a 3–0Football League First Division home win on 22 February 1986.[2] He succeededDutchmanArnold Muhren as United's regular left winger, at a time when foreign players were still relatively rare in the English game.
He collected anFA Cup winner's medal in 1985, when United beatEverton 1–0 in thefinal atWembley, having ousted veteran Dutch midfielderArnold Mühren on the left wing that season.[3] He also helped them establish a runaway lead at the top of the First Division in the first half of the1985–86 season, where they won their first 10 league games and remained top of the table until well into the new year before floundering and finishing fourth in the table.[4]
Atkinson signed wingerPeter Barnes for United at the start of the1985–86 season, who provided cover on the left wing when Olsen was out of action with injury, but after Olsen regained his fitness and form, Barnes was sold toManchester City in January 1987.
Already an established member of the Danish national team, he was called up to the Danish squad for the 1986 World Cup, and scored two goals in the three preliminary group stage matches, but he will always be remembered for making a grave mistake in the round of 16 match against Spain. He gave Denmark the lead on a penalty kick, but just before half-time he collected a ball from goalkeeperLars Høgh. When he tried to return the ball to Høgh, his pass ended up straight in front ofEmilio Butragueño instead. The Spanish striker levelled the game, and eventually went on to score four goals in the game that Denmark lost 5–1. Consequently, the termen rigtig Jesper Olsen (a real Jesper Olsen) entered theDanish lexicon.[5]
During October 1986, Olsen had a training ground bust-up with midfield colleagueRemi Moses and by the end of the month he was put on the transfer list by managerRon Atkinson. However, Atkinson was sacked as manager a week later due to United's dismal start to the season, and his successorAlex Ferguson took Olsen off the transfer list and he would stay atOld Trafford for two more years, even passing up the chance to signJohn Barnes fromWatford in the summer of 1987 due to his faith in Olsen.[6]
Through his later years atOld Trafford, Olsen had a hard time adapting to the changing English game, and saw his footballing development stagnate.[7] He was selected for the Denmark team at the Euro 1988, but did not play any games at the tournament.
Olsen's Manchester United career ended in the1988–89 season, and he transferred toBordeaux of France for £400,000 in November 1988. In hisfinal full season at Old Trafford, United had finished runners-up toLiverpool in the league. His final United goal had come on 12 December 1987 in a 3–1 home win overOxford United.[8]
In 1990, he left Bordeaux to play as a wingback forCaen. After suffering a serious injury, he left Caen and retired in 1992, despite being offered the chance to return to English football withBlackburn Rovers andNottingham Forest.[9]
Olsen has maintained a low profile since his retirement as a player, and now lives inBrighton, Victoria, Australia.[10] In 2003, he founded and commenced operating the Fun Football Group in Australia.[11]
He was admitted to hospital on 4 May 2006 after suffering asubarachnoid haemorrhage.[12] He had just returned from jogging, when he first felt the effects of the haemorrhage, and said, "It was frightening to feel the loss of control".
After recovering from the haemorrhage, Olsen visited Australia coachGuus Hiddink at the AustralianWorld Cup preparation camp in Melbourne. Olsen was acquainted with Hiddink through his friendsSøren Lerby andFrank Arnesen. "I'm doing well, but it was a quite scary experience", Olsen told the Dutch newspaperDe Telegraaf. The newspaper described Jesper Olsen as looking somewhat fatigued, but otherwise appearing as his usual self.[citation needed]
In 2011 the Fun Football Group became a part of the Football Star Academy,[13] of which Olsen was appointed as Director of coaching. He oversees the Elite training program, and passes on his worldly knowledge and experiences to new budding football stars.
Football Star Academy was instrumental inGeorge Lambadaridis being given a chance to participate in European Football in a move to Club BelgianClub Brugge K.V., and works with Clubs all over Europe such asPanathinaikos F.C. in Greece, andIpswich Town F.C. in England to link Australian talent to international opportunities.
From January 2010 to May 2011, Olsen was one of the Assistant Managers ofA-League club,Melbourne Heart, assisting head coach John Van't Schip.[14]
Ajax
Manchester United
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