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.jpg) Kresten Bjerre (1977) | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1946-02-22)22 February 1946 | ||
| Place of birth | Copenhagen, Denmark | ||
| Date of death | 19 February 2014(2014-02-19) (aged 67) | ||
| Place of death | Frederikssund, Denmark | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1954–19?? | BK Sylvia | ||
| 19??–196? | Akademisk Boldklub | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 196?–1967 | Akademisk Boldklub | ||
| 1968 | Houston Stars | 31 | (7) |
| 1968–1970 | PSV | 53 | (4) |
| 1970–1977 | RWDM | 248 | (1) |
| 1977–1978 | Go Ahead Eagles | 10 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 1965–1966 | Denmark U21 | 3 | (0) |
| 1967–1973 | Denmark | 22 | (12) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1978–1979 | Køge Boldklub | ||
| 1980–1983 | Holbæk B&I | ||
| 1983–1987 | Herfølge Boldklub | ||
| 1987–19?? | Akademisk Boldklub | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Kresten Bjerre (22 February 1946 – 19 February 2014) was a Danishfootballer, who played professionally forHouston Stars in the United States, andEuropean clubsPSV Eindhoven andR.W.D. Molenbeek.
Nicknamed "Generalen" (the General),[1] thedefender obtained a total 22caps for theDanish national team, for which he scored twelve goals in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Born inCopenhagen, Bjerre started playing football with local clubsBoldklubben Sylvia andAkademisk Boldklub (AB). He helped AB win the 1967Danish football championship, and made his national team debut in May 1967. He played eight national team games until October 1967, scoring eight goals. He scored ahat-trick againstIceland, in a most remarkable 14-2 victory. He also scored two goals as Denmark beat theNetherlands 3-2 in the qualification for the1968 European Championship.
In early 1968, he moved abroad to play professionally for American teamHouston Stars in theNASL championship. Due to the Danish rules of amateurism, his national team career went on a hiatus. He played the 1968 season for Houston Stars,[2] When the team folded after the season, Bjerre moved back toEurope. He went on to play forPSV Eindhoven in theNetherlands.[3] In 1969, he moved on toBelgian clubR.W.D. Molenbeek.[4] He was one of the best paid footballers in theBelgian League,[5] and was the first foreign player to be namedteam captain inBelgian football.[1] While at Molenbeek, the Danish rules of amateurism were abolished, and Bjerre re-entered the Danish national team in May 1971. He played 14 additional national team games, scoring a further four goals. In his last 13 Danish national games, Kresten Bjerre served as national team captain.
The lacking professionalism of the Danish national team did not sit well with Bjerre,[5] and he became a Belgiancitizen in order for Danish internationalBenny Nielsen to take his place in Molenbeek's restricted quota of foreign players in 1974. This meant Bjerre's final farewell to the Danish national team in November 1973, though he changed back to Danish citizenship after retiring.[5] Bjerre went on to concentrate on his Molenbeek career, and won the 1975 Belgian League championship with the team.[6] He was a part of the Molenbeek team that reached the semi-finals of the European 1977UEFA Cup tournament, before retiring at the end of that season.
He moved back to Denmark, where he became a football coach. Under his coaching,Køge BK reached the 1979Danish Cup final, where the team lost toB 1903. He later coachedHolbæk B&I,Herfølge BK, and AB, as well as a number of minor Danish clubs.[1] He went on to become the park manager ofBK Frem's stadiumValby Idrætspark.[5] Bjerre died from cancer in early 2014.[7]
