Jesper Olsen

This article is about the Danish footballer. For the Danish long-distance runner, see Jesper Olsen (runner).

Jesper Olsen

Personal information
Full name	Jesper Olsen
Date of birth	20 March 1961 (1961-03-20) (age 50)
Place of birth	Faxe, Denmark
Height	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Playing position	Left winger
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1977–1981	Næstved	64	(11)
1981–1984	Ajax	85	(23)
1984–1988	Manchester United	139	(21)
1988	Næstved	2	(1)
1989–1990	Bordeaux	54	(3)
1990–1992	Caen	58	(0)
National team
1980–1990	Denmark	43	(5)
Teams managed
2010–	Melbourne Heart (assistant)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Jesper Olsen (born 20 March 1961) is a Danish former footballer who most notably played for Ajax of the Netherlands and Manchester United of England. Olsen was a regular left winger for the Danish national team, scoring five goals in 43 matches. He represented Denmark at the Euro 1984 and 1986 World Cup tournaments.

Career

He started his senior career for Næstved IF, and made his debut for the Danish national team in a July 1980 friendly match against the Soviet Union. He had a trial with Arsenal FC in 1978-79, scoring a goal in a reserve team game. After a failed attempt by Ajax July 1980 to get Jesper Olsen to Amsterdam, he moved abroad in July 1981 to play professionally for Ajax in the Netherlands.

Ajax

While playing for Ajax, Olsen became well known for his part in the infamous "passed penalty" routine he performed with Johan Cruyff.^[1] When Cruyff was awarded a penalty kick in a Dutch Eredivisie league match against Helmond 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 bemused goalkeeper 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 nickname De 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.

He won the 1981-82 Eredivisie championship in his first season at the club. The next season, 1982–83, Ajax successfully defended the Eredivisie title, and also won the Dutch Cup to complete The Double. Olsen scored twice in the qualification tournament for Euro 1984, including a last-minute equaliser in the 2-2 draw against England. He was selected to represent Denmark at the finals tournament, and played two games, including Denmark's semi-final against Spain. The game ended a draw, but even though Olsen scored in the penalty shootout, Denmark were eliminated when Preben Elkjær missed his shot.

Manchester United

Olsen moved from Ajax to England in July 1984, joining Manchester United for a fee of £350,000, signed by manager Ron Atkinson. He scored a total of 24 goals (including a hat-trick against West Bromwich Albion in a 3-0 Football League First Division home win on 22 February 1986)^[2] in his five-year spell at the club.

He collected an FA Cup winner's medal in 1985, when United beat Everton 1-0 in the final at Wembley.^[3] He also helped them establish a runaway lead at the top of the First Division in the 1985-86 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]

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 goalkeeper Lars Høgh. When he tried to return the ball to Høgh, his pass ended up straight in front of Emilio Butragueño instead. The Spanish striker levelled the game, and eventually went on to score four goals in the game that Denmark lost 1-5. Consequently, the term en rigtig Jesper Olsen (a real Jesper Olsen) entered the Danish lexicon.^[5]

During October 1986, Olsen had a bust-up with midfield colleague Remi Moses and by the end of the month he was put on the transfer list by manager Ron Atkinson. However, Atkinson was sacked as manager a week later due to United's dismal start to the season, and his successor Alex Ferguson took Olsen off the transfer list and he would stay at Old Trafford for two more years.^[6]

Through his later years at Old Trafford, Olsen had a hard time adapting to the 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.

Bordeaux and Caen

Olsen's Manchester United career ended in the 1988-89 season, and he transferred to Bordeaux of France for £400,000 in November 1988. In his final full season at Old Trafford, United had finished runners-up to Liverpool in the league. His final United goal had come on 12 December 1987 in a 3-1 home win over Oxford United.^[8]

In 1990, he left Bordeaux to play as a wingback for Caen. After suffering a serious injury, he left Caen and retired in 1992, despite being offered the chance to return to English football with Blackburn Rovers and Nottingham Forest.^[9]

Retirement

He has maintained a low profile since his retirement as a player, and now lives in Brighton, Victoria, Australia.^{[citation needed]} In 2003, he founded and commenced operating the Fun Football Group in Australia.^[10]

He was admitted to hospital on 4 May 2006 after suffering a subarachnoid haemorrhage.^[11] 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 coach Guus Hiddink at the Australian World Cup preparation camp in Melbourne. Olsen was acquainted with Hiddink through his friends Søren Lerby and Frank Arnesen. "I'm doing well, but it was a quite scary experience", Olsen told the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. The newspaper described Jesper Olsen as looking somewhat fatigued, but otherwise appearing as his usual self.

Managerial career

Olsen became one of the Assistant Managers of A-League club, Melbourne Heart.^[12]

Honours

• Dutch Eredivisie: 1982 and 1983
• Dutch Cup: 1983
• FA Cup: 1985

References

1. ^ http://www.ajax.nl/web/show/id=154417/contentid=64914
2. ^ [1]
3. ^ [2]
4. ^ Murray, Scott (27 November 2008). "Football: Scott Murray on the absorbing 1985-86 season". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2008/nov/27/scott-murray-85-86-football-season. 
5. ^ Bryant, Tom (31 October 2007). "The Knowledge: The footballers who have moves named after them". London: Guardian Unlimited (Football). http://football.guardian.co.uk/theknowledge/story/0,,2201917,00.html. Retrieved 21 November 2007. 
6. ^ [3]
7. ^ Kim Simmelsgaard, "Så bli'r Olsen englænder", B.T., 20 October 1991
8. ^ [4]
9. ^ "Så er det slut med Jesper Olsen", Politiken, 4 July 1992
10. ^ http://www.funfootball.com.au/files/Fun_Football_Group_Company_Profile_Dec09.pdf
11. ^ Olsen suffers brain haemorrhage, BBC Sport, 9 May 2006
12. ^ http://www.tribalfootball.com/olsen-and-milicic-unveiled-melbourne-heart%E2%80%99s-assistants-451281

External links

• Danish national team profile
• National Football Teams statistics

Persondata
Name	Olsen, Jesper
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	20 March 1961
Place of birth	Fakse, Denmark
Date of death
Place of death