Arne Sørensen
Encyclopedia
Arne Sørensen was a Danish
football (soccer)
player and coach. In his playing career, Sørensen won a total three Danish championships with B 1903 and B 93, before moving abroad to play professionally in French football
. He played 30 games and scored four goals as a midfielder
for the Denmark national football team
. As a coach, Sørensen won silver medal
s with the Danish national team at the 1960 Summer Olympics
, and also won the Danish championship with Esbjerg fB
, KB
, and Hvidovre IF
.
, Sørensen began playing football with local top-flight club B 1903 in the amateur-only Danish championship. Sørensen was a quick and strong player, with great style and an accurate shot, playing in the central midfielder
(centre-half) position. He made his debut for the Denmark national football team
in September 1937, and played 16 national team games while at B 1903. Sørensen won the 1938 Danish football champions
hip with B 1903, before moving to rival Copenhagen club B 93 in 1941, with whom he won a further two Danish championships.
Sørensen played an additional 14 national team games while at B 93, and managed to play in all defensive positions except goalkeeper for the national team. He played a total 30 national team games until September 1946. In 1946, Sørensen and fellow Danish international Kaj Hansen were offered DKK5,000 each to move to rival club Skovshoved IF
, in violation of the strict rule of amateurism. The Danish Football Association
discovered the offer and declared Sørensen professional, thus banning him from playing in Danish football
.
Sørensen moved abroad to play professionally in French football
, though his time in France was not a success. As a professional footballer, he lost his eligibility to play for the amateur-only Danish national team, and could not compete for Denmark at the imminent 1948 Olympics football tournament
. Sørensen and Kaj Hansen signed with Stade Français FC in the top-flight French Division 1
championship, where they played alongside fellow Dane Børge Mathiesen
. He stayed one season at Stade Français, playing 25 games and scoring one goal to help the club finish fifth in the 1947-48 Division 1
season. After the season, he moved to league rival FC Nancy
, to play alongside fellow Dane Helge Bronée
. Sørensen played 17 games and scored one goal as Nancy finished 15th in the 1948-49 Division 1
season, after which he ended his playing career.
. In the summer 1957, Sørensen was hired as full time Danish national team manager, though he had already coached the team for two games in November 1956. His coaching focus was tactics and physical conditioning. His most notable result came at the 1960 Summer Olympics
, where he managed Denmark to silver medal
s in the 1960 Olympics football tournament
, losing 1–3 to Yugoslavia
in the final. He was national team manager in 41 games, winning 20 and losing 13. Sørensen ended his tenure as Danish national team manager in November 1961, as he did not agree with the additional role as motivational speaker
for Danish clubs demanded by the Danish Football Association.
From 1963 to 1964, Sørensen was appointed head coach of Esbjerg fB
in the top-flight Danish 1st Division
championship. He coached Esbjerg to the 1963 1st Division
championship, and the 1964 Danish Cup
trophy. He later coached KB
and Hvidovre IF
to the 1968
and 1973 1st Division
championships respectively.
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...
football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player and coach. In his playing career, Sørensen won a total three Danish championships with B 1903 and B 93, before moving abroad to play professionally in French football
Football in France
Football is the most popular sport in France. The Fédération Française de Football is the national governing bodyand is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of association football in the country, both professional and amateur...
. He played 30 games and scored four goals as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
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...
. As a coach, Sørensen won silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
s with the Danish national team at the 1960 Summer Olympics
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
, and also won the Danish championship with Esbjerg fB
Esbjerg fB
Esbjerg forenede Boldklubber also referred to as Esbjerg fB or simply EfB is a professional Danish football club from the port city of Esbjerg in West Jutland. The club was formed in 1924, as a merger between Esbjerg Boldklub af 1898 and Esbjerg Amatørklub af 1911. The club has training facilities...
, KB
Kjøbenhavns Boldklub
Kjøbenhavns Boldklub or KB is a Danish sports club based in Copenhagen. The club was founded April 26, 1876 on the grassy fields in outer Copenhagen which later became Fælledparken. Football and cricket has been played in KB since 1879, making KB the oldest football club on Continental Europe and...
, and Hvidovre IF
Hvidovre IF
Hvidovre IF is a Danish football club, founded on 15 October 1925 in Hvidovre.- Current squad :As of 2011-03-21...
.
Playing career
Born in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Sørensen began playing football with local top-flight club B 1903 in the amateur-only Danish championship. Sørensen was a quick and strong player, with great style and an accurate shot, playing in the central midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
(centre-half) position. He made his debut 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...
in September 1937, and played 16 national team games while at B 1903. Sørensen won the 1938 Danish football champions
Danish football champions
The Danish football champions are the winners of the highest league of football in Denmark. The title has been contested since 1913, in a varying form of competitions. Since 1991, the winners have been found through the Danish Superliga championship...
hip with B 1903, before moving to rival Copenhagen club B 93 in 1941, with whom he won a further two Danish championships.
Sørensen played an additional 14 national team games while at B 93, and managed to play in all defensive positions except goalkeeper for the national team. He played a total 30 national team games until September 1946. In 1946, Sørensen and fellow Danish international Kaj Hansen were offered DKK5,000 each to move to rival club Skovshoved IF
Skovshoved IF
Skovshoved IF is a Danish football club currently playing in the amateur "Danmarksserien". They play at Skovshoved Idrætspark in Klampenborg north of Copenhagen....
, in violation of the strict rule of amateurism. 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...
discovered the offer and declared Sørensen professional, thus banning him from playing in Danish football
Football in Denmark
Association football is the national sport of Denmark, with 342,955 players and 1,647 clubs registered under the Danish FA.- League system :The top 4 levels in Denmark are governed by the Danish Football Association...
.
Sørensen moved abroad to play professionally in French football
Football in France
Football is the most popular sport in France. The Fédération Française de Football is the national governing bodyand is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of association football in the country, both professional and amateur...
, though his time in France was not a success. As a professional footballer, he lost his eligibility to play for the amateur-only Danish national team, and could not compete for Denmark at the imminent 1948 Olympics football tournament
Football at the 1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Olympic Games title was won by Sweden, managed by Englishman George Raynor.-Summary:Sweden, whose Football Association forbade professionalism within domestic football, ran out as winners and only used 12 players throughout the entire tournament but there were exceptional performances put...
. Sørensen and Kaj Hansen signed with Stade Français FC in the top-flight French Division 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
championship, where they played alongside fellow Dane Børge Mathiesen
Børge Mathiesen
Børge Carlo Mathiesen was a Danish football player, who played six years as a professional in French and Spanish clubs. He played 11 games and scored one goal for the Denmark national football team. Mathiesen was a short but strong midfielder with great stamina and a dangerous shot on goal...
. He stayed one season at Stade Français, playing 25 games and scoring one goal to help the club finish fifth in the 1947-48 Division 1
French football Division 1 1947–48
Olympique de Marseille won Division 1 season 1947/1948 of the French Association Football League with 48 points.-Changes from previous season:Teams promoted from 1946–47 French Division 2* Champions: Sochaux* Runners-up: Olympique Alès...
season. After the season, he moved to league rival FC Nancy
FC Nancy
Football club de Nancy was a French association football team playing in the city of Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle.The team was founded in 1901 and disappeared in 1965, due to financial problems.Two years after the demise of this team, Nancy's current top team, AS Nancy were founded.-Honours:* Coupe de...
, to play alongside fellow Dane Helge Bronée
Helge Bronée
Helge Christian Bronée was a Danish footballer. He played four games as a winger for the amateur Denmark national football team, before moving abroad to play professionally...
. Sørensen played 17 games and scored one goal as Nancy finished 15th in the 1948-49 Division 1
French football Division 1 1948–49
Stade de Reims won Division 1 season 1948/1949 of the French Association Football League with 48 points.-Participating teams:-Final table:...
season, after which he ended his playing career.
Coaching career
Sørensen started his coaching career with Danish clubs Skovshoved IF and ABAkademisk Boldklub
Akademisk Boldklub or AB is a Danish professional football club from Copenhagen,currently playing at the second highest level in Danish domestic football, the 1st Division.-History:...
. In the summer 1957, Sørensen was hired as full time Danish national team manager, though he had already coached the team for two games in November 1956. His coaching focus was tactics and physical conditioning. His most notable result came at the 1960 Summer Olympics
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
, where he managed Denmark to silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
s in the 1960 Olympics football tournament
Football at the 1960 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 1960 Summer Olympics was held from 26 August to 10 September in 1960 throughout Italy.-Venues:-Medalists:-Group A:---------------------Group B:---------------------Group C:--------...
, losing 1–3 to Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia at the 1960 Summer Olympics
Athletes from the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy. 116 competitors, 107 men and 9 women, took part in 64 events in 14 sports....
in the final. He was national team manager in 41 games, winning 20 and losing 13. Sørensen ended his tenure as Danish national team manager in November 1961, as he did not agree with the additional role as motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
for Danish clubs demanded by the Danish Football Association.
From 1963 to 1964, Sørensen was appointed head coach of Esbjerg fB
Esbjerg fB
Esbjerg forenede Boldklubber also referred to as Esbjerg fB or simply EfB is a professional Danish football club from the port city of Esbjerg in West Jutland. The club was formed in 1924, as a merger between Esbjerg Boldklub af 1898 and Esbjerg Amatørklub af 1911. The club has training facilities...
in the top-flight Danish 1st Division
Danish 1st Division
The 1st Division has been the name of the second highest football league in Denmark since 1991. From 1945 to 1991 the 1st Division was the name of the highest level of football in Denmark...
championship. He coached Esbjerg to the 1963 1st Division
Danish 1st Division 1963
Statistics of Danish 1st Division in the 1963 season.-League standings:-References:*...
championship, and the 1964 Danish Cup
Danish Cup
The Danish Cup is the official "knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955...
trophy. He later coached KB
Kjøbenhavns Boldklub
Kjøbenhavns Boldklub or KB is a Danish sports club based in Copenhagen. The club was founded April 26, 1876 on the grassy fields in outer Copenhagen which later became Fælledparken. Football and cricket has been played in KB since 1879, making KB the oldest football club on Continental Europe and...
and Hvidovre IF
Hvidovre IF
Hvidovre IF is a Danish football club, founded on 15 October 1925 in Hvidovre.- Current squad :As of 2011-03-21...
to the 1968
Danish 1st Division 1968
-League standings:-References:*...
and 1973 1st Division
Danish 1st Division 1973
-League standings:-References:*...
championships respectively.
Honours
- Danish championship (7): 1938, 1942, 1946, 1963, 1968, 1973
- Danish CupDanish CupThe Danish Cup is the official "knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955...
: 1964