Christian Poulsen
Encyclopedia
Christian Bjørnshøj Poulsen (born 28 February 1980) is a Danish
footballer who plays for Evian in Ligue 1
. He has played for a number of Europe
an clubs, winning the Danish Superliga
championship with F.C. Copenhagen
, the German DFB Ligapokal trophy with FC Schalke 04
, and the European UEFA Cup
with Spanish
team Sevilla FC
and with Italian
Serie A club Juventus.
He has been a regular member of the Denmark national football team
since his debut in 2001, and has played 81 matches, scoring 6 goals for his country. He represented Denmark at the 2002 FIFA World Cup
, 2010 FIFA World Cup
and 2004 European Championship international tournaments. Poulsen was named 2001 Danish under-21 Player of the Year, and won the 2005 and 2006 Danish Player of the Year awards; the first to win two years in a row.
in September 1998, and played four games for the team.
in the top-flight Danish Superliga
championship, and signed his first professional contract with the club within a week. Poulsen took a commanding role in the attacking midfield of FCK, following the heart problems of former Norwegian international
midfielder Ståle Solbakken
in March 2001. Poulsen quickly made his mark on the league, and helped his club win the 2000–01 Superliga
championship. He scored the 1–0 goal in the 3–1 win against second-placed Brøndby IF
, which secured the league title.
Following a good start of the 2001–02 Superliga
season, Poulsen was called up for the Danish national football team by national manager Morten Olsen
. He got his debut when he started the 1–1 draw with the Netherlands
on November 10, 2001. FCK ended runners-up in the 2001–02 Superliga, and Poulsen was named 2002 FCK Player of the Year. He was called up for the Danish squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
, where he was initially used as a substitute. He took part in all three group stage matches, gradually getting more playing time in each game. Following two yellow cards
in the group stage, he was suspended when Denmark were eliminated in the knock-out phase. Following two successful seasons with FC Copenhagen, which included nearly 50 official appearances and 10 goals, Poulsen was transferred to German
outfit FC Schalke 04
.
After the 2002 World Cup, Poulsen made a €
7M move, the most expensive sale by a Danish club at the time, to German
club Schalke 04
, where he looked to take over the position as holding midfielder left by veteran Czech international
Jiří Němec
. His start in Schalke was made easier by the fact that his team mate in the Danish national team, Ebbe Sand
, also played for the club. Through his time at Schalke, Poulsen played a number of matches at right back, but eventually secured himself a spot in the central midfield for both club and country.
Poulsen was selected for the Danish squad at the 2004 European Championship
. He played three of Denmark's four games, before Denmark was eliminated from the tournament. With Schalke, Poulsen won the 2005 DFB Ligapokal cup trophy. His displays for Schalke and the Danish national team earned him the 2005 Danish Player of the Year
award. After four seasons with the club, which included well over 100 appearances, his contract expired in June 2006. Long-lasting rumours linked him to several teams, including Italian
clubs Inter Milan and A.C. Milan
.
champions Sevilla FC
of Spain
, the team that knocked Schalke out of the 2005-06 UEFA Cup tournament. In his debut match for the club, Poulsen helped Sevilla win the European Super Cup
trophy, with a 3–0 victory against FC Barcelona
on August 25. Following his first month at the club, he was named the best new signing in Spain by Spanish sports daily Marca
. He became the first player to be named Danish Player of the Year for two consecutive years, when he also won the 2006 award. He helped Sevilla defend the UEFA Cup title, winning the 2006–07 edition
of the tournament and also won the Spanish Cup that year.
officially announced the acquisition of Poulsen from Sevilla FC. The transfer fee was €9.75M, with a four-year contract worth three million euros a year for Poulsen. On February 8, Poulsen scored his first goal for Juventus against Catania in the 90th minute, earning a win for his team after the game was heading for a 1–1 draw.
announced the signing of Christian Poulsen on a three-year contract, for a fee of £4.5m. He was handed the number 28 shirt, previously worn by Damien Plessis
. On 19 August 2010, Poulsen made his debut against Turkish team Trabzonspor
in the Europa League, in a match won by Liverpool 1-0, but during which he had a goal disallowed. Poulsen made his league debut for Liverpool
in a 1-0 win against West Bromwich Albion on 29 August 2010. He did not, however, endear himself to the Liverpool fans who often found his performances on the pitch lacking in style. On 20 November, he produced probably his best display in the centre of Liverpool's midfield against West Ham at Anfield, a game which the home side won 3-0.
Following the sacking of Roy Hodgson
, and the appointment of new manager Kenny Dalglish
, the winds changed not only for Liverpool but also for Poulsen. Dalglish praised Poulsen's performances in the 1-2 defeat by Blackpool on 16 January, 2011, the 3-0 win against Wolverhampton on 22 January 2011 as well as the 1-0 win against Fulham on 26 January. 2011.
Relatively soon after that, it did become clear that Dalglish preferred the young ermerging midfielder Jay Spearing
to Poulsen.
On 30 August 2011, Liverpool agreed a undisclosed fee with Évian for Poulsen's transfer to the French
Ligue 1
side.
, he became the second player in history after Florin Răducioiu
to play in all five of the big leagues (England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France).
. Totti received a three-match ban and gave a "full public apology", after failing in his claim that he was provoked by Poulsen. Italy were subsequently eliminated from the tournament in the group stage.
tournament, Poulsen's club Schalke played two games against Italian team A.C. Milan
. Following their first match, a 2–2 draw, Poulsen was bizarrely described as "a coward" by Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti
, alleging that Poulsen physically kicked Milan's Brazil
ian playmaker Kaká
. In the second match Schalke lost 2–3, despite a goal by Poulsen. Following the final whistle, Italian player Gennaro Gattuso
steered towards Poulsen and confronted him. Gattuso made gloating taunts, while Poulsen gave him a sarcastic thumbs up, afterwards declaring he found Gattuso childish and hoped he felt embarrassed for himself.
In the aftermath of the game, an angry fan attempted to press charges against Poulsen for punching Rosenberg. A member of the Copenhagen metropolitan police called for a month long jail sentence, and Danish Minister of Justice Lene Espersen
called for Poulsen's exclusion from the national team.
The case failed in court on June 18, and national team coach Morten Olsen re-called Poulsen for the national team.
See UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier fan attack
for a list of other incidents in the controversial match between Sweden and Denmark.
Schalke 04
Sevilla
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...
footballer who plays for Evian in Ligue 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....
. He has played for a number of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an clubs, winning the Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
championship with F.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen is a professional Danish football club in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is part of the Parken Sport & Entertainment....
, the German DFB Ligapokal trophy with FC Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
, and the European UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
with Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
team Sevilla FC
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
and with Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Serie A club Juventus.
He has been a regular member of 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...
since his debut in 2001, and has played 81 matches, scoring 6 goals for his country. He represented Denmark at the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
and 2004 European Championship international tournaments. Poulsen was named 2001 Danish under-21 Player of the Year, and won the 2005 and 2006 Danish Player of the Year awards; the first to win two years in a row.
Asnæs and Holbæk
Born in Asnæs, Poulsen started playing youth football in the local club Asnæs BK. However, he moved to amateur club Holbæk at the age of 15, where he made his senior debut at 17 years of age, captaining the side on several occasions. He was called up for the Danish under-19 football teamDenmark national under-19 football team
The Denmark national under-19 football team was founded in 1950 as a under-18 team. In 2001, it was changed to a under-19 team.-Competitive record:...
in September 1998, and played four games for the team.
Copenhagen
In September 2000, he underwent a trial period for F.C. CopenhagenF.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen is a professional Danish football club in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is part of the Parken Sport & Entertainment....
in the top-flight Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
championship, and signed his first professional contract with the club within a week. Poulsen took a commanding role in the attacking midfield of FCK, following the heart problems of former Norwegian international
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
midfielder Ståle Solbakken
Ståle Solbakken
Ståle Solbakken is a Norwegian football coach and a former player. He was named 2004 Norwegian Manager of the Year, and has won five Danish Superliga championships with Copenhagen....
in March 2001. Poulsen quickly made his mark on the league, and helped his club win the 2000–01 Superliga
Danish Superliga 2000-01
The 2000–01 Danish Superliga season was the 11th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
championship. He scored the 1–0 goal in the 3–1 win against second-placed Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF is a Danish professional football club based in Brøndbyvester, Brøndby, on the western outskirts of Copenhagen and is the biggest football club in Denmark with almost 2000 members. The club is also known as Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening, or Brøndby and BIF for short...
, which secured the league title.
Following a good start of the 2001–02 Superliga
Danish Superliga 2001-02
The 2001–02 Danish Superliga season was the 12th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
season, Poulsen was called up for the Danish national football team by national manager Morten Olsen
Morten Olsen
Morten Per Olsen is a Danish football manager and former football player. He has been the head coach of the Danish national team since 2000, guiding Denmark to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2004 European Championship and 2010 FIFA World Cup...
. He got his debut when he started the 1–1 draw with the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
on November 10, 2001. FCK ended runners-up in the 2001–02 Superliga, and Poulsen was named 2002 FCK Player of the Year. He was called up for the Danish squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, where he was initially used as a substitute. He took part in all three group stage matches, gradually getting more playing time in each game. Following two yellow cards
Penalty card
A penalty card is used in many sports as a means of warning, reprimanding or penalising a player, coach or team official. Penalty cards are most commonly used by referees or umpires to indicate that a player has committed an offense. The referee will hold the card above his or her head while...
in the group stage, he was suspended when Denmark were eliminated in the knock-out phase. Following two successful seasons with FC Copenhagen, which included nearly 50 official appearances and 10 goals, Poulsen was transferred to German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
outfit FC Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
.
Schalke 04
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
7M move, the most expensive sale by a Danish club at the time, to German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
club Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
, where he looked to take over the position as holding midfielder left by veteran Czech international
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
Jiří Němec
Jirí Nemec
Jiří Němec is a former Czech football player. He played for Czechoslovakia and later the Czech Republic.He won a total of 84 international caps for the two teams, scoring one goal, and played at both Euro 96 and Euro 2000....
. His start in Schalke was made easier by the fact that his team mate in the Danish national team, Ebbe Sand
Ebbe Sand
Ebbe Sand is a Danish former professional footballer who most notably played as a striker for FC Schalke 04 in Germany. He was the German Bundesliga top scorer in 2001, and he won the German Cup in 2001 and 2002 with Schalke...
, also played for the club. Through his time at Schalke, Poulsen played a number of matches at right back, but eventually secured himself a spot in the central midfield for both club and country.
Poulsen was selected for the Danish squad at the 2004 European Championship
2004 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in...
. He played three of Denmark's four games, before Denmark was eliminated from the tournament. With Schalke, Poulsen won the 2005 DFB Ligapokal cup trophy. His displays for Schalke and the Danish national team earned him the 2005 Danish Player of the Year
Danish Player of the Year
The Danish Player of the Year award is an annual prize, which has been given to the best Danish football player by the Danish Football Player Association since 1963. The winner is decided in a vote amongst the professional Danish footballers....
award. After four seasons with the club, which included well over 100 appearances, his contract expired in June 2006. Long-lasting rumours linked him to several teams, including Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
clubs Inter Milan and A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
.
Sevilla
He eventually signed a contract with defending UEFA CupUEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
champions Sevilla FC
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, the team that knocked Schalke out of the 2005-06 UEFA Cup tournament. In his debut match for the club, Poulsen helped Sevilla win the European Super Cup
European Super Cup
The UEFA Super Cup is an annual football game between the reigning champions of the two cup competitions organized by UEFA: the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League...
trophy, with a 3–0 victory against FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
on August 25. Following his first month at the club, he was named the best new signing in Spain by Spanish sports daily Marca
Marca (newspaper)
MARCA is a Spanish national daily sports newspaper owned by Unidad Editorial. The newspaper focuses primarily on football, in particular the day-to-day activities of Real Madrid CF...
. He became the first player to be named Danish Player of the Year for two consecutive years, when he also won the 2006 award. He helped Sevilla defend the UEFA Cup title, winning the 2006–07 edition
UEFA Cup 2006-07
The 2006–07 UEFA Cup was the 36th UEFA Cup, Europe's second tier club football tournament. On 16 May 2007, at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Sevilla won their second consecutive UEFA Cup, defeating Espanyol 3–1 on penalties after the match finished 2–2 after extra time...
of the tournament and also won the Spanish Cup that year.
Juventus
On July 14, 2008, JuventusJuventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
officially announced the acquisition of Poulsen from Sevilla FC. The transfer fee was €9.75M, with a four-year contract worth three million euros a year for Poulsen. On February 8, Poulsen scored his first goal for Juventus against Catania in the 90th minute, earning a win for his team after the game was heading for a 1–1 draw.
Liverpool
On 12 August 2010, LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
announced the signing of Christian Poulsen on a three-year contract, for a fee of £4.5m. He was handed the number 28 shirt, previously worn by Damien Plessis
Damien Plessis
Damien Plessis is a French footballer of Réunionais origin, who plays for Greek side Panathinaikos. He is also the younger brother of professional footballer Guillaume Plessis.-Olympique Lyonnais:...
. On 19 August 2010, Poulsen made his debut against Turkish team Trabzonspor
Trabzonspor
Trabzonspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Trabzon, Turkey. Formed in 1967 through a merger of several local clubs, Trabzonspor won six championships in Turkish Super League. The Club won their first Championship title in 1975 which is also the Club's initiation year...
in the Europa League, in a match won by Liverpool 1-0, but during which he had a goal disallowed. Poulsen made his league debut for Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in a 1-0 win against West Bromwich Albion on 29 August 2010. He did not, however, endear himself to the Liverpool fans who often found his performances on the pitch lacking in style. On 20 November, he produced probably his best display in the centre of Liverpool's midfield against West Ham at Anfield, a game which the home side won 3-0.
Following the sacking of Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson is a former English footballer and current head coach of West Bromwich Albion.Hodgson, who has managed sixteen different teams in eight countries, guided the Switzerland national team to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup and qualification for Euro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified...
, and the appointment of new manager Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
, the winds changed not only for Liverpool but also for Poulsen. Dalglish praised Poulsen's performances in the 1-2 defeat by Blackpool on 16 January, 2011, the 3-0 win against Wolverhampton on 22 January 2011 as well as the 1-0 win against Fulham on 26 January. 2011.
Relatively soon after that, it did become clear that Dalglish preferred the young ermerging midfielder Jay Spearing
Jay Spearing
Jay Francis Spearing is an English footballer who plays for Liverpool as a Defensive midfielder. He was originally spotted playing for amateur Wallasey side Greenleas alongside former Liverpool professional Craig Lindfield....
to Poulsen.
On 30 August 2011, Liverpool agreed a undisclosed fee with Évian for Poulsen's transfer to the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Ligue 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....
side.
Évian
On 31 August 2011, the French side announced that Poulsen had signed a one year deal. After his transfer in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, he became the second player in history after Florin Răducioiu
Florin Raducioiu
Florin Valeriu Răducioiu is a former Romanian football striker, who played for Dinamo Bucureşti, A.C. Milan, Brescia Calcio, West Ham United, RCD Espanyol, VfB Stuttgart and A.S...
to play in all five of the big leagues (England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France).
Totti "spitting incident"
In the group stage of the 2004 European Championship, following the 0–0 draw with Italy, Danish television showed Poulsen being spat on by Italian playmaker Francesco TottiFrancesco Totti
Francesco Totti, Ufficiale OMRI, is an Italian footballer who is the captain of Serie A club Roma. His primary position is that of a trequartista, though he has also been successfully utilized as a lone striker. Totti has spent his entire career at Roma, is the number-one goalscorer and the most...
. Totti received a three-match ban and gave a "full public apology", after failing in his claim that he was provoked by Poulsen. Italy were subsequently eliminated from the tournament in the group stage.
Carlo Ancelotti rant
In the 2005–06 Champions LeagueUEFA Champions League 2005-06
The 2005–06 UEFA Champions League was the 51st staging of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, and the 14th since it was rebranded from the European Cup in 1992. 74 teams from 50 football associations took part, starting with the first qualifying round played...
tournament, Poulsen's club Schalke played two games against Italian team A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
. Following their first match, a 2–2 draw, Poulsen was bizarrely described as "a coward" by Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager, Nicknamed Carletto, Ancelotti played as a midfielder and had a successful career with Roma – captaining the team – with whom he won one Scudetto and 4 Coppa Italia and was part of the legendary late 80's Milan team, with whom he won two Scudetti and...
, alleging that Poulsen physically kicked Milan's Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian playmaker Kaká
Kaká
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite , commonly known as Kaká , is a Brazilian football attacking midfielder who currently plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. Kaká started his footballing career at the age of eight, when he began playing for a local club...
. In the second match Schalke lost 2–3, despite a goal by Poulsen. Following the final whistle, Italian player Gennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Ivan Gattuso, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer, who plays for Serie A club Milan. He mainly plays as a defensive midfielder. Gattuso is an aggressive, hard tackling player and in his prime, was widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world...
steered towards Poulsen and confronted him. Gattuso made gloating taunts, while Poulsen gave him a sarcastic thumbs up, afterwards declaring he found Gattuso childish and hoped he felt embarrassed for himself.
Rosenberg-Poulsen incident
In the 89th minute of the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier against Sweden, Sweden's Markus Rosenberg struck Poulsen, who in turn punched Rosenberg.In the aftermath of the game, an angry fan attempted to press charges against Poulsen for punching Rosenberg. A member of the Copenhagen metropolitan police called for a month long jail sentence, and Danish Minister of Justice Lene Espersen
Lene Espersen
Lene Espersen is a Danish politician and member of parliament who has been Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs since 23 February 2010 and was leader of the Conservative People's Party and Deputy Prime Minister from 9 September 2008 to 13 January 2011...
called for Poulsen's exclusion from the national team.
The case failed in court on June 18, and national team coach Morten Olsen re-called Poulsen for the national team.
See UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier fan attack
UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier fan attack
A fan attack occurred at the Euro 2008 qualifying match between the national football teams of Sweden and Denmark, at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen on 2 June 2007...
for a list of other incidents in the controversial match between Sweden and Denmark.
Club
F.C. CopenhagenF.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen is a professional Danish football club in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is part of the Parken Sport & Entertainment....
- Danish SuperligaDanish SuperligaThe Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
: 2000–01Danish Superliga 2000-01The 2000–01 Danish Superliga season was the 11th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
Schalke 04
- DFB Ligapokal: 2005
Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
- Copa del ReyCopa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
: 2007 - UEFA Cup: 2007UEFA Cup 2006-07The 2006–07 UEFA Cup was the 36th UEFA Cup, Europe's second tier club football tournament. On 16 May 2007, at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Sevilla won their second consecutive UEFA Cup, defeating Espanyol 3–1 on penalties after the match finished 2–2 after extra time...
- UEFA Super CupEuropean Super CupThe UEFA Super Cup is an annual football game between the reigning champions of the two cup competitions organized by UEFA: the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League...
: 20062006 UEFA Super CupThe 2006 UEFA Super Cup was the 31st edition of the annual UEFA Super Cup, a UEFA-sponsored football club match that pitted the winners of the UEFA Champions League against the winners of the UEFA Cup... - Supercopa de EspañaSupercopa de EspañaThe Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
: 20072007 Supercopa de EspañaThe 2007 Supercopa de España was two-leg Spanish football matches played on 11 August and 19 August 2007. It contested by Sevilla FC, who were Spanish Cup winners in 2006–07, and Real Madrid, who won the 2006–07 Spanish League. Sevilla FC won 6–3 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second leg:-References:...
Individual
- Danish Football Player of the Year: 2005, 2006
- Danish Young Player of the Year: 2001