Ebbe Skovdahl
Encyclopedia
Ebbe Skovdahl Hansen is a retired Danish
football (soccer)
manager. He most prominently was a successful manager at Brøndby IF
, for whom he had also played in his active years. He helped turn the side into the most dominant Danish team in the 1990s, and he also managed the club in several European campaigns with regular successful UEFA Cup
runs, and a UEFA Champions League
qualification. He has won numerous Danish Superliga
and Danish Cup
titles.
. He played 130 amateur games for the club before he moved to Brøndby IF in the Danish 3rd Division in 1971. Following 89 amateur matches, many of them as team captain, he went on to become Brøndby's third team coach in 1977. He coached a few minor Danish teams Hvalsø IF and Glostrup IC
before he secured promotion
for Brønshøj BK
to the Danish 1st Division
in 1982, the then best league of football in Denmark
. In 1986 he moved back to coach Brøndby, who had just won the Danish football champions
hip in 1985.
tournament. Following two years at Brøndby, Skovdahl moved to Portugal
before the conclusion of the Danish season to coach the defending Portuguese Liga
champions SL Benfica
. Birger Peitersen went on to finish his job at Brøndby and secured the 1987 Danish championship. The job at Benfica was too much for the internationally inexperienced Skovdahl, and he lasted half a year in the club. He returned to coach Brøndby in 1988 where he won his first Danish championship as well as the Danish Cup trophy, before Skovdahl had a short interlude at Vejle BK in the 1990
and 1991 seasons
. Following the near-bankruptcy
of Brøndby IF in 1992, Skovdahl returned to the club once more.
In his first year at Brøndby, he coached a 5-3-2 system, and re-schooled former attacking players Jes Høgh
and Ole Bjur
to more defensive position, where they blossomed. Though Brøndby did not win the Danish championship in his first year, Skovdahl was named 1992-93 Danish Manager of the Year, for rebuilding the Brøndby team by re-schooling players to their best abilities. He went on to install a 4-4-2 system with hardworking players, whose constant pressure on the opponent, combined with the necessary technical and tactical skills, went on to dominate the Danish championship for half a decade. After a few seasons of stable play and secondary finishes in the domestic league, the big turn-around for the club came in the UEFA Cup 1995-96
when Liverpool FC was eliminated, and including that season, Brøndby won three Danish championships in a row. The success of the team under Skovdahl concluded in qualification for the UEFA Champions League 1998-99
tournament, as the second Danish team (after AaB in 1995). In all, Skovdahl won four Danish championships and three Danish Cups and guided Brøndby to a number of individual results in the European competitions.
side Aberdeen F.C.
in the top-flight Scottish Premier League
(SPL) division. Aberdeen had been one of the most successful sides in Scotland in the eighties and early nineties, but the club started to decline from 1995. By 1999, heavy in debt and not capable of matching Rangers F.C.
and Celtic F.C.
in the transfer market, the Dons needed to appoint a successful coach who could work with a small budget. So the club went for the fashionable idea of appointing a successful foreign coach, Ebbe Skovdahl. In Skovdahl's first season at Aberdeen, the club finished bottom of the SPL, but as Falkirk F.C.
's home ground was unfit for SPL football, the two clubs never contested the scheduled two leg play-off for the final place in the SPL, and Aberdeen stayed in the league. Despite overseeing one of the poorest sides in Aberdeen's recent history in his first season in charge, Skovdahl proved popular with the fans. In that first year he brought in many foreign signings, with mixed success, and among his signings were Arild Stavrum
, Hicham Zerouali
, and Roberto Bisconti
. The one highlight of Skovdahl's first season was that Aberdeen reached both the Scottish League Cup
final and the Scottish Cup
final, however they lost both finals to Celtic and Rangers respectively.
In the following season Aberdeen's fortunes improved domestically, but Aberdeen faced a defeat to Irish side Bohemians
in the UEFA Cup on the away goals rule
; the opposite result of when Aberdeen had won against Bohemians in the UEFA cup in their glory years, 13 years earlier. The next year Aberdeen improved dramatically as Skovdahl guided them to 4th place in the league, helping to develop defenders Kevin McNaughton
, Russell Anderson
, Philip McGuire
, striker Darren Mackie
, and goalkeeper Ryan Esson
.
Yet with the Bosman ruling
, and Aberdeen's substantial debt, which had built up before Skovdahl became manager, it became clear that the system Skovdahl had used with Brøndby could not be maintained at Aberdeen. With many of the players he had developed on short term contract, and likely to leave at the end of the 2002-03 season
, it became clear to Skovdahl that he could not in the long term achieve at Aberdeen what he had with Brøndby. The club had a poor domestic start to the 2002-03 campaign, and although the club performed credibly in Europe, with a narrow defeat to Hertha Berlin, the manager resigned.
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...
manager. He most prominently was a successful manager at 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...
, for whom he had also played in his active years. He helped turn the side into the most dominant Danish team in the 1990s, and he also managed the club in several European campaigns with regular successful 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...
runs, and a UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
qualification. He has won numerous 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...
and 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...
titles.
Biography
Skovdahl started playing as a child for Vanløse IFVanløse IF
Vanløse IF is a Danish football club currently playing in the Danish 2nd Division East.- Squad :As of December 1, 2009 -Achievements:*2 seasons in the Highest Danish League...
. He played 130 amateur games for the club before he moved to Brøndby IF in the Danish 3rd Division in 1971. Following 89 amateur matches, many of them as team captain, he went on to become Brøndby's third team coach in 1977. He coached a few minor Danish teams Hvalsø IF and Glostrup IC
Glostrup IC
Glostrup Idræts Club is a Danish sports club from Glostrup, founded on 17 April 1918.It has sections for athletics, basketball, table tennis, gymnastics and volleyball. Since 2003 the football department is a part of Glostrup FK....
before he secured promotion
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
for Brønshøj BK
Brønshøj BK
Brønshøj Boldklub is a Danish football club, currently playing in the Danish 1st Division.-Current squad:As of November 13, 2011-Famous players:Patrick Tronborg Kent Nielsen...
to the 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...
in 1982, the then best league of football in Denmark
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...
. In 1986 he moved back to coach Brøndby, who had just won the 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 in 1985.
Championship coach
Skovdahl went on to coach Brøndby towards its second Danish championship in 1987 and he also guided the club to the quarterfinals of the international European Cup 1986-87European Cup 1986-87
The season 1986–87 of the European Cup football club tournament was won by Porto, coming from behind in the final against Bayern Munich, giving Portugal its first title since 1962....
tournament. Following two years at Brøndby, Skovdahl moved to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
before the conclusion of the Danish season to coach the defending Portuguese Liga
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...
champions SL Benfica
SL Benfica
Sport Lisboa e Benfica , commonly known as simply Benfica or occasionally as Benfica Lisbon, is a Portuguese multi-sports club based in Lisbon. Although they successfully compete in a number of different sports, Benfica is mostly known for its association football team...
. Birger Peitersen went on to finish his job at Brøndby and secured the 1987 Danish championship. The job at Benfica was too much for the internationally inexperienced Skovdahl, and he lasted half a year in the club. He returned to coach Brøndby in 1988 where he won his first Danish championship as well as the Danish Cup trophy, before Skovdahl had a short interlude at Vejle BK in the 1990
Danish 1st Division 1990
The 1990 Danish 1st Division season was the 45th season of the Danish 1st Division, and the last in which it was the country's top flight. At the end of the season the new Danish Superliga was formed as the country's new top division....
and 1991 seasons
Danish Superliga 1991
The 1991 Danish Superliga season was the 1st season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association.After about 33 years it had been decided to abandon the format where the league would follow the calendar year, therefore the first superliga season was a...
. Following the near-bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
of Brøndby IF in 1992, Skovdahl returned to the club once more.
In his first year at Brøndby, he coached a 5-3-2 system, and re-schooled former attacking players Jes Høgh
Jes Høgh
Jes Høgh is a former Danish football player. He played 57 matches and scored 1 goal for the Danish national football team, and Høgh represented Denmark at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, as well as the UEFA Euro 1996 and UEFA Euro 2000 tournaments...
and Ole Bjur
Ole Bjur
Ole Bjur is a former Danish professional football player, who played a total 384 matches for Danish club Brøndby IF, with whom he won three Danish Superliga championships. He played as an attacking midfielder or right midfielder, with a good technique and dribbling ability...
to more defensive position, where they blossomed. Though Brøndby did not win the Danish championship in his first year, Skovdahl was named 1992-93 Danish Manager of the Year, for rebuilding the Brøndby team by re-schooling players to their best abilities. He went on to install a 4-4-2 system with hardworking players, whose constant pressure on the opponent, combined with the necessary technical and tactical skills, went on to dominate the Danish championship for half a decade. After a few seasons of stable play and secondary finishes in the domestic league, the big turn-around for the club came in the UEFA Cup 1995-96
UEFA Cup 1995-96
The UEFA Cup 1995-96 was won by Bayern Munich on aggregate over Bordeaux. Girondins de Bordeaux went to the finals all the way from the UEFA Intertoto Cup 1995....
when Liverpool FC was eliminated, and including that season, Brøndby won three Danish championships in a row. The success of the team under Skovdahl concluded in qualification for the UEFA Champions League 1998-99
UEFA Champions League 1998-99
The 1998–99 UEFA Champions League was the seventh season of the UEFA Champions League, Europe's premier club football tournament, since it was renamed from the "European Champion Clubs' Cup" or "European Cup". The competition was won by Manchester United, coming back from a goal down in the last...
tournament, as the second Danish team (after AaB in 1995). In all, Skovdahl won four Danish championships and three Danish Cups and guided Brøndby to a number of individual results in the European competitions.
Aberdeen
In 1999 he moved to become a popular manager of ScottishScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
side Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
in the top-flight Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
(SPL) division. Aberdeen had been one of the most successful sides in Scotland in the eighties and early nineties, but the club started to decline from 1995. By 1999, heavy in debt and not capable of matching Rangers F.C.
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
and Celtic F.C.
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
in the transfer market, the Dons needed to appoint a successful coach who could work with a small budget. So the club went for the fashionable idea of appointing a successful foreign coach, Ebbe Skovdahl. In Skovdahl's first season at Aberdeen, the club finished bottom of the SPL, but as Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
's home ground was unfit for SPL football, the two clubs never contested the scheduled two leg play-off for the final place in the SPL, and Aberdeen stayed in the league. Despite overseeing one of the poorest sides in Aberdeen's recent history in his first season in charge, Skovdahl proved popular with the fans. In that first year he brought in many foreign signings, with mixed success, and among his signings were Arild Stavrum
Arild Stavrum
Arild Stavrum is a Norwegian football coach and former player. His playing career included clubs as Brann, Molde, Stabæk, Helsingborg, Aberdeen and Besiktas.-Playing career:...
, Hicham Zerouali
Hicham Zerouali
Hicham Zerouali , nicknamed 'Zero' or the 'Moroccan Magician', was a Moroccan footballer. He played as a forward for a number of clubs across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He was a Moroccan international who won 17 caps.-Aberdeen:...
, and Roberto Bisconti
Roberto Bisconti
Roberto Bisconti is a Belgian footballer currently playing for R.F.C. Seraing, as a midfielder.-Club career:...
. The one highlight of Skovdahl's first season was that Aberdeen reached both the Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
final and the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
final, however they lost both finals to Celtic and Rangers respectively.
In the following season Aberdeen's fortunes improved domestically, but Aberdeen faced a defeat to Irish side Bohemians
Bohemian F.C.
Bohemian F.C. , more commonly referred to as Bohemians, is a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. Bohemians compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the third most successful club in League of Ireland football history, having won the League of Ireland title 11...
in the UEFA Cup on the away goals rule
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
; the opposite result of when Aberdeen had won against Bohemians in the UEFA cup in their glory years, 13 years earlier. The next year Aberdeen improved dramatically as Skovdahl guided them to 4th place in the league, helping to develop defenders Kevin McNaughton
Kevin McNaughton
Kevin McNaughton is a Scottish football defender, currently playing for Cardiff City in the Football League Championship...
, Russell Anderson
Russell Anderson
Russell James Anderson is a Scottish footballer who plays for Championship side Derby County as a cente back...
, Philip McGuire
Phil McGuire
Philip McGuire is a Scottish professional footballer, that currently plays for Junior side Lochee United.-Aberdeen:Philip McGuire, central defender or midfielder, started his career with Aberdeen where he made over 200 appearances, scoring 15 goals. He joined Aberdeen in 1996 and came through the...
, striker Darren Mackie
Darren Mackie
Darren Graham Mackie is a Scottish footballer who plays as a striker for Aberdeen in the Scottish Premier League. He is currently the club's top Scottish Premier League goalscorer, with 57 goals....
, and goalkeeper Ryan Esson
Ryan Esson
Ryan Esson is a Scottish professional football goalkeeper currently playing for Inverness Caledonian Thistle.-Aberdeen:...
.
Yet with the Bosman ruling
Bosman ruling
Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football Association ASBL v Jean-Marc Bosman is a 1995 European Court of Justice decision concerning freedom of movement for workers, freedom of association, and direct effect of article 39 of the EC Treaty...
, and Aberdeen's substantial debt, which had built up before Skovdahl became manager, it became clear that the system Skovdahl had used with Brøndby could not be maintained at Aberdeen. With many of the players he had developed on short term contract, and likely to leave at the end of the 2002-03 season
2002-03 in Scottish football
The 2002–03 season was the 106th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:The 2002–03 Scottish Premier League was won on goal difference by Rangers by a single goal over Celtic. Both Rangers and Celtic qualified for the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League and...
, it became clear to Skovdahl that he could not in the long term achieve at Aberdeen what he had with Brøndby. The club had a poor domestic start to the 2002-03 campaign, and although the club performed credibly in Europe, with a narrow defeat to Hertha Berlin, the manager resigned.
Danish return
He returned to Danish Superliga club BK Frem, who he tried to save from relegation, though without success. Following disputes with the club board over the long-term aims of the club, Skovdahl resigned in winter 2005.Honours
- Danish ChampionshipDanish football championsThe 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...
: 1988Danish 1st Division 1988The 1988 Danish 1st Division season was the 43rd season of the Danish 1st Division league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
, 1995-96Danish Superliga 1995-96The 1995-96 Danish Superliga season was the 6th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
, 1996-97Danish Superliga 1996-97The 1996-97 Danish Superliga season was the 7th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association...
, 1997-98Danish Superliga 1997-98The 1997-98 Danish Superliga season was the 8th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 25, 1997 to final match on June 1, 1998.... - 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...
: 1988-89, 1993-94, 1997-98