Kent Nielsen (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Kent Nielsen is a Danish
association football manager and former player, who was named 2006 Danish Coach of the Year. He is the current head coach of Aalborg BK.
He started his coaching career as caretaker of AGF Aarhus, before getting his breakthrough with AC Horsens
, guiding the club to the top-flight Danish Superliga
championship in 2005. He also coached Superliga club Brøndby IF
for 15 months.
In his active career, Nielsen played as a centre back. He won two Danish championships and a Danish Cup
trophy with Brøndby IF
. He played three years in England
with Aston Villa
, before ending his career after winning the Danish Cup with AGF Aarhus. He played 54 games and scored three goals for the Denmark national football team
, winning the Euro 1992 championship and representing Denmark at the 1986 FIFA World Cup
and Euro 1988 tournaments.
Erik Nielsen, Kent Nielsen started his career in Erik's former club Brønshøj BK
. He switched to the Danish team Brøndby IF
in 1987, with whom he won the 1987 and 1988 Danish championships, as well as the 1989 Danish Cup
. Following 91 first team games for Brøndby, Nielsen left the club in 1989. He was bought by English
club Aston Villa
for a reported £500,000 transfer fee, and secured himself a place in the starting line-up in his two first seasons with the club. New Aston Villa manager Ron Atkinson
did not see Nielsen as fitting into his 4-4-2 tactics and brought in replacement Shaun Teale
, and Nielsen looked to leave the club. In early 1992, he moved back to Denmark, to play for AGF Aarhus
. He won the 1992 Danish Cup with AGF, before he retired in 1994.
in July 1979. He was called up for the Denmark national under-21 football team
in May 1983. Following two under-21 games, he made his debut for the senior Danish national team
on 5 October 1983 in a 1984 Summer Olympics
qualification game against Poland
. He then reverted to the under-21 team. He played his second senior international game in January 1985, and was selected by national team manager Sepp Piontek for the Danish squad at the 1986 World Cup
, but spent the entire tournament as an unused substitute. He was a part of Olympic manager Richard Møller Nielsen
's team for the 1988 Summer Olympics
qualification tournament, but was not called up to Piontek's squad for the Euro 1988.
Under new national team manager Richard Møller Nielsen, Kent Nielsen became a constant member of the Denmark squad. After his return to AGF, he was selected to represent Denmark at the Euro 1992. Nielsen played four of Denmark's five games, including the Euro 1992 final
against Germany
, where he most famously cleared the ball off the goalline with a bicycle kick
, avoiding a goal from Karl-Heinz Riedle. He ended his international career following the 2–0 win against Germany.
club AC Horsens
, which he managed to promotion
for the Danish Superliga
. Against all odds, he led the team to survive the 2005–06 Superliga
season. His success continued during the following season, and he was named 2006 Danish Coach of the Year. In the 2007–08
season, his team finished in a historic fifth place, despite having one of the lowest budgets in the league.
Eventually, Nielsen's achievements with Horsens caught the attention of other clubs. In January 2009, he signed a four-year contract with his former club Brøndby IF. He managed Brøndby to 17 victories in 38 games. In March 2010, he was sacked, following a 1–3 defeat to HB Køge
.
On October 11, 2010 he replaced Magnus Pehrsson
as manager of Aalborg BK.
AGF Aarhus
Denmark
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...
association football manager and former player, who was named 2006 Danish Coach of the Year. He is the current head coach of Aalborg BK.
He started his coaching career as caretaker of AGF Aarhus, before getting his breakthrough with AC Horsens
AC Horsens
AC Horsens is a professional Danish football team, playing in the Danish Superliga championship. They play on Forum Horsens Stadion in Horsens. The club was founded in 1994, as a superstructure on Horsens fS and the merger of Dagnæs IF and B 1940; FC Horsens.-History:When the new team started in...
, guiding the club to 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 in 2005. He also coached Superliga club 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 15 months.
In his active career, Nielsen played as a centre back. He won two Danish championships and a 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 with 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...
. He played three years in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
with Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, before ending his career after winning the Danish Cup with AGF Aarhus. He played 54 games and scored three goals 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...
, winning the Euro 1992 championship and representing Denmark at the 1986 FIFA World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
and Euro 1988 tournaments.
Club career
The son of former Danish internationalDenmark 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...
Erik Nielsen, Kent Nielsen started his career in Erik's former club 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...
. He switched to the Danish team 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...
in 1987, with whom he won the 1987 and 1988 Danish championships, as well as the 1989 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...
. Following 91 first team games for Brøndby, Nielsen left the club in 1989. He was bought by English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
club Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
for a reported £500,000 transfer fee, and secured himself a place in the starting line-up in his two first seasons with the club. New Aston Villa manager Ron Atkinson
Ron Atkinson
Ronald Ernest Atkinson, commonly known as "Big Ron" and "Bojangles" is an English former football player and manager. In recent years he has become one of Britain's best-known football pundits...
did not see Nielsen as fitting into his 4-4-2 tactics and brought in replacement Shaun Teale
Shaun Teale
Shaun Teale is a former English professional footballer. He is perhaps most famous for being in the League Cup winning team of Aston Villa in 1994.-Playing career:...
, and Nielsen looked to leave the club. In early 1992, he moved back to Denmark, to play for AGF Aarhus
Aarhus Gymnastik Forening
Aarhus Gymnastikforening is one of the oldest sport clubs in Denmark. AGF participates in a variety of activities in both individual and team sports. AGF is best known for its football team which has the longest streak in the Danish top division and also holds the record for most number of cup wins...
. He won the 1992 Danish Cup with AGF, before he retired in 1994.
International career
Nielsen started his international career with the Denmark national 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 July 1979. He was called up for the Denmark national under-21 football team
Denmark national under-21 football team
The Denmark national under-21 football team has played since 1976 and is controlled by the Danish Football Association. Before 1976, the age limit was 23 years.-U-21 European Championship:*1978 – Quarterfinals*1980 to 1984 – Did not qualify...
in May 1983. Following two under-21 games, he made his debut for the senior Danish national 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...
on 5 October 1983 in a 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
qualification game against Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
. He then reverted to the under-21 team. He played his second senior international game in January 1985, and was selected by national team manager Sepp Piontek for the Danish squad at the 1986 World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
, but spent the entire tournament as an unused substitute. He was a part of Olympic manager Richard Møller Nielsen
Richard Møller Nielsen
Richard Møller Nielsen , nicknamed Ricardo, is a Danish former football player and football manager. His greatest triumph came when he coached the Danish national football team which surprisingly won the 1992 European Championship tournament. In 1995, he was knighted as Knight 1st Degree of the...
's team for the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
qualification tournament, but was not called up to Piontek's squad for the Euro 1988.
Under new national team manager Richard Møller Nielsen, Kent Nielsen became a constant member of the Denmark squad. After his return to AGF, he was selected to represent Denmark at the Euro 1992. Nielsen played four of Denmark's five games, including the Euro 1992 final
UEFA Euro 1992 Final
The final of UEFA Euro 1992 was a football match played on 26 June 1992 at Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden to determine the winner of UEFA Euro 1992.-Match details:...
against Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, where he most famously cleared the ball off the goalline with a bicycle kick
Bicycle kick
A Bicycle kick or Scissor kick is a physical move made by throwing the body up into the air, making a shearing movement with the legs to get one leg in front of the other without holding on to the ground. The move can either be done backwards or sideways...
, avoiding a goal from Karl-Heinz Riedle. He ended his international career following the 2–0 win against Germany.
Managerial career
Following his retirement, Nielsen spent years as an amateur football manager until he and former Danish international Lars Lundkvist took over as co-managers of AGF Aarhus in April 2000. He and Lundkvist kept AGF from being relegated, but left the club after the season end. In 2001, he was appointed manager of Danish 1st DivisionDanish 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...
club AC Horsens
AC Horsens
AC Horsens is a professional Danish football team, playing in the Danish Superliga championship. They play on Forum Horsens Stadion in Horsens. The club was founded in 1994, as a superstructure on Horsens fS and the merger of Dagnæs IF and B 1940; FC Horsens.-History:When the new team started in...
, which he managed to 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 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...
. Against all odds, he led the team to survive the 2005–06 Superliga
Danish Superliga 2005-06
The 2005-06 Danish Superliga season was the 16th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association. It took place from the first match on July 19, 2005 to the final match on May 14, 2006....
season. His success continued during the following season, and he was named 2006 Danish Coach of the Year. In the 2007–08
Danish Superliga 2007-08
The 2007–08 Danish Superliga season was the 18th season of the Danish Superliga league championship, which determined the winners of the Danish football championship. It was governed by the Danish Football Association. It started with the first match on July 18, 2007 and ended with the final match...
season, his team finished in a historic fifth place, despite having one of the lowest budgets in the league.
Eventually, Nielsen's achievements with Horsens caught the attention of other clubs. In January 2009, he signed a four-year contract with his former club Brøndby IF. He managed Brøndby to 17 victories in 38 games. In March 2010, he was sacked, following a 1–3 defeat to HB Køge
HB Køge
HB Køge is a professional Danish football club based primal in the town of Herfølge, and secondly in the town of Køge, both in the Køge Municipality, part of 'Region of Zealand', in the eastern part of Zealand, south of Copenhagen...
.
On October 11, 2010 he replaced Magnus Pehrsson
Magnus Pehrsson
Magnus Pehrsson is a Swedish former football player and the current head coach of Allsvenskan team Djurgårdens IF.-Playing career:...
as manager of Aalborg BK.
Honours
Brøndby- Danish championship: 2
-
- 1987Danish 1st Division 1987The 1987 Danish 1st Division season was the 42nd season of the Danish 1st Division league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association....
, 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....
- 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...
: 1
- Danish Cup
- 1989
- 1987
AGF Aarhus
- 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...
: 1
-
- 1992
Denmark
- UEFA European Football ChampionshipUEFA European Football ChampionshipThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
: 1
-
- 1992
External links
- Danish national team profile
- Danish Superliga manager statistics
- Danish Superliga player statistics
- Kent Nielsen at Brøndby IFBrøndby IFBrøndby 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...
- National-Football-Teams profile