Ebbe Skovdahl facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ebbe Skovdahl Hansen | ||
| Date of birth | 5 July 1945 | ||
| Place of birth | Copenhagen, Denmark | ||
| Date of death | 23 October 2020 (aged 75) | ||
| Place of death | Karlslunde, Denmark | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 195?–1971 | Vanløse | 130 | (?) |
| 1971–1977 | Brøndby | 89 | (?) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1977–1977 | Brøndby (3rd team) | ||
| 1978–1980 | Hvalsø IF | ||
| 1980–1981 | Glostrup IC | ||
| 1982–1985 | Brønshøj | ||
| 1986–1987 | Brøndby | ||
| 1987–1988 | Benfica | ||
| 1988–1989 | Brøndby | ||
| 1990–1991 | Vejle | ||
| 1992–1999 | Brøndby | ||
| 1999–2003 | Aberdeen | ||
| 2003–2005 | BK Frem | ||
|
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Ebbe Skovdahl Hansen (born July 5, 1945 – died October 23, 2020) was a famous Danish football manager. He was best known for his successful time managing Brøndby IF, a team he also played for. He helped make Brøndby the strongest Danish team in the 1990s.
Skovdahl led Brøndby in many European tournaments. His teams often did well in the UEFA Cup and even qualified for the UEFA Champions League. He won many Danish league titles and Danish Cup trophies.
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Football Career Highlights
Ebbe Skovdahl started playing football as a child. He played for Vanløse IF and then for Brøndby IF. After playing 89 games for Brøndby, he became a coach.
Early Coaching Days
Skovdahl began coaching Brøndby's third team in 1977. He then coached smaller Danish teams like Hvalsø IF and Glostrup IC. In 1982, he helped Brønshøj BK get promoted twice in a row. This meant they reached the top Danish league at the time.
In 1986, he returned to coach Brøndby. They had just won the Danish championship in 1985.
Winning Championships
Skovdahl guided Brøndby to their second Danish championship in 1987. He also led the club to the quarterfinals of the 1986–87 European Cup. After two years at Brøndby, Skovdahl moved to Portugal. He coached Benfica, who were the Portuguese champions.
The job at Benfica was very challenging for Skovdahl. He was not used to coaching big international clubs. He stayed there for only half a year. He then returned to Brøndby in 1988. There, he won his first Danish championship and the Danish Cup. Skovdahl then had a short time coaching Vejle BK.
Building a Strong Team
In 1992, Brøndby IF faced financial problems. Skovdahl returned to the club once more to help. In his first year back, he changed how the team played. He taught attacking players like Jes Høgh and Ole Bjur to play in more defensive roles. They became very good at these new positions.
Even though Brøndby did not win the championship that year, Skovdahl was named Danish Manager of the Year for 1992–93. He was praised for rebuilding the team. He made the team play with a lot of pressure on their opponents. This style, combined with good skills, helped Brøndby dominate Danish football for five years.
A big moment for the club was in the 1995–96 UEFA Cup. Brøndby beat the famous English team Liverpool. After that season, Brøndby won three Danish championships in a row. Skovdahl's success with the team ended with them qualifying for the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League. This was a huge achievement for a Danish team. In total, Skovdahl won four Danish championships and three Danish Cups with Brøndby. He also led them to many good results in European competitions.
Time in Scotland
In 1999, Skovdahl moved to Scotland. He became the manager of Aberdeen F.C. in the top Scottish league. Aberdeen was a club with a lot of history but was struggling. They needed a good coach who could work with a small budget. Skovdahl was chosen because he was known for building successful teams.
In Skovdahl's first season at Aberdeen, the team finished last in the league. However, they avoided being moved down to a lower league. This was because another team, Falkirk, did not have a stadium that met the league's rules. Even though the team struggled, fans liked Skovdahl. He brought in many new players from other countries. Aberdeen also reached two cup finals that year, but lost both to Celtic and Rangers.
The next season, Aberdeen played better in their home league. However, they were knocked out of the 2000–01 UEFA Cup by an Irish team, Bohemians. This was the first time a Scottish club lost to an Irish team in Europe. The year after, Aberdeen improved a lot. Skovdahl led them to 4th place in the league. He also helped young players like Kevin McNaughton and Russell Anderson become better footballers.
However, Aberdeen had a lot of debt. Skovdahl realized he could not build the team as he did with Brøndby. Many players he had developed were on short contracts. They were likely to leave soon. Aberdeen lost to Hertha Berlin in the 2002–03 UEFA Cup. The team also started the 2002–03 season poorly. Skovdahl decided to leave the club in December 2002.
Back to Denmark
After leaving Aberdeen, Skovdahl returned to Denmark. He coached BK Frem, a team in the Danish Superliga. He tried to save them from being moved down to a lower league, but he was not successful. After some disagreements with the club's leaders, Skovdahl resigned in 2005.
Personal Life
Ebbe Skovdahl was the uncle of two very famous Danish international footballers: Michael Laudrup and Brian Laudrup.
Death
Ebbe Skovdahl passed away on October 23, 2020, at the age of 75. He had been battling cancer for several years.
Honours
- Danish Championship: 1988, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98
- Danish Cup: 1988–89, 1993–94, 1997–98
