Olof Mellberg facts for kids
Mellberg with F.C. Copenhagen in 2013
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Erik Olof Mellberg | ||
| Date of birth | 3 September 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Gullspång, Sweden | ||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–1996 | Gullspångs IF | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1996–1997 | Degerfors IF | 47 | (0) |
| 1997–1998 | AIK | 17 | (0) |
| 1998–2001 | Racing Santander | 98 | (0) |
| 2001–2008 | Aston Villa | 232 | (8) |
| 2008–2009 | Juventus | 27 | (2) |
| 2009–2012 | Olympiacos | 71 | (7) |
| 2012–2013 | Villarreal | 29 | (2) |
| 2013–2014 | Copenhagen | 22 | (3) |
| Total | 543 | (22) | |
| International career | |||
| 1996–1999 | Sweden U21 | 27 | (4) |
| 2000–2012 | Sweden | 117 | (8) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2015–2017 | IF Brommapojkarna | ||
| 2019 | Fremad Amager | ||
| 2019–2020 | Helsingborgs IF | ||
| 2023–2024 | IF Brommapojkarna | ||
| 2025 | St. Louis City SC | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Erik Olof Mellberg (born 3 September 1977) is a Swedish football manager and former player. He played as a defender.
Olof Mellberg spent most of his playing career at Premier League club Aston Villa. He also played for teams in Sweden, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Denmark. These clubs included famous teams like Juventus and Olympiacos.
Mellberg played for the Swedish national team from 2000 to 2012. He played in the World Cup in 2002 and 2006. He also played in the European Championship four times. He was a captain for his country. Mellberg scored eight goals in 117 games for Sweden.
After retiring as a player, Mellberg became a manager. He managed Brommapojkarna in Sweden. He helped them win two league titles in a row. He also managed Helsingborg and St. Louis City SC in the USA.
Contents
Early Life and Sports
Erik Olof Mellberg was born in Gullspång, Sweden, on 3 September 1977. His parents are Erik and Berit. His mother, Berit, was a physical education teacher. She shared her love for sports with Olof.
When he was young, Mellberg loved playing tennis. He even dreamed of playing at Wimbledon. He was very good at tennis. It wasn't until he was 14 that he started to focus more on football.
Club Football Career
Starting His Journey
Mellberg began playing football for his local team, Gullspång. Later, he joined Degerfors in Sweden's top league, the Allsvenskan. After his team was relegated, he moved to AIK. AIK won the league title in 1998.
Next, he signed with the Spanish club Racing de Santander. He played regularly there for three seasons. His time there ended when the team was relegated from La Liga in 2001.
Time at Aston Villa
In July 2001, Mellberg joined Aston Villa in England. He signed a five-year contract. His first game was a 0–0 draw against Tottenham Hotspur. In that game, he showed his strong defending skills.
In September 2002, during a game against Birmingham City, a strange goal happened. Mellberg took a throw-in to his goalkeeper, Peter Enckelman. The ball rolled into the goal. The referee decided it was a goal because the goalkeeper touched it. Birmingham City won the game 3–0.
Mellberg scored his first goal for Villa in October 2002. It was a header in a 1–1 draw against Manchester United. In August 2003, he became the team's captain. Aston Villa finished 6th in the league that season.
In December 2004, Villa lost a derby game to Birmingham City. Mellberg had spoken about disliking the opponents before the match. The opposing manager said Mellberg's words motivated his team. Mellberg's season ended early in April due to a knee injury.
In 2006, Martin O'Neill became the new manager. He gave the captaincy to Gareth Barry. In the first game of the 2006–07 season, Mellberg scored the first goal at the new Emirates Stadium. It was a header in a 1–1 draw against Arsenal.
In January 2008, Mellberg agreed to join Juventus in Italy. He moved for free when his contract ended. His last home game for Aston Villa was called "Olof Mellberg Day." As a thank you, he gave each of the 3,200 Villa fans at his final away game a special shirt.
Playing for Juventus
Mellberg played his first game for Juventus in August 2008. He scored his first goal for them in January 2009 against S.S. Lazio. He scored another goal in March against A.S. Roma. He was a regular player in his only season in Turin. Juventus finished second in Serie A that year.
Success with Olympiacos
On 23 June 2009, Mellberg moved to Olympiacos in Greece. He signed a three-year contract. He helped them win the Super League Greece title in his second season (2010–11). They won the league with three games left to play.
Olympiacos won the league title again in 2011–12. They also won the Greek Football Cup. Mellberg scored the only goal in the semi-final against OFI Crete. He decided not to sign a new contract after that season. He wanted a new challenge.
Short Stays in Spain and Denmark
In August 2012, Mellberg signed a one-year contract with Spanish club Villarreal. He played 29 games for Villarreal and scored two goals. He helped the team finish second in the Segunda División. This meant they were promoted back to La Liga.
On 9 July 2013, Mellberg joined Danish champions Copenhagen. He signed a two-year contract. However, he left after just one season. After leaving Copenhagen, he decided to retire from playing football.
International Career for Sweden
Mellberg played his first game for the Swedish national team in March 2000 against Austria.
Before the 2002 World Cup, Mellberg had a fight with his teammate Freddie Ljungberg during practice. They were quickly separated. In 2003, Mellberg was named the best Swedish player of the year. He won the Guldbollen award.
During a penalty shootout at UEFA Euro 2004, Mellberg's penalty was saved by the Dutch goalkeeper. Sweden lost the shootout. In a 2006 World Cup qualifying match, Mellberg touched the ball with his hand in the penalty area. Croatia scored from the penalty kick and won the game. After the 2006 World Cup, Mellberg stopped being the captain of the national team.
In September 2006, Mellberg and two other players were sent home from the national team. They had broken a team curfew. He returned to play in October. At the 2012 European Championships, Mellberg was involved in two goals against England. Sweden lost that game, but Mellberg was named "Man of the Match." After the tournament, Mellberg decided to stop playing for Sweden.
How He Played
Olof Mellberg usually played as a central defender or right-back. Sometimes, he also played in midfield. People described him as "big, strong, and excellent in the air." He was known for putting pressure on attackers. He was also very good at winning challenges for the ball.
Mellberg was a solid and reliable defender. He was known for his strong tackles. Even though he wasn't very fast, he was strong and had great positioning. He was also good at heading the ball, which made him a threat when his team took free kicks or corners.
Managerial Career
Mellberg became the manager of Swedish club Brommapojkarna in November 2015. The team had just been relegated to the third division.
In his first season, Brommapojkarna won the Division 1 title. The next year, in October 2017, they won promotion again. This meant they returned to the top league, the Allsvenskan. After this success, Mellberg chose not to continue as manager.
On 1 July 2019, Mellberg became the new manager of Fremad Amager in Denmark. After only two months, he left to manage Helsingborgs IF in Sweden's top league. He resigned in December 2020 after the club was relegated.
Mellberg returned to Brommapojkarna in January 2023. In his first season back, the club finished in a relegation play-off spot. They won the play-off to stay in the league.
On 26 November 2024, Mellberg was announced as the new head coach of Major League Soccer club St. Louis City SC in the USA. He was fired on 28 May 2025. His team had won only two games and lost eight out of 15 matches. They were near the bottom of their league.
Personal Life
Olof Mellberg's mother said that he wanted to become a lawyer when he was younger. But then, a career in professional football became possible. She also mentioned that he planned to go to university after he retired from football. His brother is a scientist.
Mellberg's son, John, was born in 2006. He also became a professional football defender.
Honours
Player
AIK
- Allsvenskan: 1998
Aston Villa
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2001
Olympiacos
- Super League Greece: 2010–11, 2011–12
- Greek Cup: 2011–12
Copenhagen
- Danish Cup runner-up: 2013–14
Individual Awards
- Guldbollen (Best Swedish Player): 2003
- UEFA Euro All-Star Team: 2004
- Swedish Defender of the Year: 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Manager
Brommapojkarna
- Superettan: 2017
- Division 1 Norra: 2016
Images for kids
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Mellberg playing for Sweden at UEFA Euro 2012
See also
In Spanish: Olof Mellberg para niños
