Olof Mellberg facts for kids
Mellberg with F.C. Copenhagen in 2013
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 3 September 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Gullspång, Sweden | ||
| Height | 1.89 m | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | St. Louis City SC (head coach) | ||
| 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) | |
| National team | |||
| 1996–1999 | Sweden U21 | 27 | (4) |
| 2000–2012 | Sweden | 117 | (8) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2015–2017 | IF Brommapojkarna | ||
| 2019 | Fremad Amager | ||
| 2019–2020 | Helsingborgs IF | ||
| 2023–2024 | IF Brommapojkarna | ||
| 2024– | St. Louis City SC | ||
|
|||
Olof Mellberg is a famous Swedish football player and manager. He was born on September 3, 1977. Mellberg played as a defender for many top clubs. These included Aston Villa, Juventus, and Olympiacos.
He also played for the Swedish national team for many years. Mellberg was even a captain for Sweden. He played in two World Cups and four European Championships. After his playing career, he became a football manager. He is currently the head coach for St. Louis City.
Contents
Early Life and Football Dreams
Olof Mellberg was born in Gullspång, Sweden. His mother, Berit, was a physical education teacher. She shared her love for sports with Olof. When he was young, Olof loved playing tennis. He even dreamed of playing at Wimbledon.
It wasn't until Olof was 14 years old that he started focusing on football. Before that, tennis was his main sport.
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in Sweden and Spain
Mellberg began his football journey with his local team, Gullspång. Soon, he joined Degerfors, a team in Sweden's top league. After Degerfors was relegated, he moved to AIK. He quickly made a big impact there. AIK won the Swedish championship in 1998.
After only ten months, Mellberg moved to Spain. He joined Racing Santander. It was tough at first to get used to Spanish football. But he soon became a key player. Big Spanish clubs like Barcelona and Valencia were interested in him.
Time at Aston Villa
In July 2001, Aston Villa in England signed Mellberg. He quickly became a very important player for the team. He was even made captain. In his first season, Aston Villa finished 6th in the Premier League. They also reached the semi-finals of the League Cup.
Mellberg was a strong defender. He was known for his tough play. In 2006, he scored the first goal ever at Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium. This was a big moment for him.
In 2008, Mellberg decided to leave Aston Villa. For his last home game, fans celebrated "Olof Mellberg Day." As a thank you, he gave every Aston Villa fan at his final away game a special shirt. It had his name and number, and said "Thanks 4 Your Support." Aston Villa fans still remember him as one of their best players.
Playing for Juventus and Olympiacos
In January 2008, Mellberg signed with Italian giants Juventus. He joined them for the 2008–09 season. He scored his first goal for Juventus in January 2009.
After one season in Italy, Mellberg moved to Greece. He signed a three-year contract with Olympiacos in June 2009. He was a constant presence in their defense. He helped Olympiacos win the Greek Super League title twice. He also won the Greek Cup once.
Later Career and Retirement
In 2012, Mellberg joined Villarreal in Spain. He helped them get promoted back to La Liga, Spain's top league. He played 29 games and scored two goals for them.
In 2013, he signed with Copenhagen in Denmark. He played there for one season. Olof Mellberg officially retired from playing football in the summer of 2014.
International Career for Sweden
Mellberg played his first game for the Swedish national team in March 2000. He played 117 games for Sweden in total. He scored 8 goals for his country.
He played in many big tournaments. These included the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. He also played in the European Championships in 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012.
During a practice before the 2002 World Cup, Mellberg had a small argument with teammate Freddie Ljungberg. They were quickly separated. In 2003, Mellberg was named the best Swedish player of the year. He won the Guldbollen award.
At Euro 2004, Mellberg missed a penalty kick in a shootout against the Netherlands. Sweden lost the game. In 2006, he gave up his captaincy of the national team. After the 2012 European Championships, Mellberg decided to stop playing for Sweden.
How Olof Mellberg Played
Olof Mellberg was mainly a central defender. He could also play as a right-back. Sometimes, he even played in midfield. People described him as "big, strong, and exceptional in the air."
He was known for pressuring attackers well. He rarely lost a challenge for the ball. Mellberg was not super fast, but he was very strong. He had excellent positional sense, meaning he was always in the right place. He was also good at heading the ball. This made him a threat to score goals from set-pieces.
Managerial Career
After retiring as a player, Mellberg became a football manager.
Brommapojkarna
In November 2015, Mellberg became the manager of Brommapojkarna in Sweden. The team had just been relegated to the third division. In his first season, Brommapojkarna won the Division 1 title. The next year, they won another promotion. This meant they returned to the top Swedish league, Allsvenskan. After this success, Mellberg left the club.
Other Coaching Roles
Mellberg then had short spells managing Fremad Amager in Denmark and Helsingborg in Sweden. He returned to Brommapojkarna in 2023.
St. Louis City SC
In November 2024, Olof Mellberg was announced as the new head coach for Major League Soccer club St. Louis City in the United States.
Personal Life
Olof Mellberg is married to Carolina Kihl. They have two children together. Their daughter, Saga, was born in 2002. Their son, John, was born in 2006. Olof and Carolina got married in Sweden in July 2013.
Mellberg's mother has said that he might go to university in the future.
Honours and Awards
As a Player
- AIK
- Allsvenskan: 1998
- Aston Villa
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2001
- Olympiacos
- Super League Greece: 2010–11, 2011–12
- Greek Cup: 2011–12
- Individual Awards
- Guldbollen (Best Swedish Player): 2003
- UEFA Euro All-Star Team: 2004
- Swedish Defender of the Year: 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
As a Manager
- Brommapojkarna
- Superettan: 2017
- Division 1 Norra: 2016
Images for kids
-
Mellberg with F.C. Copenhagen in 2013
-
Playing for Aston Villa F.C.
-
From right to left: Mellberg, Tiago Mendes and Giorgio Chiellini celebrate for Juventus in 2009
-
Mellberg playing for Sweden at UEFA Euro 2012
See also
In Spanish: Olof Mellberg para niños
- List of footballers with 100 or more international games
