Pär Zetterberg facts for kids

Pär Johan Zetterberg, born on October 14, 1970, is a famous Swedish former football player. He was a midfielder, which means he played in the middle of the field. Pär is most known for his time playing for R.S.C. Anderlecht in Belgium.

He also played for other teams like Falkenbergs FF, Charleroi, and Olympiacos. His football career lasted from 1986 to 2006. Pär also played for the Swedish national team from 1993 to 1999. He played 30 games for his country and scored six goals. In 1997, he won the Guldbollen award, which means he was named Sweden's best football player of the year.

Pär Zetterberg's Football Journey

Early Days and Club Success

Pär Zetterberg started playing football with Falkenbergs FF in 1978. He was very young when he first played for the senior team. At just 15 years old, in 1986, he played his first professional game. After playing seven games for Falkenberg, he joined Anderlecht in Belgium later that same year. He started there as a youth player.

Pär made his first team debut for Anderlecht in 1989. From 1991 to 1993, he played for Charleroi on loan. He then returned to Anderlecht and stayed there until 2000. During this time, he helped Anderlecht win four league titles.

In 2000, Pär moved to Greece to play for Olympiacos. He helped them win three league titles in a row from 2000 to 2003. After that, he went back to Anderlecht in 2003. He helped them win two more league titles before he stopped playing professional football in 2006. Pär played about 300 games for Anderlecht during his two times with the team.

Playing for Sweden

Pär Zetterberg also played for Sweden's national youth teams. He played 11 games for the Under-17 team and one game for the Under-21 team. He scored two goals in these youth games.

He played his first game for the main Swedish national team on May 19, 1993. This was a game to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He scored his first goal for Sweden two weeks later, on June 2, 1993, in another World Cup qualifier. Pär helped Sweden qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, but he could not play in the tournament because of a serious knee injury.

Pär also played in the games to qualify for the UEFA Euro 1996 and the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Even though he scored three goals in the 1998 World Cup qualifiers, Sweden did not make it to either of those tournaments.

In 1999, Pär had a disagreement with the national team coach, Tommy Söderberg. He decided he would not play for Sweden again as long as Söderberg was the coach. His last game for Sweden was a 1–0 win against Luxembourg in 1999. Pär played a total of 30 games for Sweden and scored six goals.

Coaching and Personal Life

After he stopped playing, Pär Zetterberg became an assistant coach for Anderlecht. He worked in this role from 2018 to 2020.

Pär Zetterberg has type 1 diabetes. His son, Erik Zetterberg, is also a professional football player.

Awards and Achievements

Pär Zetterberg won many awards during his career.

With Anderlecht:

• Belgian First Division (League Titles): 1990–91, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1999–00, 2003–04, 2005–06
• Belgian Cup: 1993–94
• Belgian League Cup: 2000
• Belgian Sports Team of the Year: 2000

With Olympiacos:

• Super League Greece (League Titles): 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03

Individual Awards:

• Belgian Golden Shoe (Best Player in Belgium): 1993, 1997
• Belgian Professional Footballer of the Year: 1993, 1997, 1998
• Man of the Season (Belgian First Division): 1996–97
• Swedish Golden Ball (Best Player in Sweden): 1997
• Belgian Fair Play Award: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006
• Platina Eleven (Best Team in 50 Years of Golden Shoe Winners): 2003
• Honorary Citizen of Anderlecht: 2006
• The Best Golden Shoe Team Ever: 2011
• Pro League Hall of Fame: 2024

See also

In Spanish: Pär Zetterberg para niños