Patrik Andersson facts for kids
Andersson at the Swedish Sports Awards in 2013
|
|||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Patrik Jonas Andersson | ||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 18 August 1971 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Bjärred, Sweden | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m | ||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defender | ||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||
| –1988 | Bjärreds IF | ||||||||||||
| 1988–1989 | Malmö FF | ||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||
| 1989–1992 | Malmö FF | 90 | (11) | ||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | Blackburn Rovers | 12 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 1993–1999 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 174 | (10) | ||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Bayern Munich | 35 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 2001–2004 | Barcelona | 19 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Malmö FF | 19 | (1) | ||||||||||
| Total | 349 | (23) | |||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||
| 1987–88 | Sweden U17 | 23 | (7) | ||||||||||
| 1989–91 | Sweden U19 | 9 | (6) | ||||||||||
| 1990–92 | Sweden U21 | 16 | (3) | ||||||||||
| 1992 | Sweden Olympic | 4 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 1992–2002 | Sweden | 96 | (3) | ||||||||||
|
Honours
|
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Patrik Jonas Andersson (born 18 August 1971) is a Swedish former professional footballer. He played as a strong defender for many famous clubs in Europe. Patrik also played a big role for the Swedish national team. He helped them win a bronze medal at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Patrik was even named Sweden's best footballer twice, in 1995 and 2001!
Contents
Patrik Andersson's Football Journey
Starting in Sweden
Patrik Andersson was born in Bjärred, Sweden. He began his football journey with a local club called Bjärreds IF. In 1988, he joined Malmö FF, a bigger club in the Allsvenskan league. He played there for several years, showing his talent as a defender.
Playing in England
In December 1992, Patrik moved to England to play for Blackburn Rovers. This was a big step, as he became one of the first foreign players for Blackburn. He played 12 games in the Premier League during his time there. He even scored a goal in a League Cup semi-final match.
Success in Germany
Patrik then moved to Germany in October 1993 to play for Borussia Mönchengladbach. He quickly became an important player for the team. In 1995, he helped them win the DFB-Pokal, which is Germany's main knockout cup competition. He stayed with the club until 1999.
Winning Big with Bayern Munich
In June 1999, Patrik joined one of Europe's biggest clubs, Bayern Munich. This was a very successful time for him. He helped Bayern win two Bundesliga championships. In the 2000–01 season, he scored the winning goal in the very last minute against Hamburger SV. This goal secured the league title for Bayern! He also won the DFB-Pokal with them.
The biggest win came in the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League. Patrik helped Bayern Munich win this important European trophy. Even though he missed his penalty in the final shootout, his team still won!
Time in Spain
After his success in Germany, Patrik moved to Spain in 2001. He joined the famous La Liga club Barcelona. Unfortunately, he had many injuries during his three seasons there. Because of these injuries, he only played 19 league matches for Barcelona.
Back to Sweden and Retirement
In 2004, Patrik returned to his home club, Malmö FF. He became the team captain that year. He led Malmö to win their first Swedish league title in 15 years, which was a huge achievement! Sadly, he suffered another knee injury in August 2005. This injury led him to announce his retirement from professional football shortly after.
International Career Highlights
Patrik Andersson played for the Swedish national team 96 times, scoring three goals. He was a key player for Sweden for many years.
World Cup and Euro Appearances
He won a bronze medal at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which was a fantastic achievement for Sweden. Patrik also played in the team that reached the semi-finals at UEFA Euro 1992. He was part of the Swedish squad at UEFA Euro 2000 and the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He also played for Sweden at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.
At Euro 2000, he received a red card for a strong tackle. Sadly, at the 2002 World Cup, Patrik got injured just before Sweden's first match. This meant he couldn't play in the tournament.
Patrik Andersson's International Goals
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 August 1994 | Eyravallen, Örebro, Sweden |  Lithuania |
3–0 | 4–2 | Friendly |
| 2 | 1 June 1996 | Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden |  Belarus |
4–1 | 5–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
| 3 | 1 September 2001 | Gradski Stadion, Skopje, North Macedonia |  Macedonia |
2–0 | 2–1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
After Playing Football
In August 2010, Patrik Andersson became a scout for Manchester United in Scandinavia. A scout is someone who looks for new talented players. He worked in this role for about a year.
Patrik's Family
Patrik comes from a football family! His father, Roy Andersson, also played over 300 games for Malmö FF. Roy also played for the Swedish national team and was part of the 1978 FIFA World Cup squad. Patrik's brother, Daniel Andersson, is also a former professional footballer and played for Sweden.
Honours and Awards
Patrik Andersson won many awards and trophies during his career:
With Borussia Mönchengladbach
- DFB-Pokal (German Cup): 1994–95
With Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga (German League): 1999–2000, 2000–01
- DFB-Pokal (German Cup): 1999–2000
- DFB-Ligapokal (German League Cup): 1999, 2000
- UEFA Champions League: 2000–01
With Malmö FF
- Allsvenskan (Swedish League): 2004
With Sweden National Team
- FIFA World Cup third place: 1994
Individual Awards
- kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 1994–95, 1996–97
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2001
- Swedish Defender of the Year: 2001
- Guldbollen (Sweden's best footballer): 1995, 2001
