Preben Elkjær facts for kids
Elkjær in 2011 in Viborg
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Preben Elkjær Larsen | ||
| Date of birth | 11 September 1957 | ||
| Place of birth | Copenhagen, Denmark | ||
| Height | 1.82 m | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1963–1973 | Frederiksberg BK | ||
| 1973–1974 | KB | ||
| 1974–1975 | Frederiksberg BK | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1976 | Vanløse | 15 | (7) |
| 1977–1978 | 1. FC Köln | 9 | (1) |
| 1978–1984 | Lokeren | 190 | (98) |
| 1984–1988 | Hellas Verona | 91 | (32) |
| 1988–1990 | Vejle | 39 | (12) |
| Total | 333 | (143) | |
| National team | |||
| 1975–1976 | Denmark U19 | 11 | (6) |
| 1976–1979 | Denmark U21 | 9 | (9) |
| 1977–1988 | Denmark | 69 | (38) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1995–1996 | Silkeborg | ||
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Preben Elkjær Larsen, born on September 11, 1957, is a famous Danish former football player. He was a powerful striker, known for scoring many goals.
He played for Hellas Verona in Italy. He helped them win their only major title, the Serie A championship in 1985. Elkjær also scored 38 goals for the Denmark national team over 11 years. He was a key player for Denmark during the Euro 1984 and the 1986 World Cup. This time is often called the "golden generation" of Danish football. Elkjær won the Bronze Ball award at the 1986 World Cup, meaning he was the third best player.
Many people think Elkjær was one of the best forwards of the 1980s. He finished second in the Ballon d'Or awards in 1985 and third in 1984. In Verona, Italy, fans still remember him as "Il sindaco," which means "the mayor." This shows how much they loved him! He is also one of the most popular sports stars in his home country, Denmark.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Playing in Germany and Belgium
Preben Elkjær's football journey began in Copenhagen with Vanløse IF in 1976. He played there for one season, scoring seven goals in 15 games. After that, he moved to Germany to join 1. FC Köln, which was a top club in Europe.
With 1. FC Köln, he won the German Cup in 1978. However, he did not get along well with the coach or the strict team environment. He left the club soon after.
In February 1978, Elkjær moved to K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen in Belgium. He stayed there for six years, which was his longest time at any club. During his time in Belgium, he earned two nicknames: "Chefen fra Lokeren" (The Boss from Lokeren) and "Den Gale Mand fra Lokeren" (The Crazy Man from Lokeren). He scored over 100 goals in official matches for Lokeren.
Becoming a Star in Verona
In the summer of 1984, at 27 years old, Elkjær joined Hellas Verona F.C. in Italy. In his very first season, 1984–85, he played a huge part in helping the team win the Serie A title. This was the first time in Hellas Verona's history that they won the "scudetto," which is the Italian league championship.
One famous moment was when he scored a goal against Juventus. He lost his right boot during a run, but he kept going with the ball and shot it into the net with his bare right foot! That season, Elkjær was the most expensive player Hellas Verona had ever bought.
Elkjær was recognized as one of the best players in Europe. He finished third in the European Footballer of the Year awards in 1984 and second in 1985. Both times, he was beaten by Michel Platini. During his four years at Verona, he scored a total of 48 goals in official matches.
Returning to Denmark and Retiring
In 1988, Elkjær returned to Danish football to play for Vejle BK. He was the biggest football star in Denmark at the time, and his return brought many fans to the club's games.
However, Elkjær was 31 years old and suffered several injuries while playing for Vejle. It was hard for him to meet the high expectations of the fans. He played only 26 matches in total before he retired from playing football two years later.
International Career for Denmark
Youth and Senior Team Debuts
Preben Elkjær started playing for the Danish national youth teams. He made his debut for the Danish under-19 team in October 1975. He played 11 games and scored six goals for the under-19 team.
In June 1976, Elkjær made his debut for the under-21 team. He scored nine goals in nine games. This included three goals in the quarter-finals of the 1978 European Under-21 Championship.
On June 22, 1977, when he was 19 years old, Elkjær played his first game for the senior national team. He scored both goals in a 2–1 win against Finland.
Euro 1984 and World Cup 1986
Elkjær played a very important role in UEFA Euro 1984. He scored two goals in four games, which helped him get his move to Italian football. Denmark played exciting attacking football in this tournament. They reached the semi-finals but lost to Spain in a penalty shootout. Elkjær missed Denmark's last penalty kick, sending the ball over the goal.
Elkjær also represented Denmark at the 1986 FIFA World Cup. This was the first time Denmark had ever qualified for the World Cup. Denmark won their group but were again knocked out by Spain. During the tournament, Elkjær scored four goals, including three goals (a hat-trick) against Uruguay. He was known as a very strong and energetic striker in the tournament. He won the Bronze Ball award as the third best player.
Final International Games
Euro 1988 was Elkjær's last tournament for Denmark. On June 14, 1988, he played his final game for his country. Denmark lost 2–0 to West Germany and finished the group stage with three defeats. In total, Preben Elkjær played 69 international games and scored 38 goals for Denmark.
- Scores and results list Denmark's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Elkjær goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 June 1977 | Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland |  Finland |
1-0 | 2-1 | 1972–77 Nordic Football Championship | |
| 2 | 2-0 | ||||||
| 3 | 31 May 1978 | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway |  Norway |
2-1 | 2-1 | 1978–80 Nordic Football Championship | |
| 4 | 6 June 1979 | Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Northern Ireland |
1-0 | 4-0 | UEFA Euro 1980 qualification | |
| 5 | 2-0 | ||||||
| 6 | 4-0 | ||||||
| 7 | 26 September 1979 | Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark | Finland |
1-0 | 1-0 | 1978–80 Nordic Football Championship | |
| 8 | 14 November 1979 | Estadio Ramón de Carranza, Cádiz, Spain |  Spain |
1-0 | 3-1 | Friendly | |
| 9 | 3-1 | ||||||
| 10 | 4 June 1980 | Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark | Norway |
3-1 | 3-1 | 1978–80 Nordic Football Championship | |
| 11 | 19 November 1980 | Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Luxembourg |
3-0 | 4-0 | 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 12 | 1 May 1981 | Municipal Stadium, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg | Luxembourg |
1-1 | 2-1 | 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 13 | 14 May 1981 | Malmö Stadion, Malmö, Sweden |  Sweden |
2-0 | 2-1 | 1981–85 Nordic Football Championship | |
| 14 | 9 September 1981 | Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Yugoslavia |
1-1 | 1-2 | 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 15 | 23 September 1981 | Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark | Norway |
1-0 | 2-1 | Friendly | |
| 16 | 14 October 1981 | Charilaou Ground, Thessaloniki, Greece |  Greece |
3-1 | 3-2 | 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 17 | 27 May 1982 | Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Belgium |
1-0 | 1-0 | Friendly | |
| 18 | 1 June 1983 | Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Hungary |
1-0 | 3-1 | UEFA Euro 1984 qualification | |
| 19 | 12 October 1983 | Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark | Luxembourg |
3-0 | 6-0 | UEFA Euro 1984 qualification | |
| 20 | 4-0 | ||||||
| 21 | 16 November 1983 | Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece | Greece |
1-0 | 2-0 | UEFA Euro 1984 qualification | |
| 22 | 6 June 1984 | Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden | Sweden |
1-0 | 1-0 | Friendly | |
| 23 | 16 June 1984 | Stade de Gerland, Lyon, France | Yugoslavia |
4-0 | 5-0 | UEFA Euro 1984 | |
| 24 | 19 June 1984 | Stade de la Meinau, Strasbourg, France | Belgium |
3-2 | 3-2 | UEFA Euro 1984 | |
| 25 | 26 September 1984 | Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark | Norway |
1-0 | 1-0 | 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 26 | 14 November 1984 | Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Republic of Ireland |
1-0 | 3-0 | 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 27 | 2-0 | ||||||
| 28 | 5 June 1985 | Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Soviet Union |
1-0 | 4-2 | 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 29 | 2-0 | ||||||
| 30 | 16 October 1975 | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway | Norway |
3-1 | 5-1 | 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 31 | 13 November 1985 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland | Republic of Ireland |
1-1 | 4-1 | 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 32 | 4-1 | ||||||
| 33 | 16 May 1986 | Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Poland |
1-0 | 1-0 | Friendly | |
| 34 | 4 June 1986 | Estadio Neza 86, Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico |  Scotland |
1-0 | 1-0 | 1986 FIFA World Cup | |
| 35 | 8 June 1986 | Estadio Neza 86, Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico |  Uruguay |
1-0 | 6-1 | 1986 FIFA World Cup | |
| 36 | 4-1 | ||||||
| 37 | 5-1 | ||||||
| 38 | 14 October 1987 | Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Wales |
1-0 | 1-0 | UEFA Euro 1988 qualification |
Playing Style
Preben Elkjær is considered one of Denmark's greatest forwards of all time. He was known for his strong determination and never giving up on a ball, which often led to goals.
His playing style was unique, combining physical strength with great dribbling skills. He was described as "powerful and dynamic." When Elkjær started running with the ball, he was very hard to stop. This was one of his special moves. He was also very aggressive on the field. When he received the ball with his back to the goal, he would quickly turn and try to score.
Elkjær's aggressive style worked very well with the calm and smart play of the younger Michael Laudrup. They played together on the national team and were called the "most effective" attacking duo at the 1986 World Cup.
At Hellas Verona, Elkjær had a lot of freedom on the field. His coach, Osvaldo Bagnoli, mostly expected him to score goals, but otherwise let him play as he wished.
Life After Playing Football
After retiring as a player, Elkjær became the head coach of Silkeborg IF in Denmark in 1995.
In December 1996, he left Silkeborg to lead a new TV sports channel called TVS. This channel was a partnership between Danish TV stations, the Danish Football Association, and a telecommunications company. However, the channel was not successful and closed down within a year.
Today, Preben Elkjær works as a football expert for Danish TV3+. He often appears on shows about the UEFA Champions League with Michael Laudrup. In October 2019, he had an operation in Belgium to remove a gallstone.
Achievements and Awards
As a Player
1. FC Köln
- Bundesliga: 1977–78
- DFB-Pokal: 1976–77, 1977–78
Verona F.C.
- Serie A: 1984–85
As a Manager
Silkeborg
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1996
Individual Awards
- Danish Player of the Year: 1984
- Ballon d'Or: runner-up 1985, third place 1984
- Onze de Bronze: 1984
- Onze d'Argent: 1985
- FIFA World Cup Bronze Ball: 1986
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1986
- Danish Football Hall of Fame
- World Soccer The Greatest Players of the 20th century: The 100 Greatest Footballers of All Time
See also
In Spanish: Preben Elkjær Larsen para niños
