Richard Møller Nielsen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Richard Møller

Nielsen in 2010
Personal information
Date of birth	(1937-08-19)19 August 1937
Place of birth	Store Ubberud, Odense, Denmark
Date of death	13 February 2014(2014-02-13) (aged 76)
Place of death	Odense, Denmark
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1955–1962	Odense BK
National team
1959–1961	Denmark	2	(0)
Teams managed
1962–1964	Brobyværk IF
1964–1968	Odense BK
1968–1969	Esbjerg fB
1969–1974	Svendborg fB
1974–1975	B 1909
1975–1985	Odense BK
1978–1989	Denmark U21
1987–1990	Denmark (assistant)
1989	Denmark (futsal)
1990–1996	Denmark
1996–1999	Finland
2000–2002	Israel
2003	Kolding FC
Honours Men's football Representing  Denmark (as manager) UEFA European Championship Winner 1992 FIFA Confederations Cup Winner 1995 CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions Runner-up 1993 Argentina
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Richard Møller Nielsen (born August 19, 1937 – died February 13, 2014) was a famous Danish football player and manager. He is best known for leading the Denmark national football team to an amazing victory in the UEFA Euro 1992 tournament. This was a huge surprise for the football world! In 1995, he received a special gold Medal of Merit for his achievements. Richard was also the father of Tommy Møller Nielsen, who became a football player too.

Richard's Football Journey

Richard Møller Nielsen was mostly known for his work as a football coach. But before that, he played as a defender for Odense BK. He even played twice for the Danish national team. Sadly, an injury ended his playing career early.

After playing, Richard became a coach. He coached several teams, including Esbjerg fB and his old club, Odense BK. He also worked with the Danish national youth team. In 1990, the main coach of the Danish national team, Sepp Piontek, left his job. Richard was considered for the role. The Danish Football Association first looked for a coach from another country. They chose Horst Wohlers, but he couldn't leave his club. So, Richard Møller Nielsen was chosen to be the new coach of the Danish national team.

Becoming European Champions

Richard's first big goal was to help Denmark qualify for the Euro 1992 in Sweden. The team started well with a win against the Faroe Islands. But then they had some tough games, including a loss to Yugoslavia. Some important players, like Michael Laudrup and Brian Laudrup, left the team. Many people and newspapers thought Richard should step down.

Despite all the criticism, the team kept fighting. They won all their remaining games in the group, even beating Yugoslavia away from home. However, it wasn't enough to qualify directly. Denmark finished second in their group, just behind Yugoslavia.

Then, something unexpected happened! UEFA banned Yugoslavia from the championship because of the Yugoslav wars. Since Denmark had finished second in their group, they were chosen to take Yugoslavia's place. The Danish team had very little time to prepare!

The tournament began, and Denmark played to a 0–0 draw against England. They then lost to the host team, Sweden. But a 2–1 win against France helped Denmark get into the semifinals. Their next opponent was the defending European champions, The Netherlands. The game was a thrilling 2–2 draw. Denmark won 5–4 in a penalty shoot-out, which sent them to the final!

In the final, Denmark faced the reigning world champions, Germany. In an incredible match, Denmark won 2–0! This victory was the biggest moment in Richard Møller Nielsen's coaching career. He was even named "World Manager of the Year" by World Soccer magazine.

Winning the Confederations Cup

After the Euro 1992 win, Denmark tried to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. They started with three draws. Then, they won 1–0 against Northern Ireland. On August 25, 1993, star player Michael Laudrup returned to the team, and Denmark won 4–0 against Lithuania. Even with Laudrup back, Denmark couldn't qualify for the World Cup. They lost their last game to Spain.

However, Richard Møller Nielsen led Denmark to another trophy in 1995. They played in the Confederations Cup (then called the King Fahd Cup). In the final, the Danish team beat Argentina 2–0. For this tournament, many of Denmark's top players, like Peter Schmeichel, couldn't play because of their club duties. So, Richard used many players from the Danish league.

Denmark qualified for the Euro 1996 in England. But this time, they couldn't win the title again. The team was knocked out in the group stage. They drew with Portugal, lost to Croatia, and won against Turkey. Richard Møller Nielsen left his position after this championship. He is still remembered as the most successful coach in Danish football history.

Coaching in Finland and Israel

After leaving the Danish team, Richard Møller Nielsen became the coach of the Finland national football team. He almost helped Finland get to a play-off game for the 1998 World Cup. However, Finland did not qualify. They also failed to qualify for the Euro 2000.

In 2000, Richard took over as coach of the Israel national team. But Israel also did not manage to qualify for the 2002 World Cup. This was Richard's last job coaching a national team. He then managed a Danish second division team called Kolding FC before he retired in October 2003.

To honor Richard Møller Nielsen, Odense BK named one of the stands at Odense Stadion the "Richard Møller Nielsen Tribunen." The city of Odense also named a square next to the stadium after their legendary coach.

Richard's Passing

Richard Møller Nielsen passed away on February 13, 2014. He had a brain tumor, and surgery in September 2013 was not successful. He was survived by his wife, three children, and six grandchildren.

Managerial Honours

Richard Møller Nielsen achieved many great things as a coach:

Club Honours

Odense BK

• Danish 1st Division: 1977, 1982
• Danish Cup: 1983

International Honours

Denmark

• UEFA European Championship: 1992
• King Fahd Cup: 1995

Individual Awards

• World Soccer Manager of the Year: 1992