View source for Lars Olsen

{{Short description|Danish footballer (born 1961)}}
{{other people}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
 | name          = Lars Olsen
 | image         = FIFA WC-qualification 2014 - Austria vs Faroe Islands 2013-03-22 (30).jpg
 | caption       = Olsen in 2013
 | fullname      = Lars Christian Olsen<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tff.org/Default.aspx?pageId=30&kisiID=23894 |title=Lars Christian Olsen |publisher=Turkish Football Federation |access-date=4 October 2019 |language=tr}}</ref>
 | birth_date    = {{birth date and age|1961|2|2|df=y}}
 | birth_place   = [[Glostrup]], Denmark
 | height        = 1.82 m
 | position      = [[Centre back]]
 | currentclub   = 
 | youthyears1   = 1980–1981 | youthclubs1 = [[Glostrup FK|Glostrup]]
 | years1 = 1981–1985 | clubs1 = [[Køge BK|Køge]] | caps1 = 105 | goals1 = 11
 | years2 = 1985–1991 | clubs2 = [[Brøndby IF|Brøndby]] | caps2 = 178 | goals2 = 13
 | years3 = 1991–1992 | clubs3 = [[Trabzonspor]] | caps3 = 30 | goals3 = 0
 | years4 = 1992–1994 | clubs4 = [[R.F.C. Seraing (1904)|Seraing]] | caps4 = 62 | goals4 = 0
 | years5 = 1994–1996 | clubs5 = [[FC Basel|Basel]] | caps5 = 40 | goals5 = 1
 | years6 = 1996      | clubs6 = [[Brøndby IF|Brøndby]] | caps6 = 20 | goals6 = 1
 | totalcaps = 435
 | totalgoals = 26 
 | nationalyears1 = 1977 | nationalteam1 = [[Denmark national under-17 football team|Denmark U17]] | nationalcaps1 = 3 | nationalgoals1 = 0
 | nationalyears2 = 1978 | nationalteam2 = [[Denmark national under-19 football team|Denmark U19]] | nationalcaps2 = 3 | nationalgoals2 = 0
 | nationalyears3 = 1981–1986 | nationalteam3 = [[Denmark national under-21 football team|Denmark U21]] | nationalcaps3 = 10 | nationalgoals3 = 1
 | nationalyears4 = 1986–1996 | nationalteam4 = [[Denmark national football team|Denmark]] | nationalcaps4  = 84 | nationalgoals4   = 4
 | manageryears1 = 1997–2002 | managerclubs1 = [[Brøndby IF|Brøndby]] (various)
 | manageryears2 = 2003–2007 | managerclubs2 = [[Randers FC|Randers]]
 | manageryears3 = 2007–2010 | managerclubs3 = [[Odense Boldklub|OB]]
 | manageryears4 = 2011–2019 | managerclubs4 = [[Faroe Islands national football team|Faroe Islands]]
 | manageryears5 = 2019–2020 | managerclubs5 = [[Esbjerg fB|Esbjerg]]
| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Men's [[Association football|football]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{fb|DEN}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[UEFA European Championship]]}}
{{medal|W|[[UEFA Euro 1992|1992 Sweden]]|}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[1993 Artemio Franchi Cup|1993 Argentina]]|}}
}}
'''Lars Christian Olsen''' (born 2 February 1961) is a Danish former [[Association football|footballer]] and current manager, who was most recently the manager of [[Esbjerg fB]] in the [[Danish Superliga]]. He started his coaching career with [[Randers FC|Randers]] in 2003, guiding them to promotion for the [[Danish Superliga]]. He led the team to the 2006 [[Danish Cup]] trophy, and Olsen was named 2006 Danish Manager of the Year. He then coached [[Odense Boldklub|Odense BK]] from 2007 to 2010.

In his active career, Olsen played in the [[Defender (association football)#Centre-back|central defense]] position. He won six [[Danish football champions|Danish championships]] with [[Brøndby IF]] and the 1992 [[Turkish Cup]] with [[Trabzonspor]]. Olsen played 84 matches and scored four goals for the [[Denmark national football team|Denmark national team]] from 1986 to 1996, and was named 1988 [[Danish Player of the Year|Danish ''Player of the Year'']]. He was [[Captain (association football)|team captain]] of the Danish national team in a record 69 matches, and captained the Denmark team that won the [[UEFA Euro 1992|1992 European Championship]].

==Club career==
Born in [[Glostrup]], Olsen started his career at local Danish 3rd Division team [[Glostrup FK|Glostrup IF 32]] in 1980. He was selected for various national youth teams, and moved to top-flight [[Danish 1st Division]] team [[Køge BK]] before the 1981 season. He stayed four years at the club, playing 105 games and scoring 11 goals for Køge in the 1st Division. Before the [[1985 Danish 1st Division|1985 season]], he moved to league rivals [[Brøndby IF]]. In his first year at the club, he helped secure Brøndby's first Danish championship.

He won both the 1987 and 1988 Danish championships, and following several games as captain of the national team he received the 1988 [[Danish Player of the Year|Danish ''Player of the Year'']] award.<ref>[http://www.dbu.dk/page.aspx?id=317 Årets Spiller] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926221338/http://www.dbu.dk/page.aspx?id=317 |date=26 September 2007 }} at DBU.dk</ref> Having won the 1989 [[Danish Cup]] trophy as well as a further two Danish championships, he left Brøndby in 1991. Olsen moved abroad to play for [[Trabzonspor]] in Turkey, with whom he won the 1992 [[Turkish Cup]]. He moved on to Belgian club [[R.F.C. Seraing (1904)|R.F.C. Seraing]] in the summer of 1992.

Olsen joined [[FC Basel|Basel]]'s first team for their [[1994–95 FC Basel season|1994–95 season]] under head coach [[Claude Andrey]]. After playing in six test games, Olsen played his domestic league debut for his new club in the home game in the [[St. Jakob Stadium]] on 27 July 1994 as Basel were defeated 1–0 by [[FC Lugano|Lugano]].<ref name="fcb-achiv-1994/95-FCB-Lugano">{{cite web | first = | last = Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” | authorlink = | date = 27 July 1994 | url = https://www.fcb-archiv.ch/saison/spiele?command=detail&id=21612 | title = FC Basel - FC Lugano 0:1 (0:0) | format = | work = | publisher = Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” | accessdate = 2021-11-16}}</ref> He scored his first goal for the club on 20 November in the away game in the [[Stadion Allmend]] against [[FC Luzern|Luzern]] as Basel won 1–0.<ref name="fcb-achiv-1994/95-FCL-FCB">{{cite web | first = | last = Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” | authorlink = | date = 20 November 1994 | url = https://www.fcb-archiv.ch/saison/spiele?command=detail&id=21631 | title = FC Luzern - FC Basel 0:1 (0:0) | format = | work = | publisher = Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” | accessdate = 2021-11-16}}</ref> During the winter break of the following season Olsen left the club. During his one and a half seasons with Basel, Olsen played a total of 54 games for them scoring just that one goal. 40 of these games were in the [[Swiss Super League|Nationalliga A]], 2 in the [[Swiss Cup]], 1 was in the [[1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup]] and 11 were friendly games.<ref name="fcb-achiv-Lars Olsen">{{cite web | first = | last = Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” | authorlink = | year = 1997 | url = https://www.fcb-archiv.ch/spieler?command=detail&id=1331 | title = Lars Olsen - FCB statistic | format = | work = | publisher = Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv” | accessdate = 2021-11-16}}</ref>

Olsen moved back to Brøndby in 1996, where he finished his career winning the 1996 Danish championship, now called the [[Danish Superliga]]. He played his last Brøndby game in November 1996.<ref name="df">[http://www.danskfodbold.com/spiller.php?ligaid=2001&spillerid=9097 Lars Christian Olsen] at DanskFodbold.com</ref>

==International career==
Olsen was called up by [[Denmark national football team|Denmark national team]] head coach [[Sepp Piontek]] in April 1986, and made his national team debut in the 3–0 defeat to [[Bulgaria national football team|Bulgaria]].<ref name="allehold">[http://www.dbu.dk/landshold/landsholdsdatabasen/PlayerInfo/2352&allmatch=1#match Lars Olsen – Alle hold (Alle kampe)] at DBU.dk</ref> He played his second national team game in May 1987, and went on to become a constant player in the starting line-up.<ref name="allehold"/>

He was selected to represent Denmark at the [[UEFA Euro 1988|1988 European Championship]],<ref name="slurundetrupper">[http://www.dbu.dk/page.aspx?id=435 Slutrundetrupper 1908–2004] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120809060627/http://www.dbu.dk/page.aspx?id=435 |date=9 August 2012 }} at DBU.dk</ref> where he started the tournament on the bench as [[Morten Olsen]] was selected team captain and defensive organizer. Lars Olsen came on as a substitute in Denmark's first game, and went on to play the remaining two games, though Denmark were eliminated from the tournament.<ref name="allehold"/>

In June 1992, he captained the national team of manager [[Richard Møller Nielsen]] in Denmark's first trophy win at the [[UEFA Euro 1992|1992 European Championship]].<ref name="allehold"/> While at Basel, he lost his place in the Danish national team in November 1994.<ref name="allehold"/> He re-entered the Danish national team in April 1996 and Olsen was chosen to help Denmark defend the trophy at the [[UEFA Euro 1996|1996 European Championship]].<ref name="slurundetrupper"/> He did not play any games at the tournament,<ref name="allehold"/> and he ended his international career in 1996.

==Managerial career==
Following his retirement from his active career, Olsen managed various teams at Brøndby. He coached the reserve team, he was assistant manager of the first team, and he was youth team manager.<ref name="showstars">{{in lang|da}} [http://www.showstars.dk/query:invoke/method:display/folderid:3034/lang:da/ ShowStars profile] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060526211218/http://www.showstars.dk/query:invoke/method:display/folderid:3034/lang:da/ |date=26 May 2006 }}</ref>

In January 2003, Olsen was signed as manager of [[Randers FC|Randers]] in the [[Danish 1st Division]],<ref name="showstars"/> the second best league in Danish football. He managed the team into [[Promotion and relegation|promotion]] for the [[2004–05 Danish Superliga|2004–05 Superliga season]], but the team was [[Promotion and relegation|relegated]] after only one year in the Danish top-flight football. He stayed at the club and managed Randers to the 2006 [[Danish Cup]] victory, while the club secured promotion for the [[2006–07 Danish Superliga|2006–07 Superliga season]]. He was named 2006 Danish Manager of the Year.<ref name="træner2009">[http://www.dbu.dk/page.aspx?id=7459 Årets Træner 2009]{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} at DBU.dk</ref>

In January 2007, Olsen announced he was moving to become manager of league rivals [[Odense Boldklub|Odense BK]] (OB), effective from July 2007.<ref>Morten Wamsler, [http://ob.dk/default.asp?NewsID=13939 Lars Olsen bliver ny træner i OB] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071222104057/http://ob.dk/default.asp?NewsID=13939 |date=22 December 2007 }}, OB.dk, 24 January 2007.</ref> He managed OB into second place of the [[2008–09 Danish Superliga|2008–09 Superliga season]], and was nominated for the 2009 Danish Manager of the Year award.<ref name="træner2009"/> In September 2010 he and OB sports director [[Kim Brink]] were fired due to lacking results.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tipsbladet.dk/nyhed/superliga/fyret-lars-olsen-jeg-har-skabt-resultater|title = Fyret Lars Olsen: Jeg har skabt resultater}}</ref>

In November 2011, Olsen moved into international football management by taking over the [[Faroe Islands national football team|Faroe Islands]] becoming the third Dane to do so after [[Allan Simonsen]] and [[Henrik Larsen]]. During his tenure he has led the small nation to a number of notable victories. His first victory was against [[Gibraltar national football team|Gibraltar]] in a friendly match before two [[UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying]] wins against [[Greece national football team|Greece]].

On 28 October 2019, Olsen was named new manager of [[Danish Superliga]] side [[Esbjerg fB]]. It was announced that he would remain manager of the Faroe Islands until the end of the [[UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying]] in November 2019. Following a poor stint that saw Esbjerg placed in the relegation round, Olsen was sacked on 9 June 2020.<ref name="esbjerg2">[https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/esbjerg-og-lars-olsen-stopper-samarbejdet/ Esbjerg og Lars Olsen stopper samarbejdet] at bold.dk</ref>

==Personal life==
His son, [[Ricki Olsen]], is a professional footballer.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lars Olsens søn skifter til Randers |trans-title=Lars Olsen's son switches to Randers |first=Jens Gjesse |last=Hansen |work=DR |date=30 June 2008 |access-date=27 March 2019 |url= https://www.dr.dk/sporten/fodbold/superliga/lars-olsens-soen-skifter-til-randers |language=da }}</ref>

==Honours==

===Player===
'''Brøndby IF'''
*[[Danish Superliga|Danish 1st Division / Danish Superliga]] (6): [[1985 Danish 1st Division|1985]], [[1987 Danish 1st Division|1987]], [[1988 Danish 1st Division|1988]], [[1990 Danish 1st Division|1990]], [[1991 Danish Superliga|1991]], [[1995–96 Danish Superliga|1995–96]]
*[[Danish Cup]]: 1988–89

'''Trabzonspor'''
*[[Turkish Cup]]: 1991–92

'''Denmark'''
*[[UEFA European Football Championship]]: [[UEFA Euro 1992|1992]]

'''Individual'''
*[[Danish Football Player of the Year]]: [[Danish Football Player of the Year##Winners|1988]]

===Manager===
'''Randers'''
*[[Danish Cup]]: [[2005–06 Danish Cup|2005–06]]

==Managerial statistics==
{{updated|match played 18 November 2019}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
!rowspan="2"|Team
!rowspan="2"|From
!rowspan="2"|To
!colspan="6"|Record
|-
!G!!W!!D!!L!!Win %
|-
|align=left|[[Faroe Islands national football team|Faroe Islands]]
|align=left|2011
|align=left|2019
{{WDL|57|9|7|41}}
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{DBU player|2352}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070929083832/http://www.brondby.com/player.asp?sid=63&id=33 Brøndby IF partial statistics] {{in lang|da}}

{{Navboxes
|bg=gold
|fg=navy
|title= Awards
|list1=
{{Brøndby IF Player of the Year}}
{{UEFA Euro Winning Captain}}
{{Danish Football Hall of Fame}}
{{Danish Football Player of the Year}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title= Denmark squads
|bg= #e11b22
|fg= white
|list1=
{{Denmark Squad 1988 European Championship}}
{{Denmark Squad 1992 European Championship}}
{{Denmark Squad 1996 European Championship}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title= Managerial positions
|list1=
{{Randers FC managers}}
{{OB managers}}
{{Faroe Islands national football team managers}}
{{Esbjerg fB managers}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Olsen, Lars}}
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Glostrup Municipality]]
[[Category:Danish men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]
[[Category:Denmark men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Denmark men's under-21 international footballers]]
[[Category:Danish football managers]]
[[Category:Danish Superliga players]]
[[Category:Køge Boldklub players]]
[[Category:Brøndby IF players]]
[[Category:FC Basel players]]
[[Category:R.F.C. Seraing (1904) players]]
[[Category:Trabzonspor footballers]]
[[Category:Süper Lig players]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 1988 players]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 1992 players]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 1996 players]]
[[Category:UEFA European Championship–winning players]]
[[Category:Randers FC managers]]
[[Category:Odense Boldklub managers]]
[[Category:Faroe Islands national football team managers]]
[[Category:Danish Superliga managers]]
[[Category:Esbjerg fB managers]]
[[Category:Brøndby IF non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Danish expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Danish expatriate football managers]]
[[Category:Danish expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Danish expatriate sportspeople in Turkey]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in the Faroe Islands]]
[[Category:Denmark men's youth international footballers]]
[[Category:Footballers from the Capital Region of Denmark]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium]]
[[Category:20th-century Danish sportsmen]]