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{{short description|Danish footballer and manager}}
{{Infobox football biography
|          name = Ole Fritsen
|               image = Ole Fritsen (1966).jpg
|             caption = Fritsen in 1966
|            fullname = Ole Fritsen
|         birth_date = {{birth date|1941|7|18}}
| birth_place = [[Vejle]], [[Denmark]]
|         death_date = {{death date and age|2008|5|10|1941|7|18}}
|              height = 
|            position = [[Striker (association football)|Striker]]
|         currentclub = 
|          clubnumber = 
| youthyears1 =   
| youthclubs1 =   Brande IF
|  years1 =   1963–1966  
| years2 =   1966–1971  
| years3 =   1971–1975
|  clubs1 =   [[Vejle Boldklub]] 
| clubs2 =   [[FC Groningen|GVAV Groningen]] 
| clubs3 =   [[Vejle Boldklub]]
| caps1 =            182   
| caps2 =   150  
| goals1 =  62  
| goals2 =  36 
| nationalyears1 =   1964–1973
| nationalteam1 =   Denmark
| nationalcaps1 =    6  
| nationalgoals1 =   3 
|  manageryears1 =   1981–1984  
| manageryears2 =   1988–1990  
| manageryears3 =   1994–1999   
| manageryears4 =   2001  
| manageryears5 =   2002–2005
|  managerclubs1 =   [[Vejle Boldklub]]  
| managerclubs2 =   [[Vejle Boldklub]]  
| managerclubs3 =   [[Vejle Boldklub]]  
| managerclubs4 =   [[Randers Freja]]  
| managerclubs5 =   [[FC Fredericia]]
|            pcupdate = 22:16, 13 May 2008 (UTC)
|            ntupdate = May 23, 2008
}}
'''Ole Fritsen''' (18 July 1941 – 10 May 2008) was a Danish footballer and manager

==Playing career==
Ole Fritsen began his footballing career in [[Vejle Boldklub]] in 1963. Fritsen was the first [[Vejle Boldklub]] player to move abroad and become a professional.

In 1966, Fritsen  was sold to Dutch club [[FC Groningen|GVAV Groningen]], where his professional career lasted until 1 July 1971. In total he played 150 matches for Groningens first team and scored 36 goals.

In 1971, Fritsen went back to [[Denmark]] to play for his childhood club Vejle. In his first season after returning, Vejle Boldklub won the [[Danish football champions|Danish Championship]], and in 1972 the club won [[Double (association football)|The Double]].

==Managerial career==
Later on Ole Fritsen became a successful manager in [[Vejle Boldklub]]. He managed the club for three periods: 1981–1983, 1988–1989 and 1994–1999.

In his first season as manager in Vejle Boldklub, Fritsen won the [[Danish Cup]]. After that he built up a team that went on to become [[Danish football champions|Danish Champions]] in 1984. In addition, Fritsen spend many years coaching the Vejle Boldklubs youth teams. Working with youngsters was arguably his greatest talent.

In his last period as manager Fritsen came from a job as youth coach in the club, where he had helped to educate players such as [[Thomas Gravesen]], [[Alex Nørlund]], [[Kaspar Dalgas]] and [[Peter Graulund]]. Ole build up a team around these players, and in only four seasons his team advanced to the [[Danish Superliga]], won silver medals in 1997 and participated in the [[UEFA Cup]] two times.

In the season 1996–1997, Fritsen was named ''Manager of the Year'' in Denmark.

Fritsen's last managerial spell was with [[FC Fredericia]] where he spent two seasons from 2003 to 2005.

==Non-playing career==
Outside the football world Ole Fritsen was a primary school teacher, which would probably explain his flair for working with young players.

==Death==
Ole Fritsen died in May 2008 of a cardiac arrest at just 66 years old. He was active until the end working as a scout for his old club in [[Groningen (city)|Groningen]].

==References==
*[http://www.vejle-boldklub.dk Vejle Boldklub online]

{{Danish Football Manager of the Year}}
{{Vejle BK managers}}
{{FC Fredericia managers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fritsen, Ole}}
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:Danish men's footballers]]
[[Category:Vejle Boldklub players]]
[[Category:FC Groningen players]]
[[Category:Danish football managers]]
[[Category:Vejle Boldklub managers]]
[[Category:FC Fredericia managers]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Vejle Municipality]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Footballers from the Region of Southern Denmark]]
[[Category:20th-century Danish sportsmen]]