The Most Famous
COACHES from Denmark
Top 9
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Danish Coaches of all time. This list of famous Danish Coaches is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Michael Laudrup (b. 1964)
With an HPI of 64.77, Michael Laudrup is the most famous Danish Coach. His biography has been translated into 66 different languages on wikipedia.
Michael Laudrup (Danish pronunciation: [ˈmiˌkʰɛˀl ˈlɑwˀtʁɔp], born 15 June 1964) is a Danish professional football coach and former player. Renowned for his composure, passing, vision, technical skills, ball control, and dribbling ability, Laudrup is widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time. He is the older brother of fellow retired footballer Brian Laudrup. During his playing career, Laudrup won league titles with Ajax, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus, playing mainly as an attacking midfielder, although he was also capable of playing in other attacking positions. In a period where Laudrup was recognized as one of the best football players of his generation, he became a key member of Johan Cruyff's "Dream Team". At Barcelona, Laudrup claimed nine trophies in total, including four successive La Liga titles from 1991 to 1994 and the European Cup in 1992, as he moved to arch-rivals Real Madrid in 1994, with whom he won his fifth consecutive La Liga title. Laudrup made his debut for the Denmark national team on his 18th birthday in 1982, and scored 37 goals in 104 appearances. He starred in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, and from November 1994, he captained Denmark for a total of 28 matches, including the victorious 1995 Confederations Cup tournament. He played alongside his brother Brian in the Denmark team that reached the quarter-finals of the 1998 World Cup, and retired as an active player after the tournament. In 1999, Laudrup was voted the Best Foreign Player in Spanish Football over the preceding 25-year period and in April 2000 he was knighted, receiving the Order of the Dannebrog. In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of Denmark by the Danish Football Union, their most outstanding player of the past 50 years. He was officially named the best Danish footballer of all time by the Danish Football Union (DBU) in November 2006. He was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players at a FIFA awards ceremony in 2004. In April 2013, he was named by Marca readers in the "Best foreign eleven in Real Madrid's history". On 16 October 2021, at a show celebrating the National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark's 125th anniversary, 125 candidates for the title of the greatest ever Danish sports star had been reduced to eight, and Laudrup was named the winner. After retiring as a player, Laudrup took up coaching, and became assistant manager of the Denmark national team. He got his first manager job at former club Brøndby in 2002, whom he guided to the 2005 Danish Superliga championship. He chose not to extend his contract with Brøndby in May 2006. He took over as coach of Getafe and had notable success there. He brought the club comparative success in the Copa del Rey and UEFA Cup, and the team's attacking style received plaudits. On 15 June 2012, Laudrup was appointed the manager of Premier League club Swansea City on a two-year contract. In his first season in south Wales, he won the League Cup, the first major English trophy in Swansea's 100-year history. On 4 February 2014, he was sacked by Swansea after a "significant" slump in the Premier League, leaving them two points above the relegation zone. Laudrup then managed Qatari clubs Lekhwiya and Al Rayyan between 2014 and 2018.
2. Morten Olsen (b. 1949)
With an HPI of 60.49, Morten Olsen is the 2nd most famous Danish Coach. His biography has been translated into 36 different languages.
Morten Per Olsen (Danish pronunciation: [ˈmɒːtn̩ ˈoːl.sn̩]; born 14 August 1949) is a Danish football manager and former player. He was the head coach of the Denmark national team for 15 years from 2000 until 2015, guiding Denmark to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2004 European Championship, 2010 FIFA World Cup and 2012 European Championship. He has also managed Brøndby to two Danish Superliga championships and Ajax to the Double of the 1998 Eredivisie championship and Dutch Cup trophy. He is one of only two persons ever in football, alongside Didier Deschamps, to achieve 100 national matches for his country both as player as well as coach. In his active career, Olsen predominantly played as a defensive midfielder and libero. He played professionally in Belgium and Germany, and won the 1983 UEFA Cup and three Belgian First Division championships with Anderlecht. Olsen played a total 102 matches and scored four goals for the Danish national team from 1970 to 1989, and was named 1983 and 1986 Danish Player of the Year. He captained the Danish national team in 50 games during the 1980s, and represented Denmark at the 1984 European Championship, 1986 FIFA World Cup, and 1988 European Championship. Towards the end of his active career, Olsen was characterized as the most important player in the history of Danish football.
3. Kasper Hjulmand (b. 1972)
With an HPI of 46.22, Kasper Hjulmand is the 3rd most famous Danish Coach. His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.
Kasper Hjulmand (born 9 April 1972) is a Danish football manager and a former player. He was most recently the head coach for the Denmark national team. As a manager, led Nordsjælland to their first ever Danish Superliga title in 2012. After a brief stint at Mainz 05, he returned to Nordsjælland in 2016 before being appointed coach of Denmark in 2020, following which he guided the national team to the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2020. He has also qualified Denmark for 2022 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2024.
4. John Jensen (b. 1965)
With an HPI of 44.68, John Jensen is the 4th most famous Danish Coach. His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.
John Jensen (Danish pronunciation: [ˈjʌn ˈjɛnˀsn̩]; born 3 May 1965), nicknamed Faxe (Danish pronunciation: [ˈfɑksə]), is a Danish football manager and former player. A former midfielder, his playing career lasted almost two entire decades, including a stint with Arsenal in England and three stints with Brøndby IF in Denmark. He scored four goals in 69 caps for the Denmark national team, entering Danish footballing folklore during the 1992 European Championship tournament, when he scored the opening goal in Denmark's 2–0 victory over Germany in the final.
5. Kent Nielsen (b. 1961)
With an HPI of 43.86, Kent Nielsen is the 5th most famous Danish Coach. His biography has been translated into 23 different languages.
Kent Nielsen (born 28 December 1961) is a Danish professional football manager and former player, who is currently the head coach of Silkeborg IF. He was named coach of the year by the Danish Football Association in 2014 after winning both the Danish Superliga and the Danish Cup with AaB. He started his coaching career as caretaker manager of AGF, before getting his breakthrough with AC Horsens, guiding the club to promotion to the top-flight Superliga championship in 2005. He has also coached Superliga clubs Brøndby IF and OB. In his active career, Nielsen played as a centre back. He won two Danish championships and a Danish Cup trophy with Brøndby IF. He played three years in England with Aston Villa, before ending his career after winning the Danish Cup with AGF. He played 54 games and scored three goals for the Denmark national team, winning the Euro 1992 championship.
6. Thomas Frank (b. 1973)
With an HPI of 41.23, Thomas Frank is the 6th most famous Danish Coach. His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.
Thomas Frank (Danish pronunciation: [ˈtʰo.mæs ˈfʁaŋk]; born 9 October 1973) is a Danish professional football coach and former amateur player, who is head coach of Premier League club Brentford. After 18 years in youth coaching, which included spells as manager of multiple Danish national youth teams, Frank became a senior manager with Brøndby in 2013. After his departure in 2016, he moved to English club Brentford as assistant head coach, and was promoted into the role of head coach in October 2018. At the end of the 2020–21 season, Frank became only the second Brentford head coach or manager to achieve promotion to the top-flight of English football.
7. Morten Wieghorst (b. 1971)
With an HPI of 36.44, Morten Wieghorst is the 7th most famous Danish Coach. His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.
Morten Wieghorst (Danish pronunciation: [ˈmɒːtn̩ ˈviːˌhɒst]; born 25 February 1971) is a Danish association football manager and former player. He is currently the assistant manager of the Denmark national football team. He is the former head coach of the Denmark national under-21 football team and FC Nordsjælland in the Danish Superliga whom he guided to the 2010 and 2011 Danish Cup trophy. During his active career, Wieghorst played as a midfielder. He started his career with Lyngby Boldklub, with whom he won the 1990 Danish Cup and 1992 Superliga titles. He then moved abroad and played ten seasons in Scottish football with Dundee and Celtic, and won the 1998 Scottish football championship with Celtic. He ended his career with Danish club Brøndby IF, after winning the 2005 Superliga and two Danish Cup trophies with the team. He played 30 matches and scored three goals for the Denmark national team from 1994 to 2004, won the 1995 Confederations Cup, and appeared in three games at the 1998 World Cup. He was named 2003 Danish Player of the Year, and received a 2003 Olympic Committee fair play award for missing a penalty kick on purpose.
8. Per Frandsen (b. 1970)
With an HPI of 36.13, Per Frandsen is the 8th most famous Danish Coach. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Per Frandsen (Danish pronunciation: [ˈpeːɐ̯ ˈfʁan.sn̩]; born 6 February 1970) is a Danish professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Danish Superliga club Hvidovre. Most notably, he won the 1994–95 Danish Cup with F.C. Copenhagen, and played 265 league games as a midfielder for Bolton Wanderers in England. Frandsen gained 23 caps for the Denmark national team between 1990 and 2003, and represented his country at the 1992 Summer Olympics and 1998 FIFA World Cup tournaments.
9. Mikkel Thygesen (b. 1984)
With an HPI of 28.21, Mikkel Thygesen is the 9th most famous Danish Coach. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Mikkel Thygesen (born 22 October 1984) is a Danish football coach and former player. he was most recently the manager of FC Roskilde. Thygesen was capped three times for the Denmark national team, all friendlies.
People
Pantheon has 9 people classified as Danish coaches born between 1949 and 1984. Of these 9, 9 (100.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Danish coaches include Michael Laudrup, Morten Olsen, and Kasper Hjulmand. As of April 2024, 1 new Danish coaches have been added to Pantheon including Mikkel Thygesen.
Living Danish Coaches
Go to all Rankings
Michael Laudrup
1964 - Present
HPI: 64.77
Morten Olsen
1949 - Present
HPI: 60.49
Kasper Hjulmand
1972 - Present
HPI: 46.22
John Jensen
1965 - Present
HPI: 44.68
Kent Nielsen
1961 - Present
HPI: 43.86
Thomas Frank
1973 - Present
HPI: 41.23
Morten Wieghorst
1971 - Present
HPI: 36.44
Per Frandsen
1970 - Present
HPI: 36.13
Mikkel Thygesen
1984 - Present
HPI: 28.21
