Michael Laudrup
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Michael Laudrup (born June 15, 1964) is a Danish football player and coach. He is known as one of the most skillful and elegant players of his generation and is hugely popular amongst fans.
He started his career in Danish clubs Københavns Boldklub (KB) and Brøndby IF before being sold to Juventus in Italy in 1982 aged 18. Juventus initially loaned him to Rome club Lazio for one season before he returned in 1983 playing alongside the likes of Michel Platini, Zbigniew Boniek and Ian Rush. He stayed in Serie A until 1989, when he joined FC Barcelona of Spain where he enjoyed tremendous success. In 1994 he completed a controversial move from FC Barcelona to Real Madrid, following a fall-out with Barca coach and former Dutch national team star Johan Cruyff. He later went on to play for Vissel Kobe, Japan, and ended his playing career in Ajax Amsterdam in 1998, playing alongside his younger brother Brian Laudrup.
Laudrup starred at the 1984, 1988, and 1996 European Championships, as well as 1986 and 1998 World Cups. He is best remembered for an amazing goal in a 6-1 rout of Uruguay in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Laudrup also played in Japan, for Vissel Kobe and for Dutch team Ajax Amsterdam before leaving the field to become a coach at age 36. After serving as an assistant coach for the Danish national team, he took his current job as head coach with Brøndby IF in the Danish national league. In his spare time he is playing for Lyngby Boldklub's Old Boys team.
Michael Laudrup has a younger brother, Brian Laudrup, who was also a professional football player. Brian Laudrup was a part of the winning Danish national team in Template:Ec, but Michael did not participate in that championship due to differences with the national coach Richard Møller Nielsen. He appeared a total of 104 times for his country, scoring 37 goals.
In 2004, both Laudrup brothers were named to the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers chosen by Pelé as part of the celebration of FIFA's 100th anniversary.da:Michael Laudrup de:Michael Laudrup nl:Michael Laudrup ja:ミカエル・ラウドルップ sv:Michael Laudrup