Michael Laudrup: Encyclopedia II - Michael Laudrup - Biography

Michael Laudrup - Biography

He started his career in Danish clubs Kjøbenhavns Boldklub (KB) and Brøndby before being sold to Juventus in Italy in 1982 aged 18. Juventus initially loaned him to Rome club Lazio for two seasons before he returned in 1985 playing alongside Michel Platini, Zbigniew Boniek and Ian Rush. He stayed in Serie A until 1989, when he joined FC Barcelona of Spain and enjoyed tremendous success. Michael Laudrup was one of the stars in the Dream Team who won four consecutive La Liga championships from 1991 to 1994, alongside players like Romário and Hristo Stoitchkov, with former Dutch national team star Johan Cruyff the Barça coach.

In 1994 he completed a controversial move from Barça to Real Madrid after he fell out with Johan Cruyff, and Laudrup went on to guide Real Madrid in a championship winning season that would end the Barça stranglehold. Laudrup went on to play for Vissel Kobe in Japan, and ended his playing career at Dutch teamAjax in 1998.

For the Danish national team Laudrup starred at the 1984, 1988, and 1996 European Championships, as well as the 1986 and 1998 World Cups. He is best remembered for an exceptional goal in a 6-1 defeat of Uruguay in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. After his playing career ended with Ajax Amsterdam, Laudrup became a coach at age 36 when he started serving as an assistant coach for the Danish national team coach Morten Olsen. Michael Laudrup took his current job as head coach for Brøndby IF in the Danish Superliga in 2002, and he managed the team to the double in 2005. In his spare time he plays for Lyngby Boldklub's Old Boys team.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Biography", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki