I N T E R V I E W : MORTEN OLSEN

I N T E R V I E W

BY ANDY ROXBURGH, UEFA TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
 

IN AN ILLUSTRIOUS PLAYING CAREER THAT SPANNED 20 YEARS, MORTEN OLSEN MADE 102 APPEARANCES FOR DENMARK, WHICH INCLUDED CAPTAINING A GIFTED NATIONAL SQUAD AT THE 1986 FIFA WORLD CUP IN MEXICO. HIS MAJOR CAREER SUCCESSES CAME IN THE 1980S, WHEN HE WON THE BELGIAN CHAMPIONSHIP (THREE TIMES) AND THE UEFA CUP WITH RSC ANDERLECHT, PRIOR TO MOVING TO 1. FC KÖLN IN GERMANY. HE WAS TWICE VOTED DENMARK'S PLAYER OF THE YEAR (1983 AND 1986). MORTEN WAS A THINKING-MAN'S PLAYER WHO MOVED EASILY INTO COACHING, AND IN SUCCESSFUL SPELLS WITH BRØNDBY IF, 1. FC KÖLN AND AFC AJAX, HE WON THE DANISH CHAMPIONSHIP TWICE AND A LEAGUE AND CUP DOUBLE IN THE NETHERLANDS. SINCE JULY 2000, HE HAS BEEN AT THE HELM OF THE DANISH NATIONAL TEAM AND LED HIS COUNTRY TO THE KNOCKOUT PHASES OF THE 2002 WORLD CUP AND THE QUARTER-FINALS OF EURO 2004. MORTEN HAS THE RARE DISTINCTION OF WINNING A GROUP PHASE AT A WORLD CUP BOTH AS A PLAYER AND AS A COACH. THE DANISH NATIONAL COACH IS ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED TECHNICIANS IN EUROPE AND HIS THOUGHTS ON FOOTBALL ARE ALWAYS STIMULATING. HE IS TRULY A MAN OF THE PITCH. HE IS

MORTEN OLSEN

1 • What is your view of the forthcoming EURO and the World Cup qualifiers?

I think that the tournament in Switzerland and Austria will be fantastic, especially for the game itself because of the level of football. EURO '96 was not of particularly great quality, but since then, the European Championship and World Cup final rounds have been of a high standard. Of course, these tournaments are also big events, and the overall experience in Germany in 2006 was excellent. But it is also extremely important the way we play the game. Yes, it is about winning, but with all the attention from fans, sponsors, TV, etc. we must make the game itself better and better because that is the

only way that we can continue to make football interesting. So a tournament like EURO 2008 is vital for the image of the game - this is extremely important for the future.

When you see qualifying games,it takes about a year and a half, and the key is stability and consistency. But the finals are held over a three-week period and then it is all about the form and fitness of the players at that specific time. Often the stars of such a tournament are players who were injured during the season, recover, and come into the event fresh. Marco van Basten was an example of that back in 1988. On the other side of the coin are some players who have played throughout the season, who are physically and mentally tired, and who may not compete at their peak. For the moment, it is very difficult to say who will triumph in June 2008 because I think that 10 or 12 countries are capable of winning the European Championship. As we saw last time with Greece, anything is possible. The gap between the teams is very small. Looking further ahead to the World Cup qualifiers, from a coach's perspective, it is a pity that we play Sweden again, but there is always something special for the fans in these matches. Portugal are in our group and I appreciate very much the way they play football, and we mustn't forget Hungary, a traditional football country, that will be anxious to reach a final after a long absence.

2• What, for you, are the main challenges in managing a national team today?

The first thing is that there are a lot of foreign players playing in the top leagues, even in a small country like Denmark. It is good for the domestic competition to have new faces and quality players. But the consequence

is that we don't have so many top players eligible for the national team. In addition, we don't have enough Danish players playing regularly in the big clubs in other parts of Europe, as was the case 20 years ago. A major problem for a national coach is the lack of time with the players, particularly for detailed preparation. And globalisation has had an impact on many things, including the attitude of the press. The media demands on all top coaches have increased, although we have to say that such intense interest is good for the promotion of the game.

3 • What is the impact of the homegrown players rule in Denmark?

In Denmark, I have not seen any benefit from this ruling. In fact, many clubs are bringing young players from abroad to their academies and they soon satisfy the home-grown regulation. This situation will have an effect on the national teams in the future.

4 • In what way does the UEFA Champions League have an influence on the work of the national team coach?

It is good for Danish football if we have a team in the UEFA Champions League but at the moment we don't have a club playing regularly at this elite level. Last season, we did have FC København and we saw one negative aspect, because some people were more interested in the UEFA Champions League than the fortunes of the national team.

However, at the end of the day, having our clubs participating at this level is good for Danish football in general. In case there is any doubt, I must emphasise that our players are still proud to wear the national team jersey and there is no clash of loyalties for them. It is invaluable that our players gain playing experience in the UEFA Champions League because this know-how transfers into the national team. The biggest problem in Danish football is that we don't have as many top players as we had in the past, but we had a number of FC København players in our squad last season and this was a help to us. At the moment we have around 50% of the squad based in Denmark and exposure to European competition is extremely beneficial to those players.

5 • How would you describe your style of play?

We have to use the qualities within the squad and to build a solid team. Of course, there needs to be some flexibility, but a playing philosophy is also vital. Every time the national squad is together, you need to have a consistent approach. Whatever we want interms of style, we must be realistic and remember it is about winning. But you must also think about the way you playbecause I think it is important for the image and the future of football. Of course, the way we play doesn't just depend on us but on the opponent and the form we are in on a particular day. In general, however I take a very positive approach. We try to keep the ball, to dominate possession, but at the same time always look for possibilities to play in the depth. Without doubt, in modern football you must be very good in transition, both in exploiting space and in quickly forming the defence. I may have a personal philosophy, but I can only use players with a Danish passport - I can't buy players to create a perfect fit for my favourite style. However, I have been lucky that I have had in my time a number of players who fit the bill for me and for my approach. For example, we have always had wingers. I like to play with quick, wide players because they can cause the opponent particular problems, and we often defend better by blocking the attacking tendencies of the other team's full backs.

6 • Do you involve yourself in the preparation of the under-age national squads?

Yes. We have produced a new strategy in the Danish FA to develop individual players who can reach international level. It is not about systems of play, but about trying to develop the players' attitude in the game - trying to educate the players in the best way in terms of playing performances. Once a month, I meet the coaches of our national under-age teams and work on the development programme. We have a dialogue about football and the way to nurture young players. Today is the most important moment for the A team national coach, ecause we are in the results business, but for the sake of the association, we should have an influence on what happens tomorrow.

The biggest challenge in football today is to find a way to play that can motivate the players to perform. If they are interested, committed and involved in the game that is what makes them ambitious. I don't like footballers who are looking at their watch - the game must be primarily a hobby and a passion. They must be motivated through the game, because they like to play. Of course, structure is necessary - without that there is no freedom to play.

7 • How can the relationship between the clubs and the national team be improved?

I can understand that in some countries this is difficult, but we are small and I have close cooperation with the club coaches. If you can't have such a relationship, it is a bad day. I have no problem about the release of players from our domestic clubs. Sometimes the difficulties arise when we have friendly games, but if a player is not playing regularly at a top club abroad, those clubs are often happy to let him play for us.

8 • How has the game evolved since you were a player?

The game has undoubtedly got quicker and more compact, and this means you need better technique and an ability to read the game faster. Players today don't have the space that we had in my era as a player. But, I'm sure that most talented players of former days would have adapted to today's conditions.

Another factor that has influenced the quality of the modern game is the standard of the pitches. When you see most games in the UEFA Champions League the surfaces are fantastic. You cannot play a great passing game on a poor field. During my playing career, many of the pitches were poor and this was not helpful. Nowadays we even have artificial training pitches for year-round practice. If you see Arsenal FC's pitch in London, it is like a billiard table, and this is important for their type of football. When it is muddy, the solution is often to resort to a long-ball game.

9 • What are the key elements for success at the top level?

Assuming you have good players, you need to be talented in a variety of ways to be a successful coach. I think that experience is a prerequisite. The ability to be innovative is also important -never resting on your laurels and always looking for new solutions. And, of course, you need to be lucky. With today's players, I think you need to be better in coaching because they are more knowledgeable and inquisitive. It is good that players are happy to ask why. They want to know why, and this also means they know something about the way we want to play the game. This, of course, depends on which culture you are coming from. When players have the confidence to ask you why, you know that you have them fully involved in the process. Positional power is not enough for the coach today - top players react badly to verbal attacks. Communicating with the media and the marketing side has also become more demanding than in the past. You have to sell your team and your club - you could also say that you need to 'brand' yourself.

10 • Are you optimistic about the future of the game?

Yes, I am optimistic. As I said before, you need good organisation, discipline and structure. But I also see the freedom to play as a must. Often it is this freedom of expression by gifted players that decides top-level games. The two most important things in football for me are the public and the players. If these two groups are satisfied, then I'm satisfied. Yes we need to win, but everyone is happier if we win with some style. We in Denmark were one of the progressive countries in football education, but now everyone has developed and invested heavily in coaching and training. The collapse of the Berlin Wall and the Bosman Ruling were two major influences on football during the last 20 years. The fall of the wall created more countries, and therefore more competition, and the Bosman case gave more players from smaller countries the chance to play in the big European leagues. We will, I'm sure, continue to develop good coaches and footballers in Denmark, but the competitive environment has definitely changed.

11 • What next for Morten Olsen?

Following my 20 year career as a professional player, I have enjoyed being both a club manager and a national team coach, and after 17 years on the bench, I'm still happy to work in football and to be a technician - it is a great job. Some day, I may return to the club scene, but for now I am focused on Denmark's forthcoming World Cup campaign. In football, we must always be looking ahead to the next goal, to the next challenge.