NI v Denmark(20/11/2023)

WORDS: LIAM BLACKBURN

THE COACH: DENMARK

Kasper Hjulmand has been Denmark’s national team coach since 2020 after previously coaching Lyngby, Nordsjaelland and Mainz.

He began his coaching career at the academy of Danish club Lyngby and eventually led the first team between January 2006 and July 2008. He would later move to Nordsjaelland, where he would be the assistant of former Dundee and Celtic midfielder Morten Wieghorst, who is now his assistant with the Danish senior team. When Wieghorst left to coach the Danish Under-21 team, Hjulmand landed the manager’s job and would lead Nordsjaelland to their first ever league title. In the following season’s UEFA Champions League group phase, Nordsjaelland were drawn against Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus and Chelsea, and they managed a 1-1 draw with Juve at home. After impressing in his native Denmark, Bundesliga side Mainz appointed Hjulmand as the successor to Thomas Tuchel in 2014. Hjulmand’s Mainz were unbeaten for his first eight league games in charge, defeating Jurgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund during a run that saw them climb to third in the table. However, Mainz won only one of their next 13 and Hjulmand’s time with the club came to an end. Hjulmand returned to Nordsjaelland before it was announced he would replace Age Hareide as the Danish manager after Euro 2020.

But when that tournament was postponed, Hjulmand ended up coaching at the finals, leading the Danes to the semi-finals. An impressive UEFA Nations League campaign followed and though Denmark failed to make it out of their 2022 FIFA World Cup group they came into this window on a four-game winning streak. • Hjulmand’s playing career was cut short at 26 by a knee injury. Prior to that he had spent time playing college football for the North Florida Ospreys in America after a recommendation by Roy Hodgson. • Jurgen Klopp was extremely complimentary of Hjulmand after meeting him, saying: “[He is] an extremely likeable, pleasant guy, who left an outstanding impression on me. What we discussed about football tactics wasn’t just fun, it was sensational.” • Having won 29 of his first 45 games in charge of the national team coming into this international window, Hjulmand has the best win percentage of any Danish manager over the past century.

IRISHFA.COM

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