Michael Laudrup is a Danish footballing icon. The coach and former player is widely considered to be one of the greatest players of all time.
As a world beating player, Laudrup achieved league glory with Ajax, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus. The great Dane mainly played as an attacking midfielder. However, due to his world class ability, he could play in a number of different positions at the top of the pitch. When people say the word ‘playmaker’, Laudrup is one of the first players that comes to mind, making the role completely his own. He was a member of Johan Cruyff’s ‘Dream Team’ at mega-club Barcelona, where he won a massive nine trophies, including four back-to-back La Liga titles from 1991 to 1994, then won the European Cup in 1992. In a move that is still talked about to this day, Laudrup transferred to arch-rivals Real Madrid in 1994, where he won his fifth La Liga title in a row. As well as being a European club legend, Laudrup was a fan favourite for his national team Denmark, scoring 37 goals in 104 appearances. The maverick starred in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, and captained Denmark for 28 matches, which included the victorious 1995 Confederations Cup tournament. In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA’s Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of Denmark by the Danish Football Union.
After a glittering career, Laudrup went on to coach a number of elite-level teams such as Swansea City and Getafe. The all-time great also has an eye for business, setting up a successful wine importation company. Whether it is in business or in football, everything Laudrup touches turns to gold – or goals!
