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Michael Laudrup (born June 15, 1964) is a
Denmark|Danish football (soccer)|football player
and Sports coaching|coach. He is known as one of
the most skilful and elegant players of the game
and is still hugely popular amongst fans.

He started his career in Danish clubs
Copenhagen|Københavns Boldklub (KB) and Brøndby
IF before being sold to Juventus in Italy in 1982
aged 18. Juventus initially loaned him to Rome
club S.S. Lazio|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. In 1994 he
completed a controversial move from FC Barcelona
to Real Madrid after he fell out with the Barça
coach and former Dutch national team star Johan
Cruyff. He went on to play for Vissel Kobe, Japan,
and ended his playing career at Ajax Amsterdam in
1998.

Laudrup starred at the 1984 European Football
Championship|1984, 1988 European Football
Championship|1988, and 1996 European Football
Championship|1996 European Championships, as well
as Football World Cup 1986|1986 and Football World
Cup 1998|1998 World Cups. He is best remembered
for an exceptional goal in a 6-1 defeat of Uruguay
national football team|Uruguay in the 1986 World
Cup in Mexico. Laudrup also played in Japan, for
Vissel Kobe and for Netherlands|Dutch team Ajax
Amsterdam before leaving the field to become a
coach at age 36. After serving as an assistant
coach for the Denmark national football
team|Danish national team, he took his current job
as head coach with Brøndby IF in the Danish
national league. In his spare time he plays 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 Ec|92, but Michael did not
play 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.

== Playing Style ==

Laudrup is the most technically accomplished
football player to emerge in Denmark and was
ranked amongst the best players in Europe. His
talent was exceptional and the former
France|French star Michel Platini described him as
one of the most talented players ever. 

He was hugely admired all over the world for his
outstanding technique, elegance, deep passes and
dribbling. His trademark move — looking one
way and passing the other — fooled countless
opponents during his career. The Laudrup dribble
was perhaps the best-known part of his game, as he
quickly moved the ball from one foot to the other
away from the defender. In Barcelona he played
alongside Hristo Stoitchkov, who scored many goals
from Laudrup's passes, like Zamorano during
Laudrup's time at Real Madrid. Throughout his
career his number of assists was impressive and
almost always the highest of his team.  

Laudrup was known as a gentleman on the field and
never received a red card. He preferred to
out-play his immediate opponent rather than knock
him down.

In 1999 he was voted the Most Valuable Foreign
Player in Spanish Football the last 25 years
(ahead of former FC Barcelona|Barcelona coach
Johan Cruijff|Johan Cruyff). He has two times been
elected the best player of the year in Spain.

He is the only player ever to win the Spanish
league five times in a row playing for two
different clubs.
  
== Titles ==

*League champion with Juventus 1985-86
*World championship for clubs with Juventus 1986
Spanish Cup 1990 with FC Barcelona|Barcelona
*European Super Cup 1992 with FC
Barcelona|Barcelona
Spanish league 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94
with FC Barcelona|Barcelona
*Spanish league 1994-1995 with Real Madrid
*Dutch league 1997-98 with Ajax
*Dutch cup 1998 with Ajax