Jesper Olsen (born March 20, 1961 in Fakse) is a Danish former professional football (soccer) player who most notably played for Ajax Amsterdam and Manchester United. Jesper Olsen was a regular left-winger for the Danish national team, scoring five goals in 43 matches. He represented Denmark at the and 1986 FIFA World Cup tournaments.
He is perhaps best known outside of Denmark for his part in the infamous "passed penalty" routine he performed with Johan Cruyff while playing for Ajax Amsterdam. When Cruyff was awarded a penalty in a Dutch League match against Helmond Sport on 5 December 1982, with Ajax already leading 4-0, Cruyff passed the ball sideways to Olsen, who returned it to Cruyff, with the Dutchman then slotting the ball past a bemused goalkeeper. During his stay with Ajax, he earned the nickname De Vlo (The Flea) due to his posture and his ability to twist, turn and jump to avoid tackles.
Jesper moved to England from Ajax in 1984 to join Manchester United. He would help United win the 1985 FA Cup and scored 24 goals during his five year spell, which ended in 1989 when he was transferred to FC Girondins de Bordeaux of France, later moving on to SM Caen.
He has maintained a low profile since his retirement as a player in the early 1990s, as he went on to become a sports agent. He moved to Australia to manage "Proactive Sports Management Australia", a company that offers soccer clinics to juniors. On 9 May 2006, Olsen's company released a statement saying that he had been admitted to hospital on 4 May after suffering a sub-arachnoid haemorrhage.Olsen suffers brain haemorrhage, BBC Sport, May 9, 2006
1961 births | Living people | Danish footballers | Ajax Amsterdam footballers | Manchester United F.C. players
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