Ebbe Sand
Encyclopedia
Ebbe Sand is a Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

 former professional footballer who most notably played as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

 for FC Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...

 in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. He was the German Bundesliga top scorer in 2001, and he won the German Cup in 2001 and 2002 with Schalke. On the international stage, he represented the Denmark national football team
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...

 at the 1998
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...

 and 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...

, as well as the 2000 and 2004 European Championships and he has scored the fastest World Cup goal by a substitute, when he scored after 16 seconds at the 1998 World Cup.
In all, he was selected 66 times for the Danish national team and scored 22 goals, from his debut in 1998 until he decided to focus on playing for Schalke in 2004. When his contract with Schalke ran out in the Summer 2006, he moved back to Denmark to become head talent scout at Silkeborg IF
Silkeborg IF
Silkeborg IF is a Danish professional football club based in the city of Silkeborg, in the middle of Jutland. Silkeborg IF plays in the Danish Superliga. The club was founded in 1917 and they first reach the highest level of football in Denmark in 1987, at that time called 1st division today known...

. At his retirement in 2006, he was granted a testimonial match
Testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....

 between the Danish national team and his former Danish club Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF is a Danish professional football club based in Brøndbyvester, Brøndby, on the western outskirts of Copenhagen and is the biggest football club in Denmark with almost 2000 members. The club is also known as Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening, or Brøndby and BIF for short...

.

Biography

Born in Aalborg
Aalborg
-Transport:On the north side of the Limfjord is Nørresundby, which is connected to Aalborg by a road bridge Limfjordsbroen, an iron railway bridge Jernbanebroen over Limfjorden, as well as a motorway tunnel running under the Limfjord Limfjordstunnelen....

 and raised in Hadsund
Hadsund
Hadsund is a town with a population of 5,040 in Mariagerfjord municipality, Region Nordjylland on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark....

 Denmark, he started playing for hometown club Hadsund BK alongside his twin
Twin
A twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...

 brother Peter Sand
Peter Sand
Peter Sand is a Danish former football player, who currently is the assistant manager for the Danish Superliga side Aarhus Gymnastik Forening, where he also ended his playing career....

. Moving to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...

 in order to study building engineering
Building engineering
Education in the field of Building Engineering, better known as Architectural Engineering in the United States, is the study of the integrated application of engineering principles and technology to building design and architecture...

, he and his brother Peter decided to try their luck at Brøndby IF. After three years of playing only a few games as attacking midfielder, Ebbe Sand got a chance to play regularly in 1995 and he soon made a name for himself. His brother would never play for Brøndby, but played professionally for a number of other clubs.

National breakthrough

He scored 12 goals in 30 games in breakthrough season and helped Brøndby win the Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...

 title. Brøndby matched that feat in both 1997 and 1998, with 1998 being an even better year for both Sand and Brøndby. Sand won the Danish Golden Boot as he scored 28 goals in 33 games and helped Brøndby win the Danish Cup
Danish Cup
The Danish Cup is the official "knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955...

, completing the Double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...

. Sand was first capped for the Denmark national football team
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...

 on April 22, 1998 against Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...

, and following his great 1998 season, he was selected to play for Denmark in the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...

.

He took part in all five Denmark matches at the World Cup, and scored his first goal for Denmark in the game against Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...

, his own most treasured goal for the national team. Entering as a substitute, he ran into the blind spot of the defense, had the ball lobbed to him over the heads of the defenders by Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup is a retired Danish footballer, who works as a manager and last coached La Liga side RCD Mallorca. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of football. His most prominent run of football came with Spanish club Barcelona, with whom he won four straight La...

, before he headed the ball to his right, past the Nigerian Taribo West
Taribo West
Taribo West is a retired Nigerian professional footballer who played as a defender. West represented the Nigerian national team in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. He is known for the various unusual and colourful hairstyles that he has sported over the years.-Club career:Taribo moved to France in...

, and slotted the ball home in the lower left corner. It only took 16 seconds from his substitution to his goal, a World Cup record
FIFA World Cup records
This is a list of records of the FIFA World Cup and its qualification matches.-Most championships:5, -Most finishes in the top two:7, ,...

 that still stands. Following his break through on the international stage, he was named Danish Player of the Year. In 1998, Sand was diagnosed with testicular cancer
Testicular cancer
Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system.In the United States, between 7,500 and 8,000 diagnoses of testicular cancer are made each year. In the UK, approximately 2,000 men are diagnosed each year. Over his lifetime, a man's risk of...

. He had the cancer removed and was back in action just a few weeks after the operation.

Moving abroad

Following the 1998 World Cup, Sand played one more season for Brøndby, in which he scored another 19 goals. He was then transferred to German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 club Schalke for 10 million DEM in 1999, at that time the most expensive sale by a Danish club. Sand's first season in Germany was successful, as he scored 14 goals, although Schalke only finished 13th in the Bundesliga that year. After scoring four goals in the qualification matches, he played twice for Denmark at the 2000 European Championship (Euro 2000) tournament, before he was benched in the last game of a lack-lustre Danish performance.

The 2000–01 season was much more successful for Sand. Schalke finished second in the Bundesliga, after a goal from Bayern Munich 4 minutes into the added time, ruining Schalkes championship dreams. Despite this they qualified for the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

. They also won the German Cup. Sand scored 22 goals and tied with Sergej Barbarez
Sergej Barbarez
Sergej Barbarez is a former football attacking midfielder from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He played for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga from 2006 to 2008. He finished his career after the season 2007–08...

 for the title of lead topscorer in Germany, and he once again won the Danish Player of the Year award in 2001. Schalke won the German Cup again in 2002 and finished fifth in the league, with Sand tallying 11 goals. For the national team, he scored an impressive nine goals in ten qualification games for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...

, but he failed to impress at the final tournament, and was benched the last group match, although he did play three times.

His following years at Schalke would be less successful, as he only scored 6 and 8 goals in the next two seasons, respectively. For Denmark's run in the Euro 2004
2004 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in...

, Sand missed Denmark's final game due to injury, and he decided to retire from international football. He cited a desire to focus his last active years on playing for Schalke, though he would be ready to re-enter the Denmark team if it qualified for 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...

 tournament if his form would allow it, though that never became relevant for either party. Initially in his last year of contract, he prolonged his stay at Schalke by a year, despite only scoring 8 goals in 2005. In July 2005, he announced the coming season as his last for Schalke and following seven years in Germany he would move to Denmark in order to work at Danish Superliga club Silkeborg IF
Silkeborg IF
Silkeborg IF is a Danish professional football club based in the city of Silkeborg, in the middle of Jutland. Silkeborg IF plays in the Danish Superliga. The club was founded in 1917 and they first reach the highest level of football in Denmark in 1987, at that time called 1st division today known...

. He thereby turned down an offer from Schalke manager Rudi Assauer
Rudi Assauer
Rudolf "Rudi" Assauer is a former German football manager and former player. Due to his habit of smoking a great number of cigars, he has been given the nickname "Stumpen-Rudi", or "Cheroot Rudi"....

 to become his managerial protege at Schalke. For his last season at Schalke he was chosen as team captain, even though stiff competition by fellow Dane Søren Larsen
Søren Larsen
Søren Larsen is a Danish professional football striker who is currently playing for Danish Superliga side AGF Aarhus.-Biography:Larsen started his professional career at Danish club Køge Boldklub in Køge, Denmark. In 2001, he was sold to multiple Danish championship winners Brøndby IF in the...

 and German striker Kevin Kurányi
Kevin Kurányi
Kevin Dennis Kurányi is a German footballer who plays in Russia for Dynamo Moscow. He is a striker who possesses great aerial ability and finishing skills.- Early life :...

 relegated Sand's role to substitute player. He ended his Schalke career at the Bundesliga game with VfB Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...

 on May 13, 2006, scoring a goal in the 3–2 Schalke victory before being substituted to a standing ovation by the spectators.

Club statistics

Total number of goals for Brøndby IF (1992–1999):
- In the Danish league
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...

: 69 goals
- In the Danish Cup
Danish Cup
The Danish Cup is the official "knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955...

: 7 goals
- In the Danish League Cup
Danish League Cup
The Danish League Cup, is a former football competition, arranged by Divisionsforeningen, for all the top level Danish football teams. The competition has existed in various formats, with the exact name of the league depending on the sponsor. For instance the Danish League Cup was named Carlsberg...

: 4 goals
- In the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...

/Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

: 5 goals
- Total score in 188 games: 85 goals


Total number of goals for FC Schalke 04 (1999–2006):
- In 214 games of the German Bundesliga: 74 goals
- In 25 games of the German Cup: 18 goals
- In 6 games of the German League Cup: 1 goal
- In 6 games of the UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...

: 2 goals
- In 31 games of the UEFA cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...

/Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

: 10 goals
- Total score in 282 games: 105 goals

Honours

  • Danish Superliga
    Danish Superliga
    The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...

    : 1996, 1997 and 1998, with Brøndby IF
  • Top scorer of the Danish Superliga
    Danish Superliga
    The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...

    : 1998
  • Danish Cup
    Danish Cup
    The Danish Cup is the official "knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955...

    : 1998, with Brøndby IF
  • Danish Player of the Year
    Danish Player of the Year
    The Danish Player of the Year award is an annual prize, which has been given to the best Danish football player by the Danish Football Player Association since 1963. The winner is decided in a vote amongst the professional Danish footballers....

     : 1998 and 2001
  • German Cup: 2001 and 2002, with FC Schalke 04
  • Top scorer of the German Bundesliga: 2001

External links

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