Ronnie Ekelund
Encyclopedia
Ronnie Michael Ekelund is a Danish football (soccer)
player in the forward
position, who played professionally in both Europe
and the United States
. He won two Danish football championships with Brøndby IF
and two MLS Cup
trophies with San Jose Earthquakes
, and represented a number of clubs, including FC Barcelona
and several teams in English football
. Ekelund played 21 matches and scored three goals for the Danish under-21 national team
and represented Denmark at the 1992 Summer Olympics
football tournament. He was named 1988 Danish under-17 Talent of the Year.
in October 1987. He scored 10 goals in 23 games for the Denmark under-17s, and was named 1988 Danish under-17 Talent of the Year. Ekelund started his professional career with Danish club Brøndby IF
in 1988. He made his first team debut at the age of 15, becoming the youngest player ever to appear in the top-flight Danish 1st Division
. He represented the under-17 national team at the 1989 European Under-17 Championship
, and was called up for the Denmark under-21 national football team in June 1990. Ekelund was a part of the 1990 and 1991 Danish championship
winning Brøndby team. He played a total 63 games for Brøndby in all competitions.
He represented the Denmark under-21 team in the 1992 Summer Olympics
hosted at Barcelona
, where he impressed, and was soon off to defending Spanish La Liga
champions FC Barcelona
. He joined Danish-Spaniard Thomas Christiansen
at FC Barcelona B
, the second-string team of the club. Due to league restrictions on the number of foreigners in the playing line-up, Ekelund had a hard time displacing stars like Michael Laudrup
, Hristo Stoichkov
and Romário
in the Barcelona attack. He played a single league match during the 1993-94 season, coming on the field as a substitute and playing 33 minutes, before leaving the club.
, to FA Premier League
club Southampton
in 1994. In the 1994 pre-season, Southampton and Barcelona stayed at the same hotel during a training camp. Before leaving, Barcelona manager Johann Cruyff asked Southampton manager Alan Ball
what he wanted as a parting gift. Ball replied "A left sided midfielder", and the next day Ekelund was ready to play for the "Saints". Ekelund was an instant hit at Southampton's The Dell
stadium with his skills on the ball, forming a great understanding with English midfielder Matthew Le Tissier
, who Ekelund later described as being on level with Ronald Koeman and Romário. Ekelund soon suffered a back injury, and which the Southampton medical team felt that this could only be cured by surgery. As Ekelund refused to "go under the knife", the disagreement put paid to any hopes of a permanent transfer deal.
Ekelund underwent brief loan deals
with English clubs Manchester City
and Coventry City
, but injuries limited his playing time there. He was loaned out to Danish Superliga
club Lyngby FC, playing four games for the club in May 1996. Ekelund went back to Denmark on a permanent basis in 1996, when he moved to Odense BK
. He played two Superliga seasons for Odense, before the club was relegated
to the secondary Danish 1st Division
. He played one season for Odense in the 1st Division before moving on in the summer 1999.
He moved to French
club Toulouse FC
in the second-best French league. Ekelund helped Toulouse win promotion
for the top-flight Ligue 1
championship, but the manager was fired and Ekelund left the club.
During a training session while on trial with English club Bolton Wanderers in the second-tier Football League First Division
, Ekelund suffered an injury which forced him out of the game for three months. When he recovered, Ekelund signed with English team Walsall
in the third-tier Football League Second Division
in December 2000, to play under manager Ray Graydon
who Ekelund knew as a coach from his time at Southampton. Ekelund played nine league games for Walsall, scoring once against Bournemouth. He was offered a new contract by Graydon, but decided to leave Europe
in 2001.
in Major League Soccer
, who competed with Colorado Rapids
for Ekelund's signature. Ekelund suffered a knee injury in his first season at Earthquakes, but recovered and soon became ever-present in the starting lineup. With great passing skill and leadership qualities, Ekelund helped the team win the 2001 MLS Cup
in his first Earthquakes season. In the following season, Ekelund was named in the 2002 MLS Best XI
selection. In 2003, he helped the Earthquakes win the MLS Cup once more, as he scored in the 4-2 win against Chicago Fire. In 2004, the Earthquakes management team changed, and Ekelund was deemed surplus to requirements. In four seasons with San Jose, Ekelund scored 11 goals (five of them penalty kick
s) and made 16 assists in the regular season. He also scored a goal and made four assists in the playoffs.
He left the team after the 2004 MLS season, and made the move to indoor soccer in 2005 joining the California Cougars
, coached by his good friend and former teammate Troy Dayak
. During the 2005-06 season, Ekelund offered his experience to Southampton as a coaching staff member unsuccessfully. He joined the coaching staff of the Earthquakes in 2008 as Technical Advisor, helping with the day-to-day training of the team.
. and Mira Sorvino
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player in the forward
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...
position, who played professionally in both Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He won two Danish football championships with 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...
and two MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
trophies with San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
, and represented a number of clubs, including FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
and several teams in English football
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
. Ekelund played 21 matches and scored three goals for the Danish under-21 national team
Denmark national under-21 football team
The Denmark national under-21 football team has played since 1976 and is controlled by the Danish Football Association. Before 1976, the age limit was 23 years.-U-21 European Championship:*1978 – Quarterfinals*1980 to 1984 – Did not qualify...
and represented Denmark at the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
football tournament. He was named 1988 Danish under-17 Talent of the Year.
Early breakthrough
Ekelund made his name known when he debuted for the Danish under-17 national teamDenmark national under-17 football team
The Denmark national under-17 football team was founded in 1964 as a under-16 team. In 2001, it was changed to a under-17 team.-Competitive record:The Danish under-17 squad will make its World Cup debut at the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico....
in October 1987. He scored 10 goals in 23 games for the Denmark under-17s, and was named 1988 Danish under-17 Talent of the Year. Ekelund started his professional career with 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...
in 1988. He made his first team debut at the age of 15, becoming the youngest player ever to appear in the top-flight Danish 1st Division
Danish 1st Division
The 1st Division has been the name of the second highest football league in Denmark since 1991. From 1945 to 1991 the 1st Division was the name of the highest level of football in Denmark...
. He represented the under-17 national team at the 1989 European Under-17 Championship
1989 UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship
-Group B:---------------------Group C:---------------------Group D:---------------------Semi-finals:-Third place match:-Final:-References:**...
, and was called up for the Denmark under-21 national football team in June 1990. Ekelund was a part of the 1990 and 1991 Danish championship
Danish football champions
The Danish football champions are the winners of the highest league of football in Denmark. The title has been contested since 1913, in a varying form of competitions. Since 1991, the winners have been found through the Danish Superliga championship...
winning Brøndby team. He played a total 63 games for Brøndby in all competitions.
He represented the Denmark under-21 team in the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
hosted at Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, where he impressed, and was soon off to defending Spanish La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
champions FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
. He joined Danish-Spaniard Thomas Christiansen
Thomas Christiansen
Thomas Christiansen Tarín is a retired Spanish footballer of Danish descent.A left-footed striker, he played for a number of clubs in Danish, Spanish, and German football, being crowned the top goalscorer of the 2002–03 Bundesliga....
at FC Barcelona B
FC Barcelona B
Futbol Club Barcelona B is a Spanish football team. They are the reserve team of FC Barcelona. Reserve teams in the Spanish football league system play in the same football pyramid as their senior team rather than a separate league. However reserve teams cannot play in the same division as their...
, the second-string team of the club. Due to league restrictions on the number of foreigners in the playing line-up, Ekelund had a hard time displacing stars like 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...
, Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov Stoichkov , sometimes Stoitchkov; born 8 February 1966 in Plovdiv) is a retired Bulgarian footballer. He is regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation and the greatest Bulgarian footballer of all time. Nicknamed The Dagger , The Dog , The Modern Left...
and Romário
Romário
Romário de Souza Faria , better known simply as Romário , is a former footballer who played striker,manager and current politician where is currently running for a mayor like position in his hometown...
in the Barcelona attack. He played a single league match during the 1993-94 season, coming on the field as a substitute and playing 33 minutes, before leaving the club.
Football nomad
Ekelund went to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, to FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
club Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
in 1994. In the 1994 pre-season, Southampton and Barcelona stayed at the same hotel during a training camp. Before leaving, Barcelona manager Johann Cruyff asked Southampton manager Alan Ball
Alan Ball (footballer)
Alan James Ball, Jr., MBE was a professional English footballer and football club manager.He was the youngest member of England's 1966 World Cup winning team and played for various clubs, scoring more than 180 league goals in a career spanning 22 years...
what he wanted as a parting gift. Ball replied "A left sided midfielder", and the next day Ekelund was ready to play for the "Saints". Ekelund was an instant hit at Southampton's The Dell
The Dell (Southampton F.C.)
The Dell in Milton Road, Southampton, England was the home ground of Southampton Football Club, between 1898 and 2001.-New stadium:Since 1896, Southampton had been tenants of Hampshire County Cricket Club at the County Ground, having vacated the Antelope Ground in the summer of 1896...
stadium with his skills on the ball, forming a great understanding with English midfielder Matthew Le Tissier
Matthew Le Tissier
Matthew "Matt" Le Tissier is a retired English footballer who played for Southampton and England.An attacking midfielder with exceptional technical skills, Le Tissier is the second-highest ever scorer for Southampton behind Mick Channon and was voted PFA Young Player of the Year in 1990. He was...
, who Ekelund later described as being on level with Ronald Koeman and Romário. Ekelund soon suffered a back injury, and which the Southampton medical team felt that this could only be cured by surgery. As Ekelund refused to "go under the knife", the disagreement put paid to any hopes of a permanent transfer deal.
Ekelund underwent brief loan deals
Loan (football)
In sports, a loan involves a particular player being allowed to temporarily play for a club other than the one he is currently contracted to. Loan deals may last from a few weeks to all season-long....
with English clubs Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
, but injuries limited his playing time there. He was loaned out to 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...
club Lyngby FC, playing four games for the club in May 1996. Ekelund went back to Denmark on a permanent basis in 1996, when he moved to Odense BK
Odense BK
Odense Boldklub is a Danish professional football club based in the town of Odense. The club has won three Danish championships and five Danish Cup trophies. OB play in the Danish Superliga and their home field is TRE-FOR Park in Odense on Funen...
. He played two Superliga seasons for Odense, before the club was relegated
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
to the secondary Danish 1st Division
Danish 1st Division
The 1st Division has been the name of the second highest football league in Denmark since 1991. From 1945 to 1991 the 1st Division was the name of the highest level of football in Denmark...
. He played one season for Odense in the 1st Division before moving on in the summer 1999.
He moved to French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
club Toulouse FC
Toulouse FC
Toulouse Football Club is a French association football club based in the city of Toulouse. The club was founded in 1970 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Toulouse plays its home matches at the Stadium Municipal located within the city. The first team is managed by...
in the second-best French league. Ekelund helped Toulouse win promotion
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
for the top-flight Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
championship, but the manager was fired and Ekelund left the club.
During a training session while on trial with English club Bolton Wanderers in the second-tier Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, Ekelund suffered an injury which forced him out of the game for three months. When he recovered, Ekelund signed with English team Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
in the third-tier Football League Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
in December 2000, to play under manager Ray Graydon
Ray Graydon
Ray Graydon is an English football manager and retired football player. He was recently employed as First Team Coach of Championship team, Leicester City while Rob Kelly was manager during the 2005-06 season.-Playing career:...
who Ekelund knew as a coach from his time at Southampton. Ekelund played nine league games for Walsall, scoring once against Bournemouth. He was offered a new contract by Graydon, but decided to leave Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in 2001.
Earthquakes success
In April 2001, Ekelund transferred to US club San Jose EarthquakesSan Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
, who competed with Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
for Ekelund's signature. Ekelund suffered a knee injury in his first season at Earthquakes, but recovered and soon became ever-present in the starting lineup. With great passing skill and leadership qualities, Ekelund helped the team win the 2001 MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
in his first Earthquakes season. In the following season, Ekelund was named in the 2002 MLS Best XI
MLS Best XI
The MLS Best XI is an acknowledgement of the best eleven players in the league in a given season for Major League Soccer in Canada and the United States.-Winners:*Players in bold text also won the Major League Soccer MVP Award award for that season....
selection. In 2003, he helped the Earthquakes win the MLS Cup once more, as he scored in the 4-2 win against Chicago Fire. In 2004, the Earthquakes management team changed, and Ekelund was deemed surplus to requirements. In four seasons with San Jose, Ekelund scored 11 goals (five of them penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
s) and made 16 assists in the regular season. He also scored a goal and made four assists in the playoffs.
He left the team after the 2004 MLS season, and made the move to indoor soccer in 2005 joining the California Cougars
California Cougars
The California Cougars are an indoor soccer team, founded in 2004. The team is a charter member of the Professional Arena Soccer League , the first division of arena soccer in North America....
, coached by his good friend and former teammate Troy Dayak
Troy Dayak
Troy Dayak is a former American soccer player who played as central defender. He spent his entire Major League Soccer career with the San Jose Clash/Earthquakes and nearly all of his professional career playing for Bay Area teams.-San Francisco Bay Blackhawks:Dayak grew up in Walnut Creek,...
. During the 2005-06 season, Ekelund offered his experience to Southampton as a coaching staff member unsuccessfully. He joined the coaching staff of the Earthquakes in 2008 as Technical Advisor, helping with the day-to-day training of the team.
Honours
- 1988 Danish under-17 Talent of the Year
- Danish championshipDanish football championsThe Danish football champions are the winners of the highest league of football in Denmark. The title has been contested since 1913, in a varying form of competitions. Since 1991, the winners have been found through the Danish Superliga championship...
: 1990 and 1991 - MLS CupMLS CupThe MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
: 2001 and 2003
Bébé au Lait
Ronnie Ekelund and his wife own and operate a small company called Bébé au Lait, with Ronnie holding the CEO position at the company. Bébé au Lait develops and markets fashionable nursing covers for breastfeeding mothers. According to Bébé au Laits website, Ronnie's wife invented the Hooter Hiders nursing cover because she wanted to nurse her child discreetly, while attending Ronnie's football games. These nursing covers have been endorsed by Hollywood celebrities such as The View's Elisabeth HasselbeckElisabeth Hasselbeck
Elisabeth Hasselbeck is an American television talk show host and television personality. She was a contestant on Survivor: The Australian Outback and is a current co-host on the daytime talk show The View .-Early life:...
. and Mira Sorvino
Mira Sorvino
Mira Katherine Sorvino is an American actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Mighty Aphrodite and is also known for her role as Romy White in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.- Early life :Sorvino was born in Tenafly, New Jersey...