Danish football players and FC Barcelona

Yesterday I was having breakfast and suddenly I saw a paper on the table with the names of all the Turkish football players that had player in Real Madrid in any moment of its history. That had me think about how many Danish football players has played with Barça along their more than 100 years of history. I only remembered two, but actually they were four. Can you recognized them?

Michael Laudrup, with Koeman, after winning
the European Cup, in 1992.
 

Thomas Christiansen

Allan Simonsen

Ronnie Kedelund

The first Danish player to play with F.C. Barcelona was Allan Simonsen, from 1979 to 1983. Simonsen was a fantastic winger and have the honor of being the first Danish player to win the Ballon D’Or. It was in 1977 and he won ahead Kevin Keegan and Michel Platini. He signed up with Barça in 1979, after some good seasons in Borussia Mönchengladbach. Although he never won “La liga” he is well-remembered by Barcelona supporters. He only won one “Copa del Rey” (1981) and one “Copa de la Liga” (1982) with Barcelona, as well as, one “Recopa de Europa”, where Barça beat Standard de Lieja 2-1 with one goal scored by Simonsen. On the summer of 1982 he left Barça because Barça bought Maradona and the argentinian player occupied his stranger place.

In that video you can see a resume of the Recopa de Europa final "FC Barcelona-Standard de Lieja", 

played in 1982. Simonsen scored a goal and gave an assist to Quini, who scored the second goal. 

Michael Laudrup was the second Danish player who wore Barcelona’s shirt. Before playing with Barça, Laudrup had played with Brøndby, Lazio and Juventus. So when he signed up with F.C. Barcelona in the summer of 1989 he was already a recognized football player. In Barcelona, Laudrup took part of one of the best teams in the history of football: The Dream Team, trained by Johan Cruyff. The Dream Team won a lot of tittles, like “La Liga” (1991-1994), “La Copa del Rey” (1990) or “Supercopa de España” (1991 and 1992); but the most remembered title he won was the European Cup, in 1991. It is the first European Cup in Barça’s history. Unfortunately, the life of that team finished in the final of European Cup against Milan FC, in 1994, where Barcelona lost 4-0. We remember Laudrup because of his assists, his famous feint called “croqueta” and because of his fantastic don’t look-passes.

In that video you can see a collection of Laudrup's passes. 

The third Danish player who played with Barcelona was Ronnie Ekelund. He played with Barça from 1992 to 1994, and, without a doubt, he is the worst of the four players and he is not much remembered by Barça fans. Ekelund was a forward that Barça bought from Brondby, where he made his debut with 15 years. Cruyff signed Ekelund after the Barcelona Olympic Games, in 1992, but he only played 33 minutes with Barcelona, against Racing de Santander (19^th March, 1994). That year Barcelona won “La Liga”.  It’s curious to know that in 1996 he signed up with Odense, the town where I’m leaving.

Ekelund goal and his later celebration was chosen like the 50 best moment on MLS cup.

The last Danish who has played with Barcelona until now is Thomas Christiansen, who played from 1992 to 1994. Christiansen was born in Copenhaguen to a Spanish mother, that’s why he played with sub-15 spanish national team and he played 2 times with the absolute Spanish national team. The Spanish national coach, Javier Clemente, called Thomas Christiansen to play with Spain, first, against Mexico, in 1993, and later, against Lithuania, where Spain won 5-0 and Christiansen scored one goal.

He began to play with FC Barcelona B in the season 1991-1992 and the thanks to the excellent games he did, he was called to play with Spain National team in 1993.  Unfortunately he never played any game with Barcelona first team, and he was loaned to Sporting de Gijón (February 1993); Osasuna (1993-1994) and Racing de Santander (1994-1995).  It’s curious to know that Christiansen played with Terrassa, another catalan team, on 1999. Nowadays, he is playing with FC Barcelona veteran team and her name has sound to be the second coach of Pep Guardiola in Bayern München.

Christiansen was interviewed by "Pere Escobar", a catalan journalist, on September 2012. 

You can listen some of her opinions and a brief review of her football career here. 

You can find more information about these football players here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Simonsen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Laudrup
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Ekelund
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Christiansen

And, of course, you can find more information about F.C. Barcelona it these pages:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_Barcelona
http://www.fcbarcelona.com/

What documents you should apply in order to live in Odense?

That's a bit bureaucratic entrance, and like all this type of stuff, it isn't too much exciting. BUT is completely necessary; specially for the people who is interested in studying here soon. 

So, What documents I have had to apply since I arrived here? Let's go in order:

1. First of all, you have to apply for the residence permit. The procedure varies according to citizenship:

• Non EU citizens have to apply and obtain their residence permit before they arrive in Denmark.
• EU citizens have to apply upon you arrive in Denmark.
• Nordic citizens have not to apply, but have to bring their internordic moving certificate. 

I'm going to focus only in EU citizens because I know perfectly how it works. So, What have to do an EU citizen for applying for the residence permit?

You have to download, print and fill out this form: 

http://www.nyidanmark.dk/resources.ashx/Resources/Blanketter/Ansoegningsskemaer/2008/OD1_ansoegning_eu_opholdsdokument_statsforvaltningen.pdf

Then you have to bring a copy of your passoport or ID card, 2 passport photos and a letter of enrollment (or any document that can prove that you are in Denmark for studying) together with the form filled at "Statsforvaltningen Syddanmark", which is in the street Mogensensvej 24 C, 1, Odense C, and it is open Monday and Wednesay (10-15h); Thursday (12-16h) and Friday (10-13h). 

One advice? Bring your pass photos from your country because here is very difficult to find any place to take them. I went to a photo booth in the train station. 

2. Once you have received your residence permit (it arrives you by postal mail and it takes as maximum 2 weeks), you can apply for the CPR number.

But, what is the CPR number? CPR are the initials of "Det Centrate Person Register", which is the Danish Civil Registration System. It means, that this number is your personal identification here in Denmark (is like our ID in Catalonia or Spain). 

You need the CPR for everything here. Without CPR number you can't work in Denmark, you can't use the health care system (in case of emergency, you will be assisted anyway), you can't open a bank account, you can't enroll in the free-danish courses that pay the town hall to international students, etc...

The CPR number consists of ten digits. The first six are your date of birth, and the last four the identification number. The last number indicates your sex, so, odd digits mean male and even digits indicate female. 

For applying for the CPR number you need to bring your passport/ID card, the residence permit and the blue health insurance card (targeta sanitària) from your country to the BorgerServiceCenter, which is in the street Skulnkenborg 1 Odense C. The office is open Monday and Thursday (9-18h); Tuesday and Wednesday (9-15h); Friday (9-13h) and Saturday (10-13h). 

One advice? Try to go to the office at the first hour they are oppened because a huge line of people will be  formed few minutes.  

3. Student card: If you are going to attending courses, is not my case, you will receive a student card, which gives you a lot of advantages and discounts, but actually, if you bring with you your student card from the university in your country you can enjoy the same advantages.

4. ESN Card: The ESN is the International Exchange Erasmus Student Network. Almost each city have an ESN office and it's very useful because the ESN organize different activities (parties, trips, excursions, visits to different places, dinners...) and with that card you can take part in them. 

You can buy your ESN card for 50 DKK for one year at the ESN office on the street Campusjev 55, Odense M

                                                        

I think that are the most important documents you will have to apply when you come here to study for more than 3 months. 

Let me finish with a curiosity. Do you know what it means the letter C or M that I've written in the different addresses? I'm sure you know it. They are the initials of Center and Midt (Middle).

Actually, Odense is divided in 8 areas: Odense Center (C); Odense Midt (M); Odense Nord (N); Odense Nord-Vest (NV); Odense Vest (V); Odense Sud-Vest (SV); Odense Sud-øst (SO) and Odense Nord-øst (NO). 

Each area has something I can distinguish, but the most important areas are the Odense Center, where we can find all the attractions of the city, as well as the zoo or the hospital; the Odense Vest, because is where I live (Rasmus Rask Kollegiet), and Odense Midt, because is where the Syddansk Universitet main campus is. In Odense Nord-øst you can visit the Odense Fjord, where it is a small beach. 

I hope this information will be useful for anybody who want to come here to study or to work. It's an amazing land; you should come and just enjoy it! Next entrance will be more interesting, I promise!

My first impresions.

I’m already writing from Odense. Actually, I have been here for 8 days. So I can say I have survived to my first Erasmus week! I’ve been very busy during this week and I haven’t visited the Odense center or other touristic places yet, but I can explain you what are my first impressions of being here and I can show you how has been this week in order that you can imagine how my Erasmus will be.

I’m living in a dormitory called Rasmus Rask Kollegiet (RRK). It is too different from the student dormitories we have in Barcelona. RRK is like a small residential area formed by a lot of small houses. In each house live two persons, so I'm living in a house with two bedrooms and I share the bathroom and the kitchen with Iuliana, my flatmate. In addition the dormitory has a bar and other services, like laundery, a gym or a sauna.

You can see more information about my dorm in: http://www.rrk.dk/index.php

The dorm is located at, more or less, 3.7 Km (15’ by bike) from the Odense center and at 2.8 Km (10’ by bike) from the Hospital where I’m doing my internship.

In that map you can see my dorm (red), the hospital where
is the lab (green) and the city center (yellow)

So, besides applying for the different official documents, the first thing you have to do when you arrive is to buy a bike. You will use it every day. Usually what people do is to buy the bikes from other students that have finished their Erasmus or that have bought a better bike and want to sell the old one. You can be noticed of that in the second hand facebook group that the dormitories have. You can also buy a bike in the Odense police auction, which it takes part on Wednesday every second week and you can buy the bikes that the police have found into the streets for a cheap prize.  

My two bikes :) At first, I got the red one, but today I have
bought the other  one, because it works better.

I’m getting used to bike every morning to go to the Hospital, with low temperatures and snowing. I think it will be even harder in raining days.

My schedule in the Hospital is flexible. I usually begin to work at 9h and finish between 15-18h, depending of the amount of work I have that day, so when I finish my work I can leave. I’m in a neurobiology department, more precisely in Benedikz group and we are working with Schizophrenia. 

In the first link you can read about the Neurobiology department, while in the second link you can see the research group that I'm in  

http://www.sdu.dk/en/Om_SDU/Institutter_centre/IMM_Molekylaer_Medicin/Forskning/Forskningsenheder/Neurobiologisk.aspx 

http://www.sdu.dk/en/Om_SDU/Institutter_centre/IMM_Molekylaer_Medicin/Forskning/Forskningsenheder/Neurobiologisk/Forskningsgrupper/Benedikz+gruppen

I’m very motivated with my projects in the lab and very glad with my mates. There is a nice atmosphere and we do a lot of activities together. For example, at 10 o’clock we stop working and have breakfast together. Every week there are two people that prepare the breakfast (toast, bread, jam, butter, coffee, tea...) for the rest of people in the group. Then we continue working and at 12 o’clock we stop another time, now for having lunch. In addition, some Fridays of a month they do what they call the “Friday Beer”. I did it last Friday and it’s very funny. We drank beer and played games for few hours. They are a nice team.

In reference to the beers, you should know that I’ll write a blog entrance about them and other alcoholic drinks. There is a big tradition of drinking beers and there are different types. Maybe the most popular beer here is Carlsberg, but Albani is very tasteful and it is maked in Odense.

That is the website of Albani beer. You can see the different types of beer they make and compare their qualities (bitter; tough and dark) 

http://www.albani.dk/produkter/odenseclassic?PHPSESSID=5e070049d6175b89b57168d778183ce0

I’ve been in some parties and I can confirm that the Erasmus parties are special, they are awesome. The best are the ones that begin spontaneous in friend houses but there are also great discos in Odense. I am looking forward to going to LA Bar because everybody says is the best bar, but yesterday I went to a bar called “The gym” and I liked it a lot. It has 3 floors and in the top floor there are some table-tennis tables and you can play a tournament while other people is drinking and dancing. It’s very curious.

In other entrance I have to write about the prizes in Denmark, because the food, drinks, and all things in general are more expensive than in Catalonia or Spain.

In resume, I’m very happy of being here and I’m very lucky of knowing so nice people, who are always helping me and treating me very well. I will spend 6 great months in Denmark! And that has just began! 

Where I go?

I want to give you very basic information about Odense by answering some questions. The answers are clear and short because my intention is showing you further details about the city and Denmark at the same time I’m discovering it. 

Odense, where are you?

Odense is located in Denmark, in Funen island. It is the third largest city in the country, after Copenhaguen and Aarhus, and has a population of 168.798 people (January 2012).

To arrive to Odense I have to take a plane from Barcelona to Copenhaguen (3:05h) and then a train to Odense (1:35h).

                                           

Odense, what you talk?

The official language in Odense is Dansk (Danish), but almost everybody can speak English perfectly. One word in Dansk? Øl.

Odense, what money do you use?

The Danish krone (DKK) is the official currency of Odense. One krone is subdivided into 100 øre. There exist coins of 50 øre and coins of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 krone, and bills of 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 krone.

It’s usefull to know that 1 DKK are 0.13€ and that 1€ are 7.46 DKK.

                                        

   

Queen Margrethe II 

     Odense, what government have you got?

Denmark is a constitutional monarchy, in which Queen Margrethe II is the head of state. Royal power has only ceremonial functions and  the polytical function is represented by a parliamentary democracy, who elects the prime minister.

The current prime minister of Denmark is Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who is the leader of the social democrats and is the first woman to hold the post.

Odense, do you believe in god?

The most prominent religious is Christianity, in the form of Lutheranism (80% of population) and the second largest faith is Islam (3%).

Odense, what do you eat?

The cuisine of Denmark consists mainly of meat and fish. The meals are dividid into a plentiful breakfast; a simple lunch and a huge dinner.

Some of the most typicall dishes are:

•  Smørrebrød, which is an open sandwich that is very usual for lunch.
•  Boller and karry, that are meat balls in curry served with rice and cucumber salad.
• Apple pork, that are fried pork slices served with compote of apple, onion and bacon.
• Brændende kærlighed (literally "burning love"), which are mashed potatoes made with butter and milk, and in the top of the mashed potatoes there are fried bacon and chopped onions.

                             

                             Smørrebrød

Boller and karry

Beer is the national drink in Denmark, and two of the most popular are Carlsberg and Tuborg.

Odense, how do you move?

Odense’s people use to move by bike. Bikes have priority over cars and it exists a very complete bikeway around all the country. That’s why for example, the 60% of people who lives in Copenhaguen move by bike.

Odense, what sport do you practice?

Football is the national sport in Denmark. Other popular sports are handball, cycling, badminton and some water sports, like sailing.

Fioinia park, the stadium of Odense OB. 

Odense, how often do you see the sunny?

Over the course of a year, the temperature typically varies from 1ºC to 22ºC and is rarely below -7ºC or above 27ºC.

                                         

The length of the day varies over the course of the year. The shortest day is December 21, with 7:02 hours of daylight; the longest day is June 20, with 17:29 hours of daylight.

                                         

The earliest sunrise is at 4:35 am on June 17, while the latest sunrise is at 3:46 pm on December 12. The earliest sunset is at 10:06 on June 24, while the latest sunset is at 8:48 am on December 30.

                                         

Precipitation is most likely around February, occurring in 60% of days and is least in May, occurring in 42% of days.

                                             

Odense, which important people have lived in you?

Hans Christian Andersen has been the most important resident Odense has ever had. H.C.A was a writer and poet and he was the author of the Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Little Mermaid or the Ugly Duckling, among others.

                         

                     

        

Another important resident was Carl Nielsen, who is recognized as the Denmark’s greatest composer and is best known for his six symphonies and other pices, like the Helios Overture, which depicts the passage of the sun in the sky from dawn to nightfall.

Odense, what can I visit of you?

Saint Canute's Cathedral

There are different places to visit, but some of the most interesting are:

• Saint Canute’s Cathedral (Sankt Knuds Kirke), where the King Knud, who is the patron saint of Denmark is buried.

 

  

Odense Town Hall

• Odense Town Hall, where fans of Odense FC celebrate the trophies that the club wins.

• H.C. Andersen childhood house and his museum, that woulg give you an overview of the life of writer.

• Odense zoo, that is the only place in Denmark where you  can feed the giraffes. 

Odense, where can I go out to at night?

There are different places to go, for example, the Australian bar, where every Thursday is the Erasmus Day, or a disco called Retro, that is very popular on Saturdays.

                                  

                                     

Jo crec que amb això us podeu fer una idea general d'allà on vaig. Suposo que en futures publicacions, una vegada ja estigui instal·lat a Odense, aprofundiré més en alguns temes, i aniré explicant més coses sobre la ciutat. Així jo també m'informo de les ciutats, dels hàbits i de la cultura del país que m'acull! 

Per suposat, si teniu interès en algun tema en concret, digueu-m'ho i miraré de fer una entrada sobre el que volgueu!

PD: Com veieu, encara no domino el format i les coses es van descol·locant. A mesura que vagi agafant pràctica ja faré el bloc més maco! 

Per què aquest blog?

Encara no sé ben bé perquè escric aquest bloc. No tinc ni idea de com enfocar-lo ni que hi posaré exactament. Però tinc ganes de fer-lo i, almenys una cosa està clara: el bloc girarà entorn el meu Erasmus a Odense.

A part d’això no tinc cap idea concreta, simplement escriure i publicar quan em vingui de gust i tingui alguna cosa interessant a dir. Alguna cosa sobre Dinamarca, sobre Odense, el meu Erasmus o simplement coses curioses i diferents d’allà. 

A més és una altra forma d’estar en contacte amb els meus amics i amb tots els que l’aneu llegint. I potser també ajudo a futurs Erasmus que vagin a Odense. És per això que encara no he decidit l’idioma en que escriuré. Suposo que el faré en anglès i colaré alguna cosa en català.

Això sí! Estaria bé que participéssiu i opinéssiu. Així serà més agraït escriure’l! 

PD: Si voleu saber més coses sobre Odense feu una ullada a la següent entrada. La intentaré publicar en un parell de dies i serà un resum amb informació molt bàsica sobre Odense!