Copenhagen, Nov 1 (IANS) Denmark’s national soccer coach will retain his job until the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Danish Football Association (DFA) said.
The DFA said at a press conference that it extended coach Morten Olsen’s contract by another two years so that it includes the final round of the World Cup in Brazil.
Olsen, who has been national coach for over 11 years, had planned to retire after his current contract expired in 2012.
In fact, the association had been on the look out for a replacement for Olsen even as it negotiated an extension of his contract.
But the team’s good progress over the past one year made him change his mind.
‘When players tap you on the shoulder and ask you to continue, you need to consider doing that,’ said Olsen.
Olsen replaced Bo Johansson of Sweden as national coach in July 2000 and has since helped Denmark to 64 victories and 32 draws in a total of 123 matches.
He coached the national soccer team to qualifications at the World Cup in Japan/South Korea in 2002 and again in South Africa last year.
Under his watch, the team qualified for the UEFA Championship in Portugal in 2004, when it reached the quarterfinal round.
The team has also qualified for the Championship’s next edition in Poland/Ukraine in 2012.
