Thomas Kahlenberg

Thomas Kahlenberg

Kahlenberg (left), 2006
Personal information
Date of birth	(1983-03-20) 20 March 1983
Place of birth	Hvidovre, Denmark
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position	Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current club	Brøndby IF
Number	7
Youth career
1997–1998	Hvidovre IF
1998–2001	Brøndby IF
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2001–2005	Brøndby IF	97	(28)
2005–2009	Auxerre	130	(19)
2009–2013	Wolfsburg	39	(1)
2012	→ Evian (loan)	15	(2)
2013-	Brøndby IF	8	(0)
National team‡
1999–2000	Denmark U17	9	(1)
2000–2002	Denmark U19	7	(0)
2004	Denmark U20	1	(0)
2002–2006	Denmark U21	26	(10)
2003–2012	Denmark	39	(4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10 December 2013. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 25 October 2012

Thomas Kahlenberg (born 20 March 1983) is a Danish footballer who currently is playing for Brøndby IF. He also started his career with Brøndby IF, winning two Danish Superliga championship, and played four seasons at French club Auxerre. He has played 29 games and scored three goals for the Danish national team, and represented Denmark at the 2004 European Championship. He was named 2004 Danish under-21 Player of the Year.

Club career

At the age of 15,^[1] Kahlenberg moved from lower-league club Hvidovre IF to the defending Danish champions Brøndby in the Danish Superliga championship.

Brøndby and Auxerre

Kahlenberg did not make his senior debut for Brøndby, until youth team coach Tom Køhlert was promoted to head coach in May 2002. On 12 May 2002, Kahlenberg made his Superliga debut against arch-rivals København, at the penultimate match of the 2001–02 season. The result was a 1–1 draw, which helped Brøndby secure the 2001–02 Danish championship on goal difference.

During his first years at Brøndby, Kahlenberg played in the central midfield, where he set up the attacks with his great technique and view for the game. In the 2004–05 season, Kahlenberg was moved out as left midfielder, following the sale of Swedish international left winger Mattias Jonson. Cutting into the field from his wide position, Kahlenberg managed to become Brøndby's 2004–05 league top goalscorer with 13 goals, leading the club in winning The Double. Kahlenberg played a combined total of 130 games for Brøndby IF,^[2] including 97 games and 28 goals in the Danish Superliga championship.^[3] Since leaving Brøndby, the club would suffered a set-back when they find themselves in relegation threatening and economic problems. Kahlenberg expressed sadness and sympathy of the club of what they been through.^[4]

In July 2005, the French club Auxerre made a transfer fee offer of £2.5 million for Kahlenberg,^[5] which Brøndby accepted. Kahlenberg signed a four-year contract with Auxerre in the top-flight Ligue 1 championship.^[6] After the move, Kahlenberg says he is looking forward to play in Ligue 1.^[7] Kahlenberg made the most assists of all players in the 2005–06 championship season.^[8] In his four seasons at Auxerre, Kahlenberg played 130 games and scored 19 goals in the Ligue 1.^[9]

Wolfsburg

In May 2009, Kahlenberg signed a four-year contract with the defending German champions Wolfsburg for a €4 million transfer fee, effective from the end of the season.^[10] Immediately after joining Wolfsburg, Kahlenberg suffered an hip injury which kept him out until October 2009.^[11] He made his Fußball-Bundesliga debut for Wolfsburg in the 3–3 draw with Mainz on 31 October.^[12] However, in his first season, Kahlenberg struggled to make his progress into the first team at Wolfsburg, having failed to make an impact. At the end of the season, Kahlenberg, along with Karim Ziani, was informed by the club that they are no longer needed.^[13]

The next season, Kahlenberg was featured more often in the first team, under new manager Steve McClaren, but soon get left out of the first team.^[14] On 2 October 2010, Kahlenberg soon scored his first goal for the club, in a 1-1 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach.^[15] However, Wolfsburg would slipped into the table, leading McClaren. McClaren's successor Felix Magath took over and would leave him out of the first team. In mid-February, Kahlenberg, along with Alexander Madlung, was suspended by interim manager Pierre Littbarski, citing lack of focus and also lack of commitment.^[16] A month after his suspension, Kahlenberg went on trial with English Premier League side Blackburn Rovers ^[17]

At the start of the 2011-12 season, Magath placed Kahlenberg in the club's reserve.^[18] In November, Magath announced that Kahlenberg, along with Patrick Helmes, will not be needed at the club^[19]

After a loan spell at Evian, Kahlenberg continued to remain in the club's transfer list, though he continued to make in the un-used substitute bench in the first team.

Evian (loan)

In January transfer window in 2012, it announced that Kahlenberg has returned to Ligue 1, but joined Evian on loan, until the end of the 2011-12 season. Upon moving to the club, Kahlenberg will be joined by compatriots Daniel Wass, Stephan Andersen and Christian Poulsen and was also given the eleven number shirt.^[20][21] Kahlenberg was previously was linked a move to Saint-Étienne.^[22]

He made his debut for the club, on 14 January 2012, coming on as a substitute for Cédric Barbosa in the 61st minutes, in a 3-1 loss against Dijon. On 17 March 2012, Kahlenberg scored his first goal for the club, in a 2-0 win over against his former club. After the match, Kahlenberg is expected to join Evian on a permanent deal at the end of the season.^[23] Two months later, after his first goal, on 1 May 2012, he scored his second goal for the club, in a 2-2 draw against Montpellier. In an interview with the Sporten, Kahlenberg says if he never moved to Evian, then he would dead and buried.^[24]

However, the permanent move was apparently broken down after Wolfsburg's reluctance to discuss a fee and his permanent move have now been cancelled.^[25] Kahlenberg was linked again with Saint-Étienne after the club rekindled his interests signing him^[26] But according to him, the move has never materialised.^[27][28]

Brøndby

On 21 August 2013 Kahlenberg signed a four-year contract with his former club Brøndby.

International career

While playing youth football at Brøndby IF, Kahlenberg played a number of games for various Danish youth national teams on under-17 and under-19 levels from August 1999 to February 2002.^[29] He was recognized as one of the most talented Danish midfielders, and debuted for the Denmark under-21 national team in September 2002.^[29] He debuted for the Danish senior national team under coach Morten Olsen on 30 April 2003 in a 1–0 friendly win against Ukraine.^[29] He was selected as the youngest Danish player for the 2004 European Championship,^[30] but did not play any games at the tournament. He subsequently won the 2004 Danish under-21 Player of the Year award.^[31]

Kahlenberg continued to play for the Denmark under-21 team until May 2006,^[29] when he was selected for the Danish squad for the 2006 European Under-21 Championship. As age restrictions are calculated from the start of the qualification matches, in September 2006, he competed in the tournament at age 23. Even though Denmark was eliminated in the preliminary group stage, Kahlenberg managed to score three goals in three games, and he was selected for the "Team of the Tournament".^[8] He ended his under-21 national team career after the tournament, having scored 10 goals in 26 matches for the Denmark under-21s.^[29]

After a lay-off from the senior national team, Kahlenberg was recalled for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. In his second start of the qualifiers, he scored the winning goal against rivals Sweden, which helped Denmark qualify for the main tournament.

International goals

Scores and results list Denmark's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	1 September 2006	Copenhagen, Denmark	Portugal	2–1	4–2	Friendly match
2.	21 November 2007	Copenhagen, Denmark	Iceland	3–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier
3.	6 June 2009	Solna, Sweden	Sweden	1–0	1–0	FIFA World Cup 2010 qualifier
4.	7 September 2010	Copenhagen, Denmark	Iceland	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier

Honours

Brøndby IF

• Danish Superliga: 2001–02, 2004–05
• Danish Cup: 2002–03, 2004–05

Individual

• 2004 Danish under-21 Player of the Year.

References

External links

• Thomas Kahlenberg transfermarkt.co.uk (English)
• Thomas Kahlenberg Danish national team profile] (Danish)
• Thomas Kahlenberg Brøndby IF profile (Danish)

v t e Denmark squad – UEFA Euro 2004 1 Sørensen 2 Bøgelund 3 Henriksen 4 Laursen 5 N. Jensen 6 Helveg 7 Gravesen 8 Grønkjær 9 Tomasson 10 Jørgensen 11 Sand 12 Kahlenberg 13 Krøldrup 14 C. Jensen 15 D. Jensen 16 Skov-Jensen 17 Poulsen 18 Priske 19 Rommedahl 20 Perez 21 Madsen 22 Andersen 23 Løvenkrands Coach: Olsen

v t e Denmark squad – 2010 FIFA World Cup 1 Sørensen 2 C. Poulsen 3 Kjær 4 Agger 5 Kvist 6 Jacobsen 7 Jensen 8 Grønkjær 9 Tomasson (c) 10 Jørgensen 11 Bendtner 12 Kahlenberg 13 Krøldrup 14 J. Poulsen 15 S. Poulsen 16 Andersen 17 Beckmann 18 Larsen 19 Rommedahl 20 Enevoldsen 21 Eriksen 22 Christiansen 23 Mtiliga Coach: Olsen

v t e Denmark squad – UEFA Euro 2012 1 Andersen 2 C. Poulsen 3 Kjær 4 Agger 5 S. Poulsen 6 Jacobsen 7 Kvist 8 Eriksen 9 Krohn-Dehli 10 Rommedahl 11 Bendtner 12 Bjelland 13 Okore 14 Schöne 15 Silberbauer 16 Lindegaard 17 Pedersen 18 Wass 19 J. Poulsen 20 Kahlenberg 21 Zimling 22 Schmeichel 23 Mikkelsen Coach: Olsen