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102-641: The club was founded in 1966 as the semi-professional Kawasaki Steel Soccer Club in Kurashiki , Okayama Prefecture . It was first promoted to the Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1986, and stayed there until the JSL folded in 1992. As their performance in the old second tier had been in the bottom nine clubs, they were put into the Japan Football League Division 2 (new third tier overall in

204-450: A 4–2–3–1 formation , depending on two fast wingers and with the aim to dominate games with a short-passing possession game. Together, they led Denmark to the knock-out stage of the 2002 World Cup . After his success as Denmark assistant manager, Laudrup signed on as manager for Danish Superliga club Brøndby. As his assistant coach, he paired up with former Danish championship winning manager John Jensen , who had played alongside him in

306-507: A baseball team also owned by Rakuten but based in Sendai and Rakuten Monkeys , a baseball team in Taoyuan, Taiwan , wear the same colours. Vissel finished 11th in the league in 2004, the same position as the previous year, and finished 18th and last place in 2005, resulting in relegation from J.League Division 1, or J1, to J2. During the two-year span, Vissel had five different head coaches. 2006

408-401: A forward or striker on rarer instances; he was also used as a centre-forward on occasion under his Barcelona manager Johan Cruyff , a role which was similar to that of the modern false 9 role, as well as the free centre-forward role in which Cruyff often operated throughout his playing career. Laudrup is considered by many in the sport as one of the best passers of all time, and as one of

510-680: A mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 43 members. Kurashiki contributes 14 members to the Okayama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the Okayama 4th district and Okayama 5th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan . Kurashiki is the second largest city in Okayama, and has a mixed economy based on commerce, agriculture and heavy industry. The Mizushima Rinkai Industrial Area, which spans

612-494: A "genius," while also commenting: "...The reason why I make so many goals is Laudrup." He also stated: "Michael was a magician and one of the greatest players ever. He was amazing in one-on-ones too. I always say that Laudrup had three eyes, not two like everyone else. As a forward, I had to be aware all the time, because he could make you a chance out of nothing and you had to be prepared for that moment." Andrés Iniesta, who became known for using Laudrup's signature dribbling move –

714-585: A "significant" slump in the Premier League, leaving them two points above the relegation zone. Laudrup then managed Qatari clubs Lekhwiya and Al Rayyan between 2014 and 2018. Born in Frederiksberg , Copenhagen, Michael Laudrup began playing football in father Finn Laudrup 's childhood club Vanløse . When Finn Laudrup became player/coach of Brøndby in 1973, the family moved to Brøndby and both Michael and his brother Brian Laudrup started playing for

816-557: A 'football brain', it was him." Despite being primarily a creative team player, he also possessed an accurate shot, and was capable of scoring goals as well as creating them. Nicknamed "The Prince of Denmark," throughout his career, Laudrup was acclaimed for his technique, balance, elegance, ball control, and dribbling ability, as well as his vision, ability to read the game, and range of passing, including deep passes, through balls, and crosses , which made him an excellent assist provider. In regard to his vision, Jorge Valdano ,

918-462: A 2018 article by Josh Butler of The Athletic and These Football Times , several of Laudrup's teammates said of his creative style of play: "Just run, he will always find a way of passing you the ball." Throughout his career, Laudrup was often ranked among the best players in the world, with the French three-time European footballer of the year award winner Michel Platini describing him as one of

1020-586: A goal in a 1-2 defeat to France . On 28 June, Laudrup provided two assists in a 4–1 win over the Nigeria in the round of 16. Denmark was defeated 2–3 by Brazil in the quarter-finals, and both Michael and Brian Laudrup announced their international retirement following the elimination. Both brothers ended their international careers on a high note as both Michael and Brian were named in FIFA's All-Star Team . A quick, intelligent and talented midfielder, known for his pace on

1122-495: A goal in the 2–0 victory against Argentina , as Denmark won the 1995 Intercontinental Cup . He also scored four goals in ten matches as Denmark qualified for Euro 1996 . Laudrup's last matches for Denmark came at the 1998 World Cup , when he captained the nation to the quarterfinal. Laudrup made his 100th appearance for Denmark in the team's opening game of the tournament, a 1–0 defeat of Saudi Arabia in Lens . On 24 June, he scored

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1224-480: A hat-trick in the match. The club than managed to have a good run in the competition all the way until the semi-finals facing against eventual winners Korean Ulsan Hyundai however, Vissel was knocked out by the Korean club losing 2–1 in extra time after conceding an unfortunate penalty kick. In 2021, Vissel achieved an historic third place in the table, thus qualifying for the 2022 AFC Champions League yet again in which

1326-508: A major international tournament, he correctly predicted that Barcelona would not win major trophies the following season. Despite widespread belief Laudrup joined arch-rivals Real Madrid in an attempt to "get back" at Cruyff, the decision was based on the fact Real Madrid had been struggling for a long period and were eager to return to supremacy, like Barcelona when he decided to join them. Laudrup said: "People say I wanted to go to Real Madrid just to get revenge. I say revenge from what? I've had

1428-595: A move which was later also popularised by later Barcelona midfielder Andrés Iniesta . Laudrup's ball skills and feints were combined with creativity, which he used to get past defenders in one on one situations. This led to the expression "Made in Laudrup" being coined in the Spanish football media, which was widely used in Spain to describe his trademark assists, in particular his lobbed passes, as well as his unique play. According to

1530-494: A penalty in the resulting shoot-out; he was once again named Danish Player of the Year in 1985. However, the following season was not a success for Laudrup, who suffered multiple injuries. When Platini retired in 1987, Laudrup was expected to lead the team in his place, playing alongside newly bought Welsh forward Ian Rush . But Laudrup failed to live up to Platini's standards and did not score any goals, despite playing all 30 matches of

1632-487: A perfect time; five fantastic years here [at Barcelona]. I went to Madrid because they were so hungry to win, and they had four or five players who went to the World Cup. I said this would be perfect; new coach, new players, and hungry to win." On 5 November 1994, he assisted Raúl 's first professional goal in a 4–2 win over Atlético Madrid Laudrup went on to guide Real Madrid in a championship-winning season that would end

1734-473: A poor ghetto in Brazil or Argentina with the ball being his only way out of poverty he would today be recognised as the biggest genius of the game ever. He had all the abilities to reach it but lacked this ghetto-instinct, which could have driven him there." At Swansea in 2012, Alan Tate commented: "He is still the best player in training at [age] 48 years." This was echoed by Swansea player Danny Graham : "Laudrup

1836-533: A port city. (Owing to its importance to the city of Kobe, Kawasaki Heavy Industries , parent company of former team patron Kawasaki Steel, remains a Vissel Kobe sponsor. Kawasaki Steel was eventually sold off to become part of JFE Holdings .) Vissel Kobe began play in 1994 in the Japan Football League , a league below J.League, and the supermarket chain Daiei was slated as the club's primary investor. However,

1938-587: A theme park called Tivoli (after the park of the same name in Copenhagen ) opened near Kurashiki Station. After ten years of operation it was closed in 2008, with a massive debt. The Great Seto Bridge connects the city to Sakaide in Kagawa Prefecture across the Inland Sea. Kenzo Tange , winner of the 1987 Pritzker Prize for architecture, designed the former Kurashiki City Hall in 1960. Kurashiki has

2040-534: A two-year contract, becoming the first Dane to manage in the Premier League . He made several new signings after arriving at the Liberty Stadium , including Michu , Chico Flores , Pablo Hernández , Jonathan de Guzmán and Ki Sung-yueng . His first competitive match as Swansea manager came as an impressive 0–5 away win at Loftus Road against Queens Park Rangers . At Swansea, Alan Tate said that Laudrup

2142-530: A variety of sports clubs, including former Japan Football League side Mitsubishi Mizushima . Kurashiki was also the place where current J. League sides Vissel Kobe and Fagiano Okayama had their origins before moving. Michael Laudrup Michael Laudrup ( Danish pronunciation: [ˈmiˌkʰɛˀl ˈlɑwˀtʁɔp] , born 15 June 1964) is a Danish professional football coach and former player. Renowned for his composure, passing, vision, technical skills, ball control, and dribbling ability, Laudrup

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2244-730: A view shared by Albert Ferrer , who stated in 2009: "Few people made me enjoy the game as much as Michael. Maybe he didn't get the media recognition he deserved, but he was so classy and a real thinker. A master of the blind pass and impossible through-balls and I will never forget his 'spoon' pass in a game against Osasuna. He lifted the ball right over the defence and Romario touched it in first time." At Barcelona, Laudrup played alongside Hristo Stoichkov , who scored many goals from Laudrup's passes. Regarding Laudrup's ability to create chances for his teammates, he commented in his 2008 autobiography: "From more than hundred goals that I scored I'm sure that over 50 were assisted by Michael. To play with him

2346-573: Is 15.8 °C (60.4 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,042.2 mm (41.03 in) with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.9 °C (82.2 °F), and lowest in January, at around 4.6 °C (40.3 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Kurashiki was 37.1 °C (98.8 °F) on 8 August 1994; the coldest temperature ever recorded

2448-606: Is called the Bikan historical area. It contains many fine examples of 17th century wooden warehouses ( kura , 倉) painted white with traditional black tiles, along a canal framed with weeping willows and filled with koi . The area has no electric poles in order to make it more closely resemble the look of the Meiji period. One of the city's former town halls was located in the Kurashiki Kan, a European style building constructed in 1917. In 1997

2550-567: Is located in the south-central part of Okayama Prefecture, and the Takahashi River flows through the midwestern part of the city from north to south and empties into the Seto Inland Sea . Most of the plains are occupied by reclaimed land and alluvial plains , and are relatively flat except for the Kojima area. Kojima, Kameshimayama, Tamashima, and Tsurajima are many places in the city that have

2652-420: Is widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time. He is the older brother of fellow retired footballer Brian Laudrup . During his playing career, Laudrup won league titles with Ajax , Barcelona , Real Madrid and Juventus , playing mainly as an attacking midfielder , although he was also capable of playing in other attacking positions. In a period where Laudrup was recognized as one of

2754-498: The kanji 'island' in their names; these areas were originally islands and were connected by land reclamation to form the current city limits. Okayama City, which is the prefectural capital, is adjacent to the east, and Kurashiki forms part of the Greater Okayama metropolitan area. Okayama Prefecture Kurashiki has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfa ). The average annual temperature in Kurashiki

2856-507: The 1984–85 season poorly, eventually finishing in last place to become relegated to Serie B . Laudrup scored just one goal that season. Laudrup returned to Juventus in summer 1985 to replace Zbigniew Boniek, playing alongside Michel Platini. In his first year at the club, he won the 1985–86 Serie A as well as the Intercontinental Cup trophy, scoring the equalising goal in the final of the latter tournament, although he later missed

2958-928: The 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, a performance which is best remembered for his exceptional solo dribble and goal in the 6–1 defeat of Uruguay . He was also a part of the disappointing Denmark squad at Euro 1988 , though Laudrup experienced personal success, scoring one of Denmark's two goals. Following three matches in the qualification campaign for Euro 1992 , Laudrup opted to quit the national team in November 1990 (alongside his brother Brian Laudrup and Jan Mølby ) following differences with coach Richard Møller Nielsen . The Danes originally failed to qualify but were later given Yugoslavia 's place as Yugoslavia were disqualified due to war in their country . Notwithstanding their qualification, Laudrup rated Denmark's chances of success so low he stayed on holiday. However, Denmark caused one of

3060-580: The 1986 FIFA World Cup , and from November 1994, he captained Denmark for a total of 28 matches, including the victorious 1995 Confederations Cup tournament. He played alongside his brother Brian in the Denmark team that reached the quarter-finals of the 1998 World Cup , and retired as an active player after the tournament. In 1999, Laudrup was voted the Best Foreign Player in Spanish Football over

3162-462: The 1987–88 season . After an unsuccessful season with Juventus, Laudrup decided it was time to leave, looking for a new experience after six years in Italy. In 1989, he joined Spanish club Barcelona on the premise that Dutch coach Johan Cruyff , his childhood role model, had been assembling a team that was striving for success. Immediately, Laudrup enjoyed major success under Cruyff's leadership, citing

Vissel Kobe - Misplaced Pages Continue

3264-600: The Barça stranglehold, making him on record the only player to win the Spanish league five consecutive seasons playing for two different clubs. After the initial success at Real, a lacklustre club season would follow. Despite only playing two seasons at Real Madrid, he was voted the 12th-best player in Real Madrid history in an internet survey by Spanish newspaper Marca when the club celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2002. The following season while playing for Real Madrid, he aided in

3366-457: The Japanese football league system ) and stayed there until the tiers were reunited into a single second tier for 1994. In 1995, the city of Kobe reached an agreement with Kawasaki Steel , the parent company, to move the club to Kobe and compete for a spot in the professional J.League as Vissel Kobe . Vissel is a combination of the words "victory" and "vessel", in recognition of Kobe's history as

3468-507: The League Cup semi-finals . On 7 February 2013, Laudrup appointed former Danish international midfielder Morten Wieghorst as his assistant, after previously signing him as a player when Laudrup was managing Brøndby. Laudrup would later say he "certainly" believes Wieghorst "can be manager" of Swansea, as "he has experience from Scottish football and is familiar with English football". On 24 February, Laudrup said he had no "ambition to become

3570-502: The Meiji restoration , the village of Kurashiki was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on June 1, 1889. It was raised to town status on April 1, 1891 and to city status April 1, 1928. On August 1, 2005, the town of Mabi (from Kibi District ), and the town of Funao (from Asakuchi District ) were merged with Kurashiki. In 2002, Kurashiki was designed a Core city with increased local autonomy. Kurashiki has

3672-501: The Prince Takamado U-18 Premier League , the top-flight league for U-18 clubs in the country. Only the registered players for the competition will be displayed. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Club officials for 2024. Total (as of 2024): 26 seasons in the top tier, 11 seasons in the second tier, 2 seasons in

3774-573: The Russian Cup . The official statement from Spartak read: "From this point onwards, head coach Michael Laudrup has been relieved of his responsibilities because of unsatisfactory results." On 22 October 2009, Spanish media announced Laudrup would be appointed as new manager of Spanish side Atlético Madrid , replacing the short and unsuccessful run of Abel Resino , following Atlético's 4–0 UEFA Champions League group stage defeat to Chelsea. However, Laudrup and Atlético were not able to agree on terms and

3876-557: The Sweden national team . In 2007, Brøndby decided to name a new lounge at the stadium "The Michael Laudrup Lounge", with Laudrup's approval. His success led him to being voted and awarded the Danish Manager of the Year. On 21 June 2007, Laudrup was linked to a move to Madrid -based La Liga club Getafe by sports newspaper Marca . This was confirmed on 9 July 2007. During his stay in Getafe,

3978-561: The croqueta – rated Laudrup as the greatest player of all time. Throughout his career, his number of assists were almost always the highest of his team. However, despite his talent and reputation as one of the most technically gifted and creative players of his generation, certain players, pundits and managers have questioned Laudrup's work rate, mentality, determination, and consistency throughout his career at times, in particular in his early career. His former Juventus teammate and admirer Michel Platini, for example, once said, "[Laudrup]'s

4080-436: The promotion of Brøndby to the 1st Division. At Brøndby, Laudrup scored two goals in the club's 1st Division debut game, as fellow promoted team B 1909 were beaten 7–1. He scored 15 league goals in 1982, and ended the season as the third top goal scorer of the 1st Division. His accomplishments earned him the 1982 Danish Player of the Year award. He played part of the 1983 season for Brøndby, and scored nine goals, before he

4182-603: The second-tier Japan Football League to the J1 League . He was registered as a player in Bosnian Premier League club Čelik Zenica in a controversial signing in which he did not play any games for Čelik, but was signed as a player. After the details were resolved, he ended his playing career in a championship winning season at Dutch side Ajax in 1998. Following his retirement, Laudrup sometimes turned out to play for Lyngby 's Old Boys team in his spare time. Laudrup

Vissel Kobe - Misplaced Pages Continue

4284-672: The 2014 season. On 6 December 2014, Rakuten Inc. bought the team from the Crimson Group. In 2017, Vissel signed 2014 FIFA World Cup winner Lukas Podolski . He was the first prominent international player Vissel had been able to sign since Michael Laudrup in 1996. Shortly after, in May 2018, Vissel signed another World Cup winner, Andrés Iniesta , from FC Barcelona . In December 2018 Vissel Kobe managed to sign also David Villa from New York City . The Spanish striker scored 13 goals in 28 games. Alongside Sergi Samper and Andrés Iniesta , Villa

4386-462: The Argentinian coach of Laudrup in Real Madrid, said, "[He] has eyes everywhere." His trademark move – looking one way and passing the other – fooled countless opponents during his career. The Laudrup dribble, a signature feint also known as the croqueta , was perhaps the best-known part of his game, and involved him quickly moving the ball from one foot to the other away from the defender,

4488-484: The Danish Manager of the Year. In the following season , he again finished the season runners-up to first place Copenhagen by just one point. However, he would not be denied in the 2004–05 season , where he finally led the team to the Danish Superliga title. In the same season, he also completed The Double after he won his second Danish Cup in four seasons. This saw him being given his second Danish Manager of

4590-459: The Denmark national team. At the start of his reign, he proclaimed a tactical scheme close to that which Olsen and he had coached at the national team. He renovated the Brøndby team by letting a large contingent of older and experienced players leave, in favour of several new offensive players, and he also gave the chance to young talents from the club's youth scheme. To ensure the defensive strength of

4692-501: The Dutchman's philosophy and perception of the game as one of the main assets that helped foster his talent. He was one of the restricted three foreign players allowed in the team, alongside Dutch defender Ronald Koeman and Bulgarian striker Hristo Stoichkov , who were the pillars of the Barça " Dream Team ", along with rising stars Pep Guardiola , José Mari Bakero and Txiki Begiristain . The Dream Team played attractive football that

4794-486: The Mizushima and Tamashima areas, has factories centering on petrochemicals, steel, automobiles, and shipbuilding and is one of Japan's leading industrial complexes. The city is home to several private universities and one public university. Kurashiki has 62 public elementary schools, and 26 public junior high schools and five public high school operated by the city government. There are ten public high schools operated by

4896-738: The Okayama Prefectural Board of Education and on combined middle/high school. In addition, there are four private high schools. The prefecture also operates three special education schools for the disabled. The city has a North Korean school , Okayama Korean Elementary and Junior High School ( 岡山朝鮮初中級学校 ) . [REDACTED] JR West (JR West) - San'yō Shinkansen [REDACTED] JR West (JR West) - San'yō Main Line [REDACTED] JR West (JR West) - Hakubi Line Mizushima Rinkai Railway - Mizushima Main Line [REDACTED] Ibara Railway Company - Ibara Line Kurashiki maintains

4998-499: The UEFA Europa League due to its poor financial situation. At the beginning of the 2011–12 season , on 27 September 2011, Laudrup resigned as manager following the firing of his assistant, Erik Larsen. Laudrup cited great frustration with Lorenzo Serra Ferrer , the club's director of football, leading to a bad work climate as the main reason for his resignation. On 15 June 2012, Laudrup was appointed manager of Swansea City on

5100-538: The Year award. After finishing runners-up in the 2005–06 Danish Superliga , Laudrup announced that he, along with assistant Faxe Jensen, could not come to an agreement for a one-year contract extension that was offered by the club. The pair, after winning four trophies in four seasons, subsequently left Brøndby in June 2006. Laudrup was associated with several new jobs, including becoming manager of former club Real Madrid and that he would replace Lars Lagerbäck as head coach of

5202-468: The ball, Laudrup is regarded as one of the most effective and versatile attacking midfielders , as well as one of the most skilful and elegant players in the history of the game. Although primarily an offensive playmaker , he was capable of playing in several positions in or behind the front-line, and was even deployed as a winger , as a central midfielder or deep-lying playmaker , or as a second striker on occasion, in particular in his youth, or even as

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5304-600: The best football players of his generation, he became a key member of Johan Cruyff 's " Dream Team ". At Barcelona, Laudrup claimed nine trophies in total, including four successive La Liga titles from 1991 to 1994 and the European Cup in 1992 , as he moved to arch-rivals Real Madrid in 1994, with whom he won his fifth consecutive La Liga title. Laudrup made his debut for the Denmark national team on his 18th birthday in 1982, and scored 37 goals in 104 appearances. He starred in

5406-400: The best opponent he had ever faced. Ronald Koeman rated Laudrup as "possibly the most skillful and elegant player [he] ever played with," adding: "Few could dribble like he could. He could sense when a game was ready to be seized and transformed by a moment of individual brilliance." Roberto Galia stated in 2008: "I have played against Maradona, Platini and Baggio . But the player I saw do

5508-545: The biggest upsets in football history by going on to win the tournament, beating holders the Netherlands in the semi-final and, in the final beating reigning world champions and favourites Germany , with a 2–0 win thanks to goals from John Jensen and Kim Vilfort . Laudrup returned to Nielsen's Danish squad in August 1993, but saw Spain and the Republic of Ireland qualify for the 1994 World Cup ahead of Denmark. He scored

5610-627: The city has numerous National Historic Sites from Jōmon period shell middens , Yayoi period settlement remains, Kofun period burial mounds and Nara period temple ruins. From the Heian period , the estuary of the Takahashi River was a port, and the surrounding area was the setting for numerous battles. During the Edo Period , the area had a complicated administration, with portions held by various feudal domains. The old town of Kurashiki and its port

5712-404: The club [Barcelona] as much inspiration as Michael. We all look up to him. It is a privilege to have your day enriched by a genius." In 2012, Ian Rush described him as "an incredible player," who "probably had the most individual skill" he had ever seen. Daniel Storey of Planet Football stated in 2020 that he believed that Laudrup was one of the most underrated players of the previous 30 years,

5814-560: The club as well. Michael followed his father to the top-flight Danish 1st Division club KB in 1976, while Brian remained at Brøndby. Laudrup made his senior debut playing for KB in 1981, and made his debut for the Danish under-19 national team in February 1981. In all, he scored a combined total of 14 goals in 25 games at various youth levels. He went back to play for Brøndby in 1982, where his father had ended his career in 1981, contributing to

5916-502: The club comparative success in the Copa del Rey and UEFA Cup , and the team's attacking style received plaudits. On 15 June 2012, Laudrup was appointed the manager of Premier League club Swansea City on a two-year contract. In his first season in south Wales, he won the League Cup , the first major English trophy in Swansea's 100-year history. On 4 February 2014, he was sacked by Swansea after

6018-480: The club had another good run in the campaign before losing to Korean Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 3–1 in the quarter-finals. On 3 September 2023, Vissel signed former Spanish international midfielder, Juan Mata but, while the players and the fans benefited from his presence (players said he was amazing to train with, fans loved seeing him, he again raised the profile of the club) injuries kept him from playing much at all in meaningful games. On 25 November 2023, Vissel Kobe

6120-622: The club reached the final of the Copa del Rey , losing to Valencia , and the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup , losing in extra time to Bayern Munich . During his tenure as successor to Bernd Schuster , he brought in a new brand of exciting and free-flowing attacking football to the club, bringing back memories of Laudrup as a player. His team, which was not one of the established powers in Spanish football, enjoyed comparative success. However, he spent only one season as manager, resigning in May 2008. After Laudrup announced his departure from Getafe, he

6222-714: The clubs will also extend to first team level, with the exchange of technical knowledge and coaching methodology together with collaboration in the areas of performance, scouting & recruitment, data analysis and overall squad management". Since 2003, the home stadium is Noevir Stadium Kobe . The stadium has a capacity of 30,132. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. The main U-18 team of Vissel Kobe currently plays in

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6324-457: The credit that guy [Laudrup] deserved." John Toshack ranked Laudrup as "the best player of his generation," likening him to Cruyff both as a player and a manager, a view shared by Franz Beckenbauer , who dubbed Laudrup the best player of the 90s. Javier Clemente once stated: "To me, Michael Laudrup is the most genius player the world has ever seen. He will always be my numero uno. Always." José Mari Bakero instead remarked: "No one has given

6426-414: The deal fell apart. The day after, on 23 October, Resino was sacked and Quique Sánchez Flores was appointed as coach as the side's second-choice. In July 2010, Laudrup was appointed manager of Mallorca on a contract lasting until the end of June 2012. In his first season, he kept the struggling Mallorca side from relegation, which was suffering from losing many first team players and who was ejected from

6528-543: The economic downturn following the Great Hanshin earthquake forced Daiei to pull out and the city of Kobe became responsible for operating the club. Despite finishing 2nd in the JFL in 1996, Vissel was promoted to the J.League (the champions, Honda FC , refused to abandon their corporate ownership and become a professional club) and began play in the top division of Japanese football in 1997. However, due to mismanagement, including

6630-468: The following sister cities : Kurashiki is the home of Japan's first museum for Western art , the Ohara Museum of Art . Established in 1930 by Magosaburō Ōhara , it contains paintings by El Greco , Monet , Matisse , Gauguin , and Renoir . The collection also presents fine examples of Asian and contemporary art. The main building is designed in the style of Neoclassicism . The old merchant quarter

6732-419: The four foreigners would rotate as the three foreign players allowed in each match, and when he was not selected for the 1994 European Cup final 0–4 loss to Milan (amid conflicts with Cruyff), his time at Barcelona was effectively over. After the match, Milan's manager Fabio Capello remarked: "Laudrup was the guy I feared but Cruyff left him out, and that was his mistake." Laudrup's departure from Barcelona

6834-458: The greatest player in the world, in training," also describing him as "one of the biggest talents ever," while also lamenting that he "never used his talent to its fullest during matches." His former Barcelona manager Johan Cruyff described him as "One of the most difficult players [he had] worked with," adding: "When he gives 80–90% he is still by far the best, but I want 100%, and he rarely does that." In 1998, he stated: "Had Michael been born in

6936-466: The inability to secure investors and sponsors, Vissel was unable to contend for the league title. In December, 2003, mounting financial losses forced the club to file for bankruptcy protection . In January 2004, Vissel was sold to Crimson Group, parent company of online merchant Rakuten , whose president is Kobe native Hiroshi Mikitani . Vissel's first signing under the Mikitani regime, İlhan Mansız , who

7038-525: The international network and player development pipeline which is part of this exciting step forward for both clubs, Villa and Vissel are working to create a bilateral development framework for players and staff which will enhance youth development, alongside the cooperative sharing of ideas, techniques and best practice. The partnership looks to further open up pathways for talented Japanese players to play in Europe and, ultimately, at Aston Villa. This synergy between

7140-400: The manager" of a big club, because he could not "have done everything for 10 years" in management and then be fired "after nine months" for not winning any trophies. He also said it gave him "much more pleasure to see how well" he could do where he did not "have to win all the time". On 24 February 2013, Laudrup won his first trophy with Swansea after his side beat Bradford City 5–0 to win

7242-505: The most indescribable things was Michael Laudrup." Former teammate Guillermo Amor said: "I have never seen a better player in one-on-ones. He was our special player." Diego Maradona stated: "Michael is one of the greatest. If you ask if there is a new Maradona, you also have to ask if there is a new Laudrup. The answer is no." Thierry Henry named Laudrup as the best player he had never played with, saying he did not know any better passer than him and "the world of football did not give him

7344-502: The most talented players ever, only lamenting his lack of selfishness causing him to score too few goals. In a 2006 interview, Laudrup's Real Madrid teammate Raúl called him the best player he had ever played with, a view echoed by his Barcelona teammate Romário, who opined that he was able to create and score goals almost at will, and ranked him the fourth-best player in the history of the game (behind Pelé , Diego Maradona and himself). Luís Figo instead labelled Laudrup as arguably

7446-417: The most technically accomplished players ever. Regarding Laudrup's vision and passing ability, his brother Brian stated in 2008: "My brother started as an attacker but became an elegant attacking midfielder, perhaps the most complete there has ever been. His vision, speed of thought and passing were on a different level; he always knew what was going to happen before anybody else did. If anyone had

7548-454: The newly revamp 2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite tournament. On 23 of November 2024, Vissel won the second Emperor's Cup of the club history, after a victory over they regional rivals Gamba Osaka in the Kansai Derby . On 19 October 2023, English Premier League club, Aston Villa announced a collaborative partnership with Vissel Kobe - so said the press release: "further strengthening

7650-737: The preceding 25-year period and in April 2000 he was knighted, receiving the Order of the Dannebrog . In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA 's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of Denmark by the Danish Football Union , their most outstanding player of the past 50 years. He was officially named the best Danish footballer of all time by the Danish Football Union (DBU) in November 2006. He

7752-446: The revenge beating Madrid gave Barça , the final score also ending 5–0. Daniel Storey wrote of Laudrup, "no other player is loved on both sides of the clásico divide quite like Laudrup" as he remains held in high regard by both Barça and Madrid fans. Following the match, Laudrup's former Barcelona manager Cruyff commented: "When Michael plays like a dream, a magic illusion, determined to show his new team his extreme abilities, no one in

7854-454: The right solutions. For them [it] is simple, for the opponent – unthinkable. Phenomenal! His only problem is his character. He is emotional and terribly reserved. This affects him a lot, because he takes everything personally – no matter if someone tells him something or decision that he does not agree. His relations with Cruyff were delicate because he couldn't take the critics. I listen to him but I don't care that much. For Michael this

7956-468: The team, Laudrup signed proven national team player Morten Wieghorst . He began his reign as Brøndby manager by winning his first trophy in his managerial career, the 2002 Danish Supercup . In his first season as head coach, he guided the team to win the Danish Cup , after Brøndby beat Midtjylland 3–0 in the final and runners-up in the Danish Superliga . Laudrup's success led him to being voted and awarded

8058-493: The team, of which the club had Polish midfielder Zbigniew Boniek and Michel Platini , Juventus initially lent Laudrup to newly promoted Rome club Lazio for a single season, something he had not been informed about before signing for Juventus. With Lazio, he scored two goals in his Serie A debut, a 2–4 loss to Hellas Verona . In his first year at Lazio, Lazio narrowly avoided relegation , but as Juventus wanted to keep Boniek and Platini, he stayed for another year. Lazio started

8160-521: The third tier and 8 seasons in the Regional Leagues. Kurashiki Kurashiki ( 倉敷市 , Kurashiki-shi ) is a city located in Okayama Prefecture , Japan . As of 31 March 2023 , the city had an estimated population of 478,651 and a population density of 1300 persons per km . The total area of the city is 355.63 square kilometres (137.31 sq mi). Kurashiki

8262-470: The world comes anywhere near his level." In 1996, Laudrup left Real Madrid to play for Vissel Kobe in Japan. On 18 August 1996, he played his first match for Vissel Kobe and scored two goals in a 4–2 win against Brummell Sendai . On 15 September 1996, he recorded three assists, including his first assist for Vissel Kobe in a 5–1 victory against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo . He helped Vissel to promotion from

8364-543: Was Vissel's first season in J2 after nine years in the top division of soccer in Japan. They finished 3rd in the 2006 season and returned to J1 after beating Avispa Fukuoka in the promotion/relegation play-offs . During the period of 2007 to 2011 Vissel finished in the bottom half of the table each year. In 2012 they finished 16th, third from last, and were again relegated to J2. In 2013, Vissel finished in second place, 4 points behind Gamba Osaka , which secured their return to J1 for

8466-416: Was a best player, then we became maybe the best team in the world, together with AC Milan in that period." In 1994, Laudrup completed a controversial move from Barça to Real Madrid after he fell out with Johan Cruyff. On this, Laudrup stated he did not have a hidden agenda. It was the year after the 1994 FIFA World Cup and according to him, because players usually suffer a drop in performance after such

8568-503: Was a huge blow for the fans and his teammates alike. Pep Guardiola was reportedly so upset by the news that he cried and begged Laudrup to change his mind. Reflecting on his time at Barcelona, Laudrup commented: "I think we played some very good football, and I think most of all we demonstrated that even without getting the ten best players in the world, you can have the best team. Because everybody talked about Begiristain, Bakero, Guardiola, Stoichkov, and Koeman, but when we started none of us

8670-571: Was acquired partly to capitalize on his popularity during the 2002 FIFA World Cup hosted in Korea and Japan, but the Turkish forward played just three matches before leaving the team because of a knee injury. At the time of the purchase, Mikitani alienated supporters by changing the team uniform colours from black and white stripes to crimson , after his Crimson Group and the colour of his alma mater, Harvard Business School . The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles ,

8772-546: Was also Spanish striker David Villa 's last professional match. Vissel also qualified for the 2020 AFC Champions League for the first time. On 8 February 2020, Vissel beat Yokohama F. Marinos in which the scoreline was 3–3. Vissel Kobe eventually won 3-2 on penalties to win their first Japanese Super Cup title and their second national title ever. On 12 February 2020, Vissel played their first AFC Champions League match against Malaysian league champions, Johor Darul Ta'zim at home winning them 5–1 in which Keijiro Ogawa scored

8874-408: Was called up for the Denmark national team during Brøndby's debut season in the top-flight. On his 18th birthday on 15 June 1982, he became the then-second-youngest Danish national team player ever, following Harald Nielsen . Despite playing for relegation battlers Lazio, Laudrup starred for the Denmark national team at UEFA Euro 1984 , playing all four of Denmark's matches. Laudrup participated in

8976-442: Was comparable to the 1970s Ajax team, and won four consecutive La Liga championships from 1991 to 1994, as well as the 1991–92 European Cup , along with the 1992 UEFA Super Cup , 1989–90 Copa del Rey and 1991 and 1992 Supercopa de España titles. Laudrup was twice named the best player of the year in Spain during his Barcelona years. When Barça hired a fourth foreign star player, Brazilian striker Romário in 1993, it meant

9078-584: Was confirmed as the 2023 J1 League champions for the first time in history, following a 2–1 win over Nagoya Grampus in the second last week of the season. Kobe thus became the first Japanese football champions to be promoted to the top tier after the J.League era started, as well as the first to play third division football (the old Japan Football League Division 2) before winning the title. On 17 February 2024, Vissel played their second Japanese Super Cup appearance against 2023 Emperor's Cup winner, Kawasaki Frontale but lost 1–0. Vissel also qualified directly to

9180-430: Was considered to be the best player in training, despite being 48 years old. He has been commended for his choice of signings, most notably with Michu, who scored 22 goals in 2012 for Swansea after he signed him for a bargain €2.5 million from Rayo Vallecano . On 23 January 2013, he led Swansea into their first ever major cup final after defeating reigning European champions Chelsea 2–0 on aggregate over two legs in

9282-425: Was extremely easy. We found each other by intuition on the field and found common football language. Look at Iván Zamorano . Laudrup went there [Real] and Zamorano is a goalscorer. Sometimes I envy Ivan for the passes he receives. Passes on foot after you accelerated. Few people understand football like the Danish player. He can only be compared with Maradona, Schuster or Roberto Baggio. They make things easy and find

9384-452: Was fatal. He couldn't take it anymore so he left without a word." That same year, in an interview with FourFourTwo , Stoichkov included Laudrup in his "Perfect XI," and labelled him as: "One of the best European players I've ever seen," and as a player who was "up there with the greats." He went on to describe him as: "An elegant, old-fashioned playmaker," who "did things few other footballers could do." In 2010, he instead said that "Laudrup

9486-528: Was held directly by the Tokugawa shogunate as tenryō territory and was a collection point for the annual rice taxes. Distinctive white-walled, black-tiled warehouses were built to store goods. The Kurashiki magistrate's office recognized the autonomy of the merchants and gave preferential treatment to them, resulting in an increase in the population as well as increased kokudaka , and local industries included cotton cloth weaving and salt production. Following

9588-464: Was linked with jobs at Barcelona, Valencia, Benfica , Chelsea , Blackburn Rovers , Panathinaikos , CSKA Moscow and West Ham United . He almost got the job at Panathinaikos, but according to Danish media, he wanted an option to allow him to leave if he received an offer from a Spanish club. This request was not accepted by the Greeks, who chose to hire Henk ten Cate instead. On 12 September 2008, it

9690-635: Was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players at a FIFA awards ceremony in 2004. In April 2013, he was named by Marca readers in the "Best foreign eleven in Real Madrid's history ". On 16 October 2021, at a show celebrating the National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark 's 125th anniversary, 125 candidates for the title of the greatest ever Danish sports star had been reduced to eight, and Laudrup

9792-399: Was named the winner. After retiring as a player, Laudrup took up coaching, and became assistant manager of the Denmark national team. He got his first manager job at former club Brøndby in 2002, whom he guided to the 2005 Danish Superliga championship. He chose not to extend his contract with Brøndby in May 2006. He took over as coach of Getafe and had notable success there. He brought

9894-433: Was officially announced that Laudrup had signed a one-and-a-half-year contract to manage Spartak Moscow , replacing Stanislav Cherchesov following his dismissal after a string of poor results. However, Laudrup started on a poor note, winning just one of his first four league matches. He was subsequently sacked on 15 April 2009, just seven months on the job, in the wake of Spartak's quarter-final 3–0 loss to Dynamo Moscow in

9996-404: Was sold to defending Serie A champions Juventus from Italy in June 1983. It was the biggest transfer deal in Danish football at the time, worth around $ 1 million. He was due to sign for Liverpool the same year on a three-year contract, but at the last minute, Liverpool proposed a four-year contract and Laudrup opted not to sign. Under restriction of a maximum of two foreign players in

10098-415: Was the best player in training by a mile. It was unreal." In addition to his playing ability, Laudrup was known for his good conduct on the pitch and he never received a red card in his career. After his playing career ended with Ajax, Laudrup became a coach at age 36 when he started serving as an assistant coach for the Denmark national team head coach Morten Olsen in 2000. The national team would play

10200-621: Was the greatest." Another striker who benefitted from Laudrup's playmaking abilities was Real Madrid teammate Iván Zamorano, who called Laudrup " El Genio " ("The Genius," in Spanish) during Laudrup's time in the Spanish capital. Zamorano was going through a hard spell in Madrid, but when Laudrup arrived to assist his goals, Zamorano immediately became the top goalscorer of La Liga, winning the pichichi trophy; Zamorano himself credited Laudrup for his role in his increased goalscoring output, describing him as

10302-451: Was the third Spaniard in the team in that season in which they guided Vissel Kobe to win the 2019 Emperor's Cup . On 1 January 2020, first time finalist Vissel beat Kashima Antlers in the 2019 Emperor's Cup final at the recently opened New National Stadium to win the first title in the club history. The furthest Kobe had been in the Emperor's Cup was the semi-finals of 2000 and 2017. This

10404-471: Was −8.0 °C (17.6 °F) on 27 February 1981. Per Japanese census data, the population of Kurashiki in 2020 is 474,592 people. Kurashiki has been conducting censuses since 1960. The Kurashiki area is part of ancient Bitchū Province and near the center of the ancient Kingdom of Kibi . Records of human settlements date back to the Japanese Paleolithic period, more than 20,000 years ago, and

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