Kurt "Nikkelaj" Nielsen

Who was Kurt "Nikkelaj" Nielsen?

Kurt Børge Nikolaj "Nikkelaj" Nielsen was a Danish professional football player and manager, who most prominently coached the Danish national football team from 1976 to 1979.

He started his career for Danish club Skovshoved IF, before he moved abroad to play professionally for French clubs Olympique de Marseille and AS Aix. He played three matches and scored three goals for the Danish national team during 1952 and 1953, before his professional career hindered further games. Following his retirement in 1956, Nikkelaj coached a number of Danish clubs, before he was appointed Danish national team manager in 1976. He coached Denmark to 13 wins in his 31 games in charge, but did not manage to qualify Denmark for any major tournaments.