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Although the Danish Football Association (DBU) was founded in 1889, it
wasn't until 1908 that an official Denmark national football team
emerged, making its debut in that year's Olympic Games hosted in
England. As Denmark's professional football governing body, the DBU is
a founding member of both FIFA and UEFA. But despite it long football
heritage, it wasn't until the 1980s that the Denmark national football
team began to make its mark internationally.
In 1986 the Danish national football team qualified for the FIFA World
Cup for the first time ever, and even succeeded in making it to the
final 16, ultimately finishing in ninth place. The side garnered much
attention during the tournament, which was hosted by Mexico, as it
negotiated its way through Group E (nicknamed the 'Group of Death')
with a perfect record, dispatching Scotland, Uruguay and even one of
the big favorites, West Germany. However, Denmark's winning streak
ended in the second round when they were defeated 5-1 by Spain.
In 1992, Denmark celebrated probably its finest football moment to date
when it won the UEFA European Football Championship in Sweden. And in
1998, the Denmark national football team made it all the way to the
quarter finals of the World Cup in France, ultimately finishing in
eighth place. They were knocked out by Brazil 3-2 in what was arguably
one of the most exciting games of the tournament. In the 2002 World Cup
hosted in South Korea and Japan, the Danish national football squad
once again made it to the final 16, where it ultimately finished in
tenth place, dispatched 3-0 by England.
And in 2009 the Denmark national football team qualified for the 2010
World Cup in South Africa. It will be led by long-time head coach,
Morten Olsen, who has coached the side since 2000, which is why one of
the squad's more popular nicknames is Olsens Elleve (Olsen's Eleven).
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