Norway mourns Thorbjørn Svenssen
Sunday, January 9, 2011
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Former Sandefjord Fotball defender Thorbjørn Svenssen, Norway's most-capped player and the second man to reach 100 international appearances, has died of a stroke aged 86.
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Thorbjørn Svenssen – Norway's most-capped player – has died of a stroke aged 86.
Svenssen was nicknamed 'Klippen' (the Rock) for his solid performances in defence with both the national team and his only club, Sandefjord Fotball. In all he appeared 108 times for Norway between 1947 and 1962 – 93 of them as captain – the second man to earn a century of caps after England's Billy Wright. He never won a major trophy at club level but did play in two Norwegian Cup finals and after retirement had a stint as national youth coach.
Per Ravn Omdal, former Football Association of Norway (NFF) president and a member of the UEFA Executive Committee, said: "He was one of the best Norwegian players in our history. In the 1950s he was seen as one of Europe's best centre-halves. He played hard, but fair, and was especially good in the air."
