Thorup hired as new Denmark Under-21 coach
Thursday, February 21, 2013
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Jess Thorup has been appointed the new coach of Denmark's Under-21 side, replacing Morten Wieghorst, and will take charge in June when his contract at Esbjerg fB expires.
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Esbjerg fB coach Jess Thorup has been named as the new man to take charge of Denmark's Under-21 team.
Thorup, 43 today, will replace Morten Wieghorst who has joined Swansea City AFC as assistant coach to Michael Laudrup. He will take the helm in June when his contract with Esbjerg expires. "I was very happy when I was approached by the DBU [Danish Football Association] regarding the Under-21 side," he said. "It is a big challenge as I will be responsible for working with Danish football's biggest talents before they step up to the seniors."
John Helt, the DBU's head of national teams, added: "In Jess Thorup we've got a relatively newly educated coach with a lot of experience as a player at the highest level, both at home and abroad [in Germany, Austria and Norway]. He played international club matches and has had time as a head coach and as an assistant." Finals hosts in 2011, Denmark missed out on this summer's tournament in Israel. They have been drawn against Russia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Andorra and Estonia in qualifying for the 2013–15 UEFA European U21 Championship.
