Rasmus Thelander
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Rasmus Thelander (born 9 July 1991) is a Danish professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a
centre-back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Defenders fall into four main categories: centre-backs, full-backs, sweepers ...
for
Danish Superliga The Danish Superliga (, ) is a professional association football league in Denmark and the highest level of the Danish football league system. The league is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams relegated. It is the current ...
club
Lyngby Kongens Lyngby (, Danish language, Danish for "the King's Heather Town"; short form Lyngby) is the seat and commercial centre of Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality in the northern suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. Lyngby Hovedgade is a busy shopping stre ...
. A tall and physically dominant defender, Thelander is known for his aerial strength, leadership qualities, and aggressive style of play. He began his senior career with
Akademisk Boldklub Akademisk Boldklub Gladsaxe (AB) is a Denmark, Danish professional football (soccer), football club from Gladsaxe north of Copenhagen, currently playing at the 3rd highest level of Danish domestic football in the Danish 2nd Division group 1. The ...
(AB) before moving to AaB, where he was part of the squad that won the
Danish Superliga The Danish Superliga (, ) is a professional association football league in Denmark and the highest level of the Danish football league system. The league is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams relegated. It is the current ...
and
Danish Cup The Danish Cup (; often referred to as Pokalen) is the official "single-elimination tournament, knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955. The winner will ...
double Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Multiplication by 2 * Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length * A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1 * A ...
in
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
. Over the course of his career, he has also played for clubs in Greece, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Hungary, including
Panathinaikos Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos (, literally in English: "Panathenaic Athletic Club" or Panathinaikos A.C.), also known simply as Panathinaikós , is a major Greek multi-sport club based in the City of Athens. Panathinaikos is one of the mos ...
and
FC Zürich Fussballclub Zürich, commonly abbreviated to FC Zürich or simply FCZ, is a professional football club based in Zurich, Switzerland. The club was founded in 1896 and has won the Swiss Super League thirteen times and the Swiss Cup ten times. ...
. Internationally, Thelander has represented Denmark at various youth levels.


Club career


Early years

Thelander was born in
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
and began his youth career at
Herlev IF Herlev Idrætsforening – Fodbold, also known as Herlev IF or HI-Fodbold, is a Danish football club located in the northwestern Copenhagen suburb, Herlev. The club is a member of the local association DBU Zealand under the Danish Football Associ ...
, later joining
Akademisk Boldklub Akademisk Boldklub Gladsaxe (AB) is a Denmark, Danish professional football (soccer), football club from Gladsaxe north of Copenhagen, currently playing at the 3rd highest level of Danish domestic football in the Danish 2nd Division group 1. The ...
(AB). He made his senior debut for AB in 2010, going on to make 41 appearances and score three goals over two seasons in the
Danish 1st Division The 1st Division (''1. Division'') is the second-highest football league in Denmark, also known as NordicBet Liga for sponsorship reasons. From 1945 to 1991, the 1. Division was the name of the highest level of football in Denmark. With the for ...
.


AaB

In June 2012, Thelander signed a two-year contract with Danish Superliga club AaB. During his first season at AaB, Thelander primarily served as a substitute. He established himself as a regular starter in the 2013–14 season following the departure of fellow defender Lasse Nielsen to Dutch club
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, which created a vacancy in the centre-back position. Thelander subsequently featured in every remaining league match of the season and contributed to AaB winning their first Danish Double. In the 2014
Danish Cup The Danish Cup (; often referred to as Pokalen) is the official "single-elimination tournament, knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955. The winner will ...
final, Thelander scored twice in a 4–2 victory over
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
, helping secure the club's cup triumph. His performance earned him the Danish Cup Fighter of the Year award (''Ã…rets Pokalfighter'').


Panathinaikos

In July 2015, Thelander joined
Super League Greece The Super League Greece 1 (), or Stoiximan Super League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Greece and the highest level of the Greek football league system. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and repla ...
club
Panathinaikos Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos (, literally in English: "Panathenaic Athletic Club" or Panathinaikos A.C.), also known simply as Panathinaikós , is a major Greek multi-sport club based in the City of Athens. Panathinaikos is one of the mos ...
on a three-year contract. The move followed his performances in AaB's 2013–14 domestic double-winning campaign. His transfer was reportedly facilitated by former Panathinaikos player
René Henriksen René Henriksen (; born 27 August 1969) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a defender for Danish club Akademisk Boldklub and Panathinaikos in Greece. Henriksen was capped 66 times for the Danish national team, and he re ...
, who recommended Thelander to the club's management. After missing the start of the 2015–16 season due to injury, Thelander made his debut on 23 September 2015 against
Levadiakos Levadiakos Football Club (officially romanized: ''Levadeiakos'' ) is a Greek professional football club that plays in the Super League Greece. Based in Livadeia, Greece, the club was promoted to the Alpha Ethniki, forerunner of the Super League, ...
. He scored his first goal for Panathinaikos in his third appearance, heading in the decisive goal in a 1–0 win over
Skoda Xanthi Xanthi Football Club () is a Greek Association football, football club based in Xanthi, Western Thrace. They play their home matches at Skoda Xanthi Arena Founded in 1967, Xanthi is well set up in terms of their financial support and youth set ...
on 3 October 2015. He became a regular starter in central defense but was sidelined for several weeks in late 2015 with injuries, including a knee problem. After returning in January 2016, Thelander completed the season with 21 appearances across all competitions, scoring once, as Panathinaikos finished second in the league. Thelander's 2016–17 season was disrupted by further injuries, limiting him to eight league appearances. Changes in management and increased competition for places further restricted his playing time. Amid financial difficulties at Panathinaikos, Thelander and several teammates, including
Michael Essien Michael Kojo Essien (born 3 December 1982) is a Ghanaian Association football, football coach and former player who is currently an assistant coach at Danish Superliga club FC Nordsjælland, Nordsjælland. During his prime he was regarded as on ...
, Jens Wemmer and
Niklas Hult Bo Niklas Hult (born 13 February 1990) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a left back for IF Elfsborg. Beginning his career with IFK Värnamo in 2008, he went on to represent IF Elfsborg, Nice, Panathinaikos, AEK Athens, and Hann ...
, went unpaid for extended periods. In July 2017, he filed an appeal to the
Hellenic Football Federation The Hellenic Football Federation (HFF), (), is the governing body of football in Greece. It contributes in the organisation of Super League Greece 2. It is also responsible for the organization of the Greek Cup, Gamma Ethniki (3rd ranked men's f ...
's financial disputes committee, seeking approximately €510,000 in unpaid wages and compensation. The committee ruled partly in his favour, awarding him €450,000. To avoid further sanctions, Panathinaikos later reached a settlement with Thelander in late 2017, agreeing to pay the awarded amount in installments.


FC Zürich

On 15 August 2017, Thelander signed a two-year contract with
Swiss Super League The Super League (also known as the Credit Suisse Super League for sponsorship reasons) is a professional association football league in Switzerland and the highest level of the Swiss football league system. It has been played in its current fo ...
club
FC Zürich Fussballclub Zürich, commonly abbreviated to FC Zürich or simply FCZ, is a professional football club based in Zurich, Switzerland. The club was founded in 1896 and has won the Swiss Super League thirteen times and the Swiss Cup ten times. ...
. He was brought in to strengthen the club's defence following their promotion to the top flight. He made his competitive debut for the club on 16 September, starting in a 3–0
Swiss Cup The Swiss Cup (; ; ; ) is a football cup competition that has been organised annually since 1925–26 season by the Swiss Football Association. The Swiss Cup final is usually the most important game of the year with a high attendance. The co ...
win over FC Bassersdorf. His league debut followed four days later, starting in a 1–1 away draw against
Lausanne-Sport Football Club Lausanne-Sport is a Swiss football club based in Lausanne in the canton of Vaud. Founded in 1896, Lausanne Sport compete in the top-tier Swiss Super League after being promoted in the 2022–23 Swiss Challenge League Season. The ...
. During the
2017–18 Swiss Super League The 2017–18 Swiss Super League (referred to as the '' Raiffeisen Super League'' for sponsoring reasons) was the 121st season of top-tier competitive football in Switzerland and the 15th under its current name and format. Basel were the defend ...
season, Thelander established himself as a regular starter, making 22 league appearances. He also featured prominently in the Swiss Cup, scoring one goal in three matches. Thelander contributed to Zürich's
2017–18 Swiss Cup The 2017–18 Swiss Cup is the 93rd season of Switzerland's annual football cup competition. The competition started on 12 August 2017 with the first games of Round 1 and ended on 27 May 2018 with the final. FC Basel were the defending champions, ...
triumph, starting in the final as the club defeated
BSC Young Boys Berner Sport Club Young Boys (YB by short abbreviation, ) is a Swiss professional sports club based in Bern, Switzerland. Its first team has won 17 Swiss league championships and eight Swiss Cups. YB is one of the most successful Swiss footbal ...
2–1. In the final, he made a crucial goal-line clearance with Zürich leading 1–0 and was subsequently named Man of the Match for his performance.


Vitesse

On 17 May 2018, it was announced that Thelander would join Dutch side Vitesse on a three-year deal in July 2018. On 26 July, he made his first appearance for Vitesse, starting in the first leg of their
UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
qualification round against
Viitorul Constanța ''Viitorul'' ("The Future") was a daily newspaper published in the Kingdom of Romania, out of Bucharest, as a central organ of the National Liberal Party (PNL). It was formed just months after peasants' revolt of March 1907, being originally li ...
. On 23 August, news broke that Thelander had broken his ankle, keeping him off the field for some months. However, due to a quick recovery, he made his comeback in the first team on 3 November in a 1–0 loss against
PSV Eindhoven Philips Sport Vereniging (; ), abbreviated as PSV and internationally known as PSV Eindhoven (), is a Dutch sports club from Eindhoven, Netherlands. It is best known for its professional association football, football department, which has pla ...
. He made just 13 appearances in his sole season in Arnhem.


Return to AaB

On 22 August 2019, Rasmus Thelander returned to AaB Fodbold, signing a three-year contract with the club he had left in 2015. He made his return debut on 26 August in a
Superliga Superliga (''super league'') may refer to: Sports Superliga can refer to different sports leagues: Association football *Albanian Superliga, the Albanian top-flight men's division * Argentine Superliga, the Argentine top-flight men's division *D ...
match against
AC Horsens Alliance Club Horsens (), commonly referred to as AC Horsens () or simply Horsens, is a Danish professional football club based in Horsens, Central Denmark Region. Founded in 1994, as a superstructure on Horsens fS (founded 1915), Stensballe ...
, coming on as a substitute for Kasper Pedersen in a 5–0 away victory. Upon rejoining, Thelander expressed his joy at coming back "home" to
Aalborg Aalborg or Ã…lborg ( , , ) is Denmark's List of cities and towns in Denmark, fourth largest urban settlement (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an Urban area, urban populati ...
, stating: "First and foremost, I am incredibly happy that it was possible to come home—and when I say home, I truly mean home; AaB and Aalborg is home for me." Thelander quickly re-established himself in AaB's defense. On 11 September 2019, he scored his first goal after rejoining the club, heading in the second goal of an 8–0 win over
Nørresundby FB Nørresundby Forenede Boldklubber (; commonly known as Nørresundby FB) is an association football club based in the town of Nørresundby, Aalborg Municipality, Denmark, that competes in the Denmark Series, the fifth tier of the Danish football le ...
in the
Danish Cup The Danish Cup (; often referred to as Pokalen) is the official "single-elimination tournament, knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955. The winner will ...
. That season he helped AaB reach the 2019–20 Danish Cup final, playing the full match as AaB finished runners-up after a 2–0 loss to
SønderjyskE SønderjyskE is a Denmark, Danish sport corporation. They have a Football (soccer), football team (SønderjyskE Fodbold, based in Haderslev), two team handball, handball teams (SønderjyskE Håndbold, one male based in Sønderborg, one female bas ...
in the final held in
Esbjerg Esbjerg (, ) is a seaport city and seat of Esbjerg Municipality on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. By road, it is west of Kolding and southwest of Aarhus. With an urban area, urban population of 71,554 (1 January ...
. In league play, Thelander was a regular starter and opened his scoring account in the Superliga on 26 June 2020, netting the opener in a 4–1 away win against AGF. By the end of the 2019–20 campaign, he had made his 100th appearance for AaB (across both spells) during a 2–1 victory over
Midtjylland The Central Denmark Region (), or more directly translated as the Central Jutland Region and sometimes simply Mid-Jutland, is an administrative region of Denmark established on 1 January 2007 as part of the 2007 Danish municipal reform. The refo ...
on the final day of the season. Thelander remained a key figure for AaB over the following two seasons, anchoring the back line and occasionally contributing goals. He scored three times in the 2021–22 Superliga—a career-high for a single league season—as AaB earned a top-six finish that year. In total, Thelander made 74 Superliga appearances and scored five goals in his second spell at AaB


Ferencváros

On 23 May 2022, Thelander joined defending Hungarian champions
Ferencváros Ferencváros (, ) is the 9th district of Budapest (), Hungary. Name The southern suburb of Pest was named after King Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, Francis I on 4 December 1792 when he was crowned king of Hungary. History The developmen ...
. He made his competitive debut on 27 July 2022, coming on as a late substitute in a 4–1 away victory over Slovan Bratislava in the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
second qualifying round. Over the following months, he also featured in domestic competitions, including three
Nemzeti Bajnokság I The Nemzeti Bajnokság (, ), also known as NB I or Fizz Liga after its title sponsor, OTP Bank's webshop subsidiary, is a professional association football league in Hungary and the highest level of the Hungarian football league system. Twelve ...
league matches and one cup tie for Ferencváros. However, Thelander's stint in
Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
was cut short. Citing family reasons, he requested an early release, and on 18 November 2022 Ferencváros agreed to terminate his contract by mutual consent. Reflecting on his time at the club and his departure, Thelander stated, "Ferencváros is a big club... It was special to work in such a high-level football environment... I am grateful to the club for accepting my request." He left having made seven competitive appearances for Ferencváros, scoring no goals.


Third spell at AaB

On 18 November 2022, Thelander returned to AaB for a third spell, signing a four-year contract with the Danish club after leaving
Ferencváros Ferencváros (, ) is the 9th district of Budapest (), Hungary. Name The southern suburb of Pest was named after King Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, Francis I on 4 December 1792 when he was crowned king of Hungary. History The developmen ...
. The move brought the 31-year-old defender back to the team where he had made 157 appearances in prior stints. He made his comeback debut as a starter in AaB's first match after the winter break, a 1–0 home defeat to AGF in February 2023. Despite Thelander's mid-season arrival, AaB endured a difficult 2022–23 campaign and were relegated from the Superliga in June 2023—the club's first relegation in 36 years. Thelander remained with AaB in the second-tier 1st Division and became a key figure in the 2023–24 promotion push. He made 28 league appearances that season and scored five goals, notably netting his first goals since rejoining with a brace of headers in a 4–0 victory over
Fredericia Fredericia () is a town located in Fredericia Municipality in the southeastern part of the Jutland peninsula in Denmark. The city is part of the Triangle Region Denmark, Triangle Region, which includes the neighbouring cities of Kolding and Vej ...
in August 2023. In March 2024, Thelander—by then captaining the side—scored another header in a crucial 3–2 away win at Fredericia that helped AaB reclaim first place and ultimately secure promotion back to the Superliga. Back in the top flight for the 2024–25 season, Thelander's role diminished under new head coach Menno van Dam. He was replaced as club captain ahead of the new season by
Mathias Jørgensen Mathias Jattah-Njie Jørgensen (; born 23 April 1990), commonly known by his mononymous nickname Zanka (), is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or right-back for Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy. Jørgensen began hi ...
. On 1 September 2024, with two years remaining on his deal, AaB announced that Thelander's contract had been terminated by mutual agreement. The club's sporting director, James Gow, praised Thelander's immense contribution—highlighting his influence in winning promotion—but acknowledged that they could not offer him the playing time he desired going forward. Reflecting on the departure, Thelander admitted: "It is no secret that I had thought it was at AaB I would finish my career, but as so many times before the football world is unpredictable, and therefore I now look forward to a new and exciting challenge."


Silkeborg

On the same day that he had his contract with AaB terminated, 1 September 2024, it was confirmed that Thelander had signed with fellow Danish Superliga club
Silkeborg Silkeborg () is a Denmark, Danish town with a population of 52,571 (1 January 2025).AGF in the Superliga. On 18 December, after nine appearances in the league and three in the
Danish Cup The Danish Cup (; often referred to as Pokalen) is the official "single-elimination tournament, knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955. The winner will ...
, Silkeborg announced that Thelander's contract would not be extended and he would be released by the club.


Lyngby

On 3 February 2025, on transfer deadline day, Danish Superliga side
Lyngby Kongens Lyngby (, Danish language, Danish for "the King's Heather Town"; short form Lyngby) is the seat and commercial centre of Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality in the northern suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. Lyngby Hovedgade is a busy shopping stre ...
announced the signing of Thelander on a deal until June 2026. On 9 March, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 away win against Silkeborg in the Superliga.


International career

Thelander has represented Denmark at the under-18, under-19 and under-20 levels, earning one cap in each category between 2009 and 2012. All three of his youth international appearances came in friendly matches, including a 2012 under-20 fixture against
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
in which Denmark lost 3–1.


Style of play

Thelander is a tall and physically strong
centre-back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Defenders fall into four main categories: centre-backs, full-backs, sweepers ...
, known for his aerial ability and tenacious style of play.
Allan Gaarde Allan Gaarde (born 25 January 1975) is a Danish former professional football player in the midfielder position, who played 227 games and scored 48 goals for AaB, and won the 1999 Danish Superliga championship with the club. He also played abroad ...
, former sporting director of AaB, described Thelander as a defender with a "huge fighting heart" and excellent heading ability both defensively and offensively. He has also shown leadership qualities, later captaining the side as they won promotion to the
Danish Superliga The Danish Superliga (, ) is a professional association football league in Denmark and the highest level of the Danish football league system. The league is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams relegated. It is the current ...
in
2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
. These attributes have made Thelander a commanding presence in defence, particularly effective in air duels and set-piece situations.


Career statistics


Honours

AaB *
Danish Superliga The Danish Superliga (, ) is a professional association football league in Denmark and the highest level of the Danish football league system. The league is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams relegated. It is the current ...
: 2013–14 *
Danish Cup The Danish Cup (; often referred to as Pokalen) is the official "single-elimination tournament, knockout" cup competition in Danish football, run by the Danish Football Association. The cup has been contested annually since 1955. The winner will ...
:
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
FC Zürich *
Swiss Cup The Swiss Cup (; ; ; ) is a football cup competition that has been organised annually since 1925–26 season by the Swiss Football Association. The Swiss Cup final is usually the most important game of the year with a high attendance. The co ...
: 2017–18 Individual *Danish Cup Fighter of the Year ''(årets pokalfighter)'':
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Thelander, Rasmus 1991 births Living people Danish men's footballers Danish expatriate men's footballers Denmark men's youth international footballers Footballers from Copenhagen Men's association football defenders Danish Superliga players Super League Greece players Swiss Super League players Eredivisie players Danish 1st Division players AaB Fodbold players Panathinaikos F.C. players FC Zürich players SBV Vitesse players Ferencvárosi TC footballers Silkeborg IF players Lyngby Boldklub players Expatriate men's footballers in Greece Expatriate men's footballers in Switzerland Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands Expatriate men's footballers in Hungary Danish expatriate sportspeople in Greece Danish expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland Danish expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands Danish expatriate sportspeople in Hungary 21st-century Danish sportsmen