Birger Jensen

Birger Quistorff Jensen (Danish pronunciation: [ˈpiɐ̯ˀwɐ ˈjensn̩]; 1 March 1951 – 4 April 2023) was a Danish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, spending most of his career with Belgian club Club Brugge.

Birger Jensen

Jensen with Club Brugge
Personal information
Full name	Birger Quistorff Jensen
Date of birth	(1951-03-01)1 March 1951
Place of birth	Copenhagen, Denmark
Date of death	4 April 2023(2023-04-04) (aged 72)
Place of death	Brugge, Belgium
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1971–1974	B 1903
1974–1988	Club Brugge	328	(0)
1988	Lierse	3	(0)
1989	RKC	6	(0)
International career
1973–1979	Denmark	19	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Jensen started his career with Danish club B 1903, before moving abroad to play professionally with Club Brugge in 1974. With Club Brugge, he won five Belgian First Division championships and two Belgian Cups.^[1] He reached 1976 UEFA Cup Final and the 1978 European Cup Final and lost both to English side Liverpool.^[2] After his brilliant display in the final of the 1978 European Cup, the international press called him the best goalkeeper in the world.^[3] He played a total of 390 games for the Belgian side in all competitions and scored two goals.One of this was a penalty kick goal vs Tottenham.

He left Club Brugge in 1988, and went on to play for Belgian club Lierse SK and Dutch club RKC Waalwijk, before ending his career back in Belgium with amateur side FC Varsenare.

International career

Jensen made his debut for Denmark in a September 1973 Nordic Football Championship match away against Norway and earned a total of 19 caps, scoring no goals. His final international was a November 1979 friendly match away against Spain.^[4]

Death

Jensen died in April 2023, at the age of 72.^[5]

Honours

Player

Club Brugge^[6]

• Belgian First Division: 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1987–88
• Belgian Cup: 1976–77, 1985–86; runner-up 1978–79, 1982–83^[7]
• Belgian Supercup: 1980, 1986
• UEFA Cup runner-up: 1975–76^[8]
• European Champion Clubs' Cup runner-up: 1977–78^[9]
• Jules Pappaert Cup: 1978^[10]
• Bruges Matins: 1979, 1981, 1984^[11]
• Japan Cup Kirin World Soccer: 1981^[12]