Allan Gaarde

AaB and brief Udinese stint

Born in Grindsted, Gaarde started playing with a local amateur club at the age of five. He played youth football with Vejle, but did not like the atmosphere in the team, and decided to end his dream of a professional career at the age of 16. He returned to amateur football in Grindsted. At the age of 20, Gaarde was poised to start an academic education, when an offer from lower-league Denmark Series club Vejen prompted him to reignite his footballing career instead. He helped the club win promotion for the Danish 2nd Division, and was approached by a number of Danish clubs in the Summer 1997. He turned professional at the age of 22, as he signed a contract with top-flight club AaB before the 1997–98 Superliga season. He was signed to replace retired defender Ib Simonsen, though Gaarde made it clear that his favoured position was in midfield. Gaarde had a remarkable start at Aalborg BK. In the 1997 UEFA Intertoto Cup, the club lost a game 8–2 to Dutch club SC Heerenveen, and Gaarde was promptly moved to the midfield. In his Superliga debut on 27 July 1997, Gaarde was sent off in a 0–0 draw with Odense BK. Despite the negatives, Gaarde quickly established himself in the team, as he played 31 of 33 league games and scored six goals in his first season with Aalborg BK. One of his most remarkable games came in a game against Vejle Boldklub in October 1998. Aalborg was down 2–0 when Gaarde came on as a substitute in the 60th minute and promptly…

Three years later in 2013 Gaarde became sports director in his old club AaB. With Gaarde as sports director AaB won the Danish Superliga and the Danish Cup in 2014. It was first time in history that the club secured The Double. Gaarde was also the man behind the biggest sale in the history of AaB when Christian Bassogog made a transfer from AaB to Chinese Henan Jianye.

As player

AaB

Danish Superliga: 1998–99

As sports director

AaB

Danish Superliga: 2013–14 Danish Cup: 2013–14