Nils Nielsen

Early career

After hopes of a playing career were ended through serious injury, Nielsen turned his attention to coaching. At 20 years old, Nielsen received special dispensation from the Danish FA to take his UEFA A Licence. In the early years of his career, he held various academy coaching roles with FC Copenhagen, Aalborg BK, Odense Boldklub, Brøndby IF, and Akademisk Boldklub Gladsaxe. He also worked with the Danish Football Federation’s U15 and U16 boys’ teams. In 2011, Nielsen was appointed as the head coach of Denmark men’s national U18 team.

Denmark Women

In 2013, Nielsen moved into women's football as the head coach of Denmark women's national team. At UEFA Women's Euro 2017, he led the team to their first major tournament final after securing a 2–1 quarter-final victory over defending champions Germany. Following a penalty shootout win over Austria in the semi-finals, Denmark advanced to the final. Despite a 4–2 defeat to the Netherlands at the De Grolsch Veste in Enschede, the runner-up finish remains the Danish women’s national team’s most successful result in a major competition. Following this achievement, Nielsen was named the runner-up for the 2017 The Best FIFA Women's Coach award.

China U20 Women

In early 2018, Nielsen joined Peter Bonde in China to serve as the assistant coach for the China women's national under-20 team, helping them prepare for the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in France.

Switzerland Women

In…

Nielsen was born in Greenland, to Danish parents who worked as teachers. During his early years, Nielsen lived in a small village of only 25 inhabitants. After his parents separated when he was five years old, Nielsen moved back to mainland Denmark with his mother. Born with back problems, Nielsen was medically advised against playing football. He defied these warnings by undertaking muscular strength training to compensate for the condition and played at a high youth level. However, during a match, he fell into an advertising hoarding and broke a vertebra in his spine. Although he narrowly avoided paraplegia, the injury ended his hopes of a professional playing career. He subsequently turned to coaching, earning his UEFA A Licence at the age of 20, and studied Physiology at the University of Copenhagen. Beyond football, Nielsen is a published author of a teenage fiction novel. Under the title Ud af skyggen (translated into English in 2026 as Out of the shadows), the novel explores themes of football, friendship, and gambling.

Denmark Women

UEFA European Women's Championship runner-up: 2017 Japan Women

SheBelieves Cup: 2025 AFC Women's Asian Cup: 2026 Individual

The Best FIFA Women's Coach runner-up: 2017