Club Career
Born in Vordingborg, Morten Olsen started playing youth football at the local club in 1957. He started his career playing as a right winger. In 1970, at 20 years of age, he was brought to B 1901 in the top-flight Danish 1st Division championship by coach Kurt "Nikkelaj" Nielsen. At B 1901, Olsen was moved from right winger to central midfielder, in order to accommodate another right winger in the squad.
Olsen played three seasons at B 1901, before he moved abroad to play professionally with Belgian club Cercle Brugge K.S.V. in 1972, who had been promoted to the top-flight Belgian First Division championship one year earlier. At Brugge, Olsen played alongside fellow Danish international Benny Nielsen, who had recommended Olsen to Brugge manager Urbain Braems. In Olsen's first year with the club, Cercle Brugge finished in 11th place in the 1972–73 Belgian First Division and went on to establish itself in the mid-table. While at Brugge, Olsen was used as a multi-purpose player, playing every position except from goalkeeper. In 1976, Olsen moved to league rivals R.W.D. Molenbeek, who had won the 1974–75 Belgian First Division. Olsen joined Danish internationals Benny Nielsen and Kresten Bjerre at Molenbeek. His time at Molenbeek featured even better league results, and consistent finishes in the top third of the league.
In 1980, Olsen moved to 16-time Belgian champions R.S.C. Anderlecht, to play alongside Danish internationals Benny Nielsen and Kenneth Brylle. At Anderlecht, Olsen won his first trophy of his senior career. In his first year at Anderlecht, the club won the 1979–80 Belgian First Division, conceding only 24 goals in 34 games. Olsen played six years at Anderlecht, winning three Belgian championships with the club, and he was eventually named Anderlecht team captain. During most of 1982, Olsen suffered from a severe shin injury, which prompted Anderlecht manager Tomislav Ivic to move him back from the midfield into the libero position. As the libero at Anderlecht, Olsen controlled an aggressive form of off-side trap, which had 3–4 players converge towards the ball-possessing player as the off-side trap was sprung, in order to prevent the ball-possessing player from countering the off-side by dribbling on his own.
Olsen was a part of the Anderlecht team which beat Portuguese team FC Porto and Spanish team Valencia CF, among others, to reach the final game of the international 1982–83 UEFA Cup tournament. Anderlecht faced Portuguese team S.L. Benfica in the final, and won 2–1 on aggregate score. Olsen was subsequently named 1983 Danish Player of the Year. Anderlecht also reached the 1983–84 UEFA Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur from England. Olsen scored a goal in the first leg, but missed his shot in the deciding penalty shoot-out which Tottenham won.
36 years old, Olsen left Anderlecht following the 1986 World Cup. He moved to Germany, to play for 1. FC Köln in the Fußball-Bundesliga. While at Köln, Olsen was moved back to his previous defensive midfield position. He helped Köln reach third and second place finishes in the 1987–88 and 1988–89 Bundesliga seasons respectively. Olsen played 80 games and scored two goals for Köln in the Bundesliga, before retiring from his active career in June 1989, 39 years of age.
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