Olof Mellberg
Personal information
Full name	Erik Olof Mellberg
Date of birth	September 3, 1977 (1977-09-03) (age 30)
Place of birth	Gullspång, Sweden
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current club	Aston Villa
Number	-
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
-1996 1996–1997 1997–1998 1998–2001 2001–2008 2008-	Gullspång Degerfors AIK Racing Santander Aston Villa Juventus	047 (0) 017 (0) 098 (0) 232 (8)
National team2
2000–	Sweden	081 (4)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14:52, 20 April 2008 (UTC). 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 12:00, 2 June 2008 (UTC). * Appearances (Goals)

Erik Olof Mellberg (IPA: ['uːˌlɔf 'mɛlˌbærj]) (born September 3, 1977 in Amnehärad, Gullspång) is a Swedish football player who will move from Aston Villa to Juventus at the end of his current contract. He generally plays as a central defender or right-back. Mellberg is an established player for the Swedish national team, and used to captain the side but stepped down from the role after the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Shortly thereafter, he also abdicated as team captain of his club team.

Club career

Early career

Mellberg played for local side Gullspång before being picked up by then Swedish Premiership side Degerfors IF. After being relegated he joined capital club AIK, where he made an instant impression and was sold after just 10 months. Spanish side Racing Santander moved to secure the promising Swedish centre half, and although having a difficult time adjusting to Spanish football he soon claimed a starting berth and impressed in his first season. Continuing to play well, Mellberg was said to be on his way to several big Spanish sides, including Barcelona and Valencia.

Aston Villa

Mellberg playing for Aston Villa.

However, Aston Villa managed to secure his signature and ever since joining the Birmingham-based club he has been a vital part of the team.^[1] Mellberg was left out of boss David O'Leary's first side for a game against Portsmouth, but was soon made the captain of the club for the rest of his reign. Mellberg was a vital part of the team that finished 6th in the Premiership and reached the semi-finals of the league cup in O'Leary's first season.

Mellberg resigned as captain following the 2006 World Cup—he was replaced by Gareth Barry. In 2007 the new manager of Aston Villa, Martin O'Neill, continued to consider Mellberg as the first choice centre back. On the opening day of the 2006–07 Premiership season Mellberg became the first person to score in a competitive game at Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium. During the 2007–08 season, he played at the right back position following the purchase of Zat Knight, who played alongside Martin Laursen at centre back. Mellberg was sent off against Portsmouth on 15 March 2008 for two bookable offences.

In January 2008 it was announced that Mellberg had signed a pre-contract agreement with Juventus. His final home game for Aston Villa was against Wigan Athletic on 3 May 2008. The game was designated as "Olof Mellberg" day in appreciation of his service to the club. On his final game for Aston Villa away at West Ham United, as a leaving gift, Mellberg gave every single Villa fan at Upton Park either a home or an away shirt with his name and number on the back and the message Thanks 4 Your Support - being the number 4 of Aston Villa^[2]. He also said he would frame the kit which he used on his last ever Aston Villa game - the game against West Ham^[3].

Juventus

In January 2008 it was confirmed that Mellberg had signed a pre-contract agreement with Italian giants Juventus, allowing him a Bosman move to Serie A on a three-year contract for the start of the 2008-09 season.^[4]

International career

Mellberg was a member of the Sweden national football team in the 2002 FIFA World Cup and 2006 FIFA World Cup, as well as the Euro 2000 and Euro 2004. Mellberg will return to the team for the Euro 2008. He has scored 4 goals in 77 caps, as of October 2007.

During a public practice before the World Championships in 2002, Mellberg broke into a fight with Arsenal's Fredrik Ljungberg, after a robust tackle from Mellberg.^[5] The two of them were quickly separated by team-mates. Since then, the two of them have been known for not being the best of friends, and in the World Cup 2006, Mellberg and Ljungberg, according to leak from inside the team, had a very fiery argument, after Sweden's draw with Trinidad and Tobago.^[6]

In 2003, he was selected as the best Swedish player of the year, winning the Guldbollen.

On September 4, 2006, Mellberg, along with Sweden teammates Zlatan Ibrahimović and Christian Wilhelmsson, was sent home from the national squad for breaking an 11 pm curfew ahead of a European Championships qualifier against Liechtenstein.^[7] On October 7, 2006, Mellberg returned to Sweden's lineup for their European Championships qualifier against Spain, which they won 2-0.^[8]

Personal life

Although he isn't married, Mellberg has two children by long term partner Carolina Kihl. Daughter Saga was born in December 2002 and son John was born in July 2006. Mellberg and his family currently live in Sutton Coldfield in the Midlands, England.

Honours / Achievements

Aston Villa

• Intertoto Cup Winners (2001)

Personal

• Swedish player of the year (Guldbollen) (2003)

References