Welcome to Last Word on Football\u2019s \u2018Families in Football\u2019 series. Over the next few weeks, we take a look at siblings, cousins, and even parents and children that have played the beautiful game. Some have played cup finals together while others have been on opposing sides. Today we look at Michael and Brian Laudrup, arguably the most talented brothers in football history.<\/p>\n
Voted the greatest ever Danish footballer in 2006, Michael Laudrup\u2019s career began in his homeland, very early being earmarked as a superstar in waiting.<\/p>\n
His first-team debut came with KB in 1981 at the age of 16 before a return to Brondby the following season. He replaced his father, Finn, in the lineup, who had retired at the end of the prior campaign.<\/p>\n
Quickly, Michael became the best player in the country, scoring 24 goals in two seasons and landing his first of two Danish Player of the Year awards in 1982 \u2013 the youngest in history at just 18 years of age. He later won a second in 1985.<\/p>\n
His performances inevitably caught the eye of Europe\u2019s biggest clubs. A move to Liverpool<\/a> was cancelled at the last minute, meaning Michael instead linked up with Italian giants Juventus<\/a> in 1983.<\/p>\n At the time, restrictions on the number of foreign players allowed in matchday squads were imposed in most leagues. Upon arrival in Turin, there was already two established non-Italian stars in the Old Lady\u2019s<\/em> ranks, namely French maestro Michel Platini. As a result, Laudrup spent two years on loan with fellow Serie A side Lazio.<\/p>\n Despite scoring twice on his debut, the Dane joined the Biancoclesti<\/em> in a darker period of their history. Relegation came in his second and last season in the capital.<\/p>\n Laudrup returned to reigning European Champions Juventus in 1985, replacing Polish midfielder Zbigniew Boniek as a foreign player and linking up with the now three-time Ballon d\u2019Or winner Platini.<\/p>\n Working under Giovanni Trappatoni, the two dovetailed to great effect, landing the league title in 1985\/86 \u2013 the first of seven in Laudrup\u2019s career.<\/p>\n Trappatoni and Platini departed in back to back summers, leaving Laudrup to take centre stage at a club in transition. He, and new signing Ian Rush<\/a>, struggled and no further trophies came by the time he left for pastures new in 1989.<\/p>\n At odds with the defensive Serie A, Laudrup found his spiritual home in Barcelona<\/a> under the tutelage of his idol Johan Cruyff<\/a>.<\/p>\n A player born to play \u201cTotal Football\u201d, he thrived in the so-called ‘dream team’ and was integral in the Catalan\u2019s four-in-a-row league dominance (1990\/91 to 1993\/94) and capture of the club\u2019s first European Cup in 1992.<\/p>\n However, once again those pesky foreign restrictions got in the way, as Cruyff was made to pick three from a brilliant four of Laudrup, Romario, Ronald Koeman and Hristo Stoichkov.<\/p>\n This led to the Dane departing the Nou Camp in 1994, much to the disappointment of Los Cules<\/em>\u2019 fans.<\/p>\n Shockingly he crossed the El Clasico<\/em> divide and signed for Real Madrid<\/a>, a team Laudrup had regularly tormented in past years including a 5-0 thumping in his final season at Barca.<\/p>\n The upper hand in the rivalry moved with Laudrup as La Liga went to the Bernabeu in 1994\/95. His impact was crystallised by a reversal of that 5-0 scoreline in favour of Los Blancos<\/em>.<\/p>\n His time at Real also saw the emergence of Raul as the successor to his throne \u2013 Laudrup assisted the Spaniard\u2019s first senior goal, before handing over the keys to the kingdom.<\/p>\n He remains arguably the only player to have hero status on both sides of the rivalry.<\/p>\n Leaving Spain in 1996, Laudrup spent 18 months sipping sake in Japan with Vissel Kobe before a fitting swansong with Ajax in the 1997\/98 season, bowing out with a Dutch league and cup double.<\/p>\n At international level Laudrup was the star player of a golden age in Danish football, making his debut in 1982 on his 18th<\/sup> birthday. Across 16 years, he made 104 appearances, 28 of which he was captain for, scoring 37 goals.<\/p>\n He appeared at three European Championships and three World Cups, starring in 1986 and retiring from the game as captain after a quarter-final exit in 1998.<\/p>\n For most players, the shadow of a brilliant older brother would be too much to overcome, but not Brian Laudrup.<\/p>\n Like his father and brother, he played for Brondby in the 1980s, making his debut in 1986 aged 17.<\/p>\n Alongside fellow future Danish icon Peter Schmeichel<\/a>, Brian starred in back-to-back league title successes in 1987 and 1988. His four seasons at Brondby coincided with the first of four Danish Player of the Year awards in 1988.<\/p>\n Laudrup left Denmark for Germany in 1989, first spending a season with Bayer Uerdingen, a now-relic of the Bundesliga era.<\/p>\n He instantly impressed, catching the attention of Bayern Munich<\/a> who paid, at the time, a record league transfer fee to bring the Dane to Bavaria.<\/p>\n His two seasons with the German giants saw contrasting fortunes for both himself and the club.<\/p>\n In 1990\/91, he was instrumental in Bayern\u2019s push to the European Cup semi-finals, becoming hugely popular across the country in the process \u2013 extremely rare for any Bayern player.<\/p>\n The 1991\/92 campaign was marred by a knee injury and he sat in the stands as Bayern descended into chaos, finishing in a lowly tenth\u00a0position.<\/p>\n As was the norm at the time, Laudrup saw Italy as his calling and signed for Fiorentina in advance of the 1992\/93 season. He joined stars such as Gabriel Batistuta, Stefan Effenberg and Dunga.<\/p>\n The Viola couldn\u2019t stay up and suffered a shock relegation, bringing an end to Laudrup\u2019s time in Florence.<\/p>\n He moved north to Fabio Capello\u2019s all-conquering AC Milan<\/a> on loan but struggled to break into the side. Like his brother, Brian fell afoul of restrictions on foreign players, meaning he played just nine league games all season.<\/p>\n At a crossroads in his club career, Laudrup was offered an escape route by Walter Smith\u2019s free-spending Rangers<\/a>. In what he described as the \u201cfour best years of his career\u201d, the Dane won multiple team and individual honours and played alongside fellow genius Paul Gascoigne.<\/p>\n Three league titles came as Rangers equalled Celtic\u2019s nine-in-a-row, accompanied by both domestic cups \u2013 Laudrup provided two goals and three assists in the Scottish Cup final triumph in 1996.<\/p>\n Two Scottish Player of the Year awards were recognition of his status as the best player in the league.<\/p>\nBrian Laudrup\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n