Kristian Bach Bak
{{short description|Danish footballer (born 1982)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Kristian Bach Bak
| image = Kristian Bak 20120312.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| height = 1.82 m
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1982|10|20}}
| birth_place = Kibæk, Denmark
| currentclub = Midtjylland (assistant)
| clubnumber =
| position = Centre-back, Right-back
| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–1998 | youthclubs1 = Kibæk IF
| youthyears2 = 1998–2000 | youthclubs2 = Ikast fS
| years1 = 2000–2007 | clubs1 = Midtjylland | caps1 = 138 | goals1 = 8
| years2 = 2007–2010 | clubs2 = Heerenveen | caps2 = 72 | goals2 = 6
| years3 = 2010–2016 | clubs3 = Midtjylland | caps3 = 122 | goals3 = 9
| totalcaps = 332 | totalgoals = 23
| nationalyears1 = 2003 | nationalteam1 = Denmark U21 | nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0
| manageryears1 = 2016–
| managerclubs1 = Midtjylland (assistant)
}}
Kristian Bach Bak (né Bak Nielsen; born 20 October 1982) is a Danish former professional footballer. Bak usually played centre-back, but he has a past as a striker. He has played one game for the Danish under-21 national team.
Club career
=Midtjylland=
Born in Kibæk, Herning Municipality, Bak's first football club was Kibæk IF, but he already started began playing in the youth department of Ikast fS at age 16.{{cite news |last1=Aaes |first1=Jette |title=Genetisk guldglæde i fodboldglad familie fra Midtjylland |url=https://www.ikast-brandenyt.dk/artikel/11cfdc71-53d8-4945-9216-aac305b036ae/ |work=Ikast-BrandeNyt |date=2 June 2018 |language=da}} Ikast fS later merged with Herning Fremad and created FC Midtjylland.
Bak started his senior career with Midtjylland in 2000. He helped the club win the 1999–2000 Danish 1st Division and gain promotion to the Danish Superliga.{{cite news |title=FC Midtjylland op i Superligaen |url=https://www.bt.dk/sport/fc-midtjylland-op-i-superligaen |work=B.T. |date=28 May 2000 |language=da}} In his first years at the club, he played as a striker, but eventually settled as a centre-back.{{cite news |last1=Egelund |first1=Klaus |title=Forsvarsgeneral mod sin vilje |url=https://ekstrabladet.dk/sport/fodbold/dansk_fodbold/article3232237.ece |work=ekstrabladet.dk |date=18 July 2003 |language=da}}
He played all Midtjylland's matches during the 2003–04 Danish Superliga season and was rewarded with a new contract in November 2004, keeping him at the club until 2007.{{cite news |last1=Johansen |first1=Carsten |title=FC Midtjylland forlænger med Kristian Bak |url=https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/fc-midtjylland-forlaenger-med-kristian-bak/ |work=bold.dk |date=1 November 2004 |language=da}} In 2005, he became the club's captain.{{cite news |title=Tabellens tidlige tale |url=https://www.berlingske.dk/sport/tabellens-tidlige-tale |work=Berlingske Tidende |date=24 October 2005 |language=da}}
=Heerenveen=
On 19 June 2007, Bak signed a four-year contract with the Dutch Eredivisie club SC Heerenveen.{{cite news |last1=Bové |first1=Christian |title=Kristian Bak skal til Heerenveen - TV 2 |url=https://sport.tv2.dk/fodbold/2007-06-19-kristian-bak-skal-til-heerenveen |work=sport.tv2.dk |date=19 June 2007 |language=da-DK}} He was sidelined with an ankle injury from the end of the December 2007.{{cite news |title=Bak Nielsen mist rest van seizoen |url=https://www.nu.nl/sport/1425420/bak-nielsen-mist-rest-van-seizoen.html |work=NU |date=7 February 2008 |language=nl}} He made his league return on 5 October 2008 in a 5–2 win over Ajax.{{cite news |title=SC Heerenveen geeft bedroevend Ajax pak slaag |url=https://www.fcupdate.nl/voetbalnieuws/105321/sc-heerenveen-geeft-bedroevend-ajax-pak-slaag/ |work=FCUpdate.nl |date=5 October 2008 |language=nl}} He played a total of 72 league matches for Heerenveen through three seasons.{{cite web |title=Kristian Bach Bak |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/kristian-bach-bak/ |website=worldfootball.net |access-date=26 December 2021 |language=en}} On 10 February 2010 he was fined €1,000 by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) prosecutor for allegations against referee Kevin Blom. Bak was also given a conditional suspension of one match. He had claimed after a 2–1 loss to ADO Den Haag that Blom had deliberately let the opponent win: "After the 1–1, I asked Blom what he was doing. He said he wanted ADO to win," he told on the Heerenveen website.{{cite news |title=Bak Nielsen: Blom hoopte dat ADO zou winnen |url=https://www.fcupdate.nl/voetbalnieuws/138052/bak-nielsen-blom-hoopte-dat-ado-zou-winnen/ |work=FCUpdate.nl |date=31 January 2010 |language=nl}}{{cite news |title=Geldboete Bak Nielsen na uitlatingen |url=https://nos.nl/artikel/135720-geldboete-bak-nielsen-na-uitlatingen |work=nos.nl |date=10 February 2010 |language=nl}}
=Return to Midtjylland=
In August 2010, Bak returned to Midtjylland on a four-year deal.{{cite news |last1=Fink |first1=Lars |title=Kristian Bak vender hjem til FCM - TV 2 |url=https://sport.tv2.dk/2010-08-05-kristian-bak-vender-hjem-til-fcm |work=sport.tv2.dk |date=5 August 2010 |language=da-DK}} On 21 May 2015, he won the first national title of his career, winning the Superliga after a 0–0 draw against Vestsjælland.[https://web.archive.org/web/20150525030333/http://www.fifa.com/world-match-centre/nationalleagues/nationalleague=denmark-superligaen-2000000014/news/newsid/260/742/0/ FIFA.com]
International career
Bak was first called up for the Danish under-21 national team in October 2003.{{cite news |title=U21-landsholdet svækket før skæbnekamp |url=https://fyens.dk/artikel/u21-landsholdet-sv%C3%A6kket-f%C3%B8r-sk%C3%A6bnekamp-2003-11-19 |work=fyens.dk |date=19 November 2003 |language=da}} He played a single under-21 national match, against the Bosnia and Herzegovina under-21s. He replaced Thomas Kahlenberg in the extra time of the second half, in a match which Denmark won 3–0.{{cite news |title=U/21-landsholdet sikret playoff-plads |url=https://www.berlingske.dk/sport/u21-landsholdet-sikret-playoff-plads |work=Berlingske Tidende |date=10 October 2003 |language=da}}{{cite news |last1=Hansen |first1=Henning |title=Silberbauers søde hævn |url=https://nordjyske.dk/nyheder/silberbauers-soede-haevn/5c8712e6-cd39-4264-9788-7c8b6742625b |work=nordjyske.dk |date=11 October 2003 |language=da}}
On 20 November 2006, he was called up for the Denmark League XI, playing unofficial games against the United States, El Salvador and Honduras in January 2007, by national team manager Morten Olsen.{{cite news |last1=Panum |first1=Jacob |title=Kristian Bak på Ligalandsholdet |url=https://www.dr.dk/sporten/fodbold/landsholdet/kristian-bak-paa-ligalandsholdet |work=DR |date=12 January 2006 |language=da}} He was called up for the Danish national team in March 2007 as a replacement for the injured Per Nielsen.{{cite news |last1=Hare |first1=Hans-Henrik Hybholt |title=Per Nielsen forlader landsholdet |url=https://ekstrabladet.dk/sport/fodbold/landsholdsfodbold/article4407198.ece |work=ekstrabladet.dk |date=22 March 2007 |language=da}}
Coaching and later career
After he retired from football in 2016, he was announced as the new assistant coach of the club.{{cite news |last1=Blond |first1=Mikael |title=Bak stopper og bliver FCM-assistent |url=https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/bak-stopper-og-bliver-fcm-assistent/ |work=bold.dk |date=23 May 2016 |language=da}}
In May 2019, Bak joined Denmark Series 4 amateur club TIF All Stars.[https://www.facebook.com/tifallstars/posts/402249133709710?comment_id=402260080375282&reply_comment_id=402272747040682&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D TIF All Stars skriver kontrakt med Kristian Bach Bak], facebook.com, 26 May 2019
In June 2022, Bak changed position in Midtjylland to assistant Sporting Director.{{cite news |last1=Schmidt |first1=Martin |title=FCM hyrer Silberbauer - forfremmer Bach Bak |url=https://bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/fcm-hyrer-silberbauer--forfremmer-bach-bak/ |work=bold.dk |date=9 August 2022 |language=da}}
Personal life
Bak married Diana Bach on 16 November 2013,{{cite web |title=BRYLLUPS PROGRAM |url=http://www.bachbak.dk/248634201 |website=backbak.dk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160518104626/http://www.bachbak.dk/248634201 |archive-date=18 May 2016 |language=da |date=16 November 2013}} and on that occasion changed his name from Kristian Bak Nielsen to Kristian Bach Bak.{{cite news |last1=Sloth |first1=Peter |title=Er dette fodboldhistoriens pudsigste navn? |url=https://ekstrabladet.dk/sport/fodbold/dansk_fodbold/superligaen/fc_midtjylland/article4657997.ece |work=ekstrabladet.dk |date=23 February 2014 |language=da}}
Honours
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [http://www.fcm.dk/index.php?ID=6&holdID=3&spillerID=20&mode=spillerinfo&topID=5 FC Midtjylland profile] {{in lang|da}}
- {{DBU player|4535}}
- {{drdkstat|359673|archive=20070309085943}}
- [http://www.vi.nl/Spelers/Speler/Kristian-Bak-Nielsen.htm Voetbal International profile] {{in lang|nl}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box|before= Mikkel Thygesen|title=FC Midtjylland captain|years=2011–2016|after=Jakob Poulsen}}
{{end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bach Bak, Kristian}}
Category:Danish men's footballers
Category:Denmark men's under-21 international footballers
Category:FC Midtjylland players
Category:SC Heerenveen players
Category:Danish Superliga players
Category:Danish expatriate men's footballers
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands
Category:Danish expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:Sportspeople from Herning Municipality