Egil Olsen[]
Egil Roger Olsen (born April 22, 1942) is a Wellington boot wearing ex-Wimbledon boss who fell victim to the Crazy Gang.
Olsen beats Brazil[]
Olsen made his name as coach of the Norwegian national side. His crowning achievement was a baffling victory over a fifth-string Brazil in 1998 World Cup Group A. While Olsen hailed ‘a magnificent win’, many pundits dwelled on the fact that Brazil’s players seemed preoccupied with a place in the last 16 assured. Indeed, several Selecao stars fielded phone calls during the game with Denilson even finding time to cook a delicious stew for players and fans alike.
Olsen loses marbles, Wellington boots[]
In 1999, Olsen was appointed as Wimbledon manager. During his brief reign, the oddball tactician oversaw the beginning of the end of the Dons as a football club and was the butt of a glut of dressing room pranks.
After a rare win over Watford, several members of the Wimbledon squad, known as the Crazy Gang, burned Olsen’s beloved £5,000 Wellington boots in celebration. "The players have told me they will burn my boots every time we win. I now wear English wellies but I'm being extra careful to hide them," Egil said.
Sadly, the pranks escalated and after a win over Leicester the Crazy Gang burned down Olsen’s house. “I love the Crazy Gang, those guys they crack me up,” the boss said as fire officers hosed him down in the ashes of his Raynes Park mansion.
Two weeks later a seemingly innocuous draw with Arsenal led to the Crazy Gang coating Olsen in wasabi sauce and beating him repeatedly with a corner flag. By the time Olsen was sacked with just two games to go, he was clearly suffering serious psychological damage. Even today, Olsen lives in terror of the Crazy Gang and has vowed never to return to Britain.
Olsen manages Iraq for no real reason[]
In 2007, Olsen became one of those managers you get who takes charge of an obscure national side. Unfortunately, after six games in charge the Iraqi Football Federation sacked Olsen but didn’t tell him until new boss Adnan Hamad turned up to take his first training session. “Who would have thought a job in Iraq would provide such little job security?” Olsen lamented.