Nils Johan Semb (born 24 February 1959) was the

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

of the

Norway national football team The Norway national football team ( no, Norges herrelandslag i fotball, or informally ''Landslaget'') represents Norway in men's international football and is controlled by the Norwegian Football Federation, the governing body for football in ...

from 1998 to 2003, presiding over 68 matches. He led the team to its first

European Football Championship The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition is contes ...

in 2000. Though successful, at least in the beginning of his tenure, he drew heavy criticism for his team's defense-oriented style, where long balls, counter-attacks and direct passes were hallmarks of their attacking style. He was replaced by

Åge Hareide Åge Fridtjof Hareide (born 23 September 1953) is a Norwegian football manager and player, currently managing Malmö FF as the interim manager. In his playing career, he played for Hødd and Molde in Norway as well as Manchester City and Norwich ...

in 2003. He was a commentator for TV 2, then resigned in 2009 to become the Chief of Elite Football at the

Football Association of Norway The Norwegian Football Federation ( nb, Norges Fotballforbund, nn, Noregs Fotballforbund; NFF) is the governing body of football in Norway. It was formed in 1902 and organises the men's and women's national teams, as well as the league systems f ...

. He was educated at the

Norwegian School of Sport Sciences The Norwegian School of Sport Sciences ( no, Norges idrettshøgskole, NIH) is a public university located at Sognsvann in Oslo, Norway. It has the national responsibility for education and research related within sport sciences. It provides educ ...

References

External links

* Kniksen Award winners 1959 births Living people Norwegian footballers Norwegian football managers Norway national football team managers UEFA Euro 2000 managers Norwegian School of Sport Sciences alumni Association football defenders FK Ørn-Horten players {{Norway-footy-bio-stub