Michael Manniche: Top scorer. Champion. Legend.

49 games might not sound like a lot for a club legend, but the story behind Michael Manniche’s legendary status in Copenhagen goes back to before the club's inception.

Before the merger in 1992, the tall striker had played more than 125 games and scored over 40 goals for the parent club B1903. His career as a No. 3 culminated with the fabled 6-2 thrashing of Bayern Munich in the second round of the UEFA Cup in 1991.

His name is now immortalized on the facade of Parken Stadium on the C-stand side, along with other members of the Legends Club.

“It’s obviously a great honor,” Michael Manniche says when Brølet meets him at the Sankt Peder bar in Hellerup, a place where Manne often watches the boys play.

“I’m especially here now, with the channels constantly changing, and nothing’s on the big package at home. But also, of course, for the camaraderie.”

Despite the cozy atmosphere and good company at Sankt Peder, Michael Manniche prefers to watch the games in the stands. For obvious reasons, though, there hasn’t been much of that this year.

“I haven’t been to Parken since February, but I go in there as much as I can. If we have 30 games there, I might miss eight or five, something like that,” says Michael Manniche, who has his regular spot “in the bar on the A-stand,” as he puts it.

Ten Times Bigger than a Move to Dortmund

Before his many years at B1903 and FCK, Michael Manniche had already made a name for himself. In 1983, he made the move from Hvidovre IF to the mighty S.L. Benfica in Lisbon, Portugal.

It was a huge move for a Danish player, and when Manne himself compares it with today’s transfers, he doesn’t hesitate to use big words.

“The transfer I made back then was ten times bigger than it would be to move from FC Nordsjælland to Dortmund, for example,” says Michael Manniche, explaining the major adjustment that came with the transfer.

“In Hvidovre, we trained three times a week, and it was after work, and then suddenly you’re down in a top-20 club where you train twice a day at times. It was a whole different ballgame, so it was a huge leap!” he says.

It took him a few weeks, but then, much to his own surprise, he fought his way onto the team in the big club. Over his four seasons, he won two championships and three cup titles with Benfica; additionally, Manne secured the top scorer title in the Portuguese league in the 1985 and 1986 seasons.

“In terms of level, those were the best years of my career, both with the club and my own performances. Every Monday in Portugal, there’d be a new African or Brazilian player threatening your spot. So even if you’d scored three goals on Sunday, you couldn’t be sure you’d start the next Sunday,” Michael Manniche recalls.

A Star Took His Name: “I Don’t Care at All!”

His achievements have made him a legend at the club in the Portuguese capital, and he admits that his status at Benfica probably surpasses his legendary status in Copenhagen.

A shining example of his legend status is that one of the young players even named himself after the great Danish striker. Nuno ‘Maniche’ Ribeiro was a young player at Benfica when Manne was making a name for himself in Portugal. He’s worn the name ‘Maniche’ on his back ever since Michael Manniche left Benfica in 1987, despite not resembling him physically very much.

“He wasn’t quite as dark-haired as the others, and he played striker at the time. What was he, 1.30 meters tall or something? I don’t know if it was a joke or because I’d been top scorer, so at that age, you might compare yourself to the top scorer a bit. I guess it just kind of stuck,” says Michael Manniche about his ‘namesake.’

‘Maniche’ became a prominent player on the Portuguese national team, which reached the Euro 2004 final on home soil. A final they sensationally lost 1-0 to Greece.

Although the name change testifies to Michael Manniche’s status at Benfica, it doesn’t particularly move him.

“I’ve met him plenty of times, and there’s nothing there, he’s super nice, but I couldn’t care less that he took my name. Not at all!”

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