Kenneth Perez

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Kenneth Perez
Personal information
Full name	Kenneth Perez Dahl Jensen
Date of birth	August 29, 1974 (1974-08-29) (age 33)
Place of birth	Copenhagen, Denmark
Playing position	Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current club	Ajax
Number	29
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1993-1995 1995-1997 1997-1999 2000-2006 2006-2007 2007 2008-present	AB F.C. Copenhagen MVV AZ Ajax PSV Eindhoven Ajax	036 0(7) 030 0(3) 047 (16) 178 (60) 027 (12) 014 0(8) 001 0(1)
National team2
2003-2006, 2007-present	Denmark	24 (2)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13 January 2008. 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 2 June 2008. * Appearances (Goals)

Kenneth Perez Dahl Jensen (born August 29, 1974) is a Danish professional football player, who plays as a attacking midfielder for Dutch club Ajax. Perez scored two goals in 20 matches for the Danish national team from 2003 to 2006, and he was chosen to compete at the 2004 European Championship.

Perez's mother is from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. ^[1]

[edit] Biography

Perez started his career for Danish club Akademisk Boldklub, where he reached the 1995 Danish Cup final. The final was lost to F.C. Copenhagen, with whom Perez signed a two-year contract in autumn that year. He played two years for F.C. Copenhagen, and Perez was a part of the Copenhagen team which won the 1997 Danish Cup. With months left of his contract, he moved abroad in August 1997, to play for Dutch Eredivisie side MVV. Perez scored goals frequently for MVV, and his dribbling ability was regarded as one of the best in the Eredivisie. With his contract nearing expiry, he looked to leave the club in winter 1999. Dutch clubs Roda JC and AZ wanted to buy Perez, and he eventually penned a 5½-year contract with AZ starting from January 2000.

He made his debut for the Danish national team under manager Morten Olsen in November 2003. He came on as a substitute to replace Dennis Rommedahl in the 3-2 victory against England. He was selected to represent Denmark at the 2004 European Championship, where he took part in one match, coming on as a substitute.

Often playing on the left wing, Perez was the most technical of AZ's prolific strike force during the 2004-05 season. He was AZ's top goal scorer in that season, as he fired 13 goals past opposition goalkeepers, and was the joint 9th best league goal scorer. The club finished in third place that season, and ended second in the 2005-06 season. After six and a half years at AZ, Perez transferred to rival Eredivisie side Ajax Amsterdam in the summer 2006. He subsequently ended his national team career to focus on playing for Ajax. Since his debut in November 2003, Perez played 19 national team matches, though he was either substituted on or off the pitch, and never played a full national team match.

He won the Dutch Super Cup trophy with Ajax, beating PSV Eindhoven 3-1 in August 2006. In December 2006, Perez admitted having used a racial slur against an assistant referee. He publicly apologized to the assistant referee and received a five-match ban and a €12,500 fine.

Because of problems with Ajax coach Henk ten Cate, Perez wanted to leave Ajax. In July 2007, Perez signed with Ajax rivals PSV Eindhoven on a two-year deal.^[2]

[edit] Transfer Controversy

On 31 December 2007 it was announced Perez will make a shock return to Ajax with immediate effect. He signed a one-and-a-half-year deal with an option for another season. This transfer caused much uproar in the Netherlands and was criticized by both sets of fans. PSV fans weren't happy with the fact that Perez, as one of the more influential players, was allowed to return to their arch rivals and thus strengthening their squad. Although Perez has the reputation of being a solist and having a difficult character Ajax fans in majority didn't object the return of Perez but saw his return after just 5 months as the ultimate proof of incompetence of the Ajax board which is already under intense pressure to guide the club back to winning ways after years of bad results.

On 1 January 2008 Jan Reker, the technical director of PSV was forced to give an explanation. He stated that after Ajax failed to lure Ismail Aissati to Amsterdam, Perez requested PSV for a transfer back to Amsterdam. According to Reker, Perez cited two reasons. Commuting from his home in Noord-Holland to Eindhoven on a daily basis was felt to be a burden and the limited chances given to him by interim coach Jan Wouters after Ronald Koeman left.

These remarks were later dismissed by Perez and Martin van Geel, the technical director of Ajax. Perez stated it was in fact PSV who initiated the transfer by telling Perez he no longer had a future at the club after just four months. Ajax, on the other hand, was still looking for a replacement for star midfield player Wesley Sneijder who was sold to Real Madrid and saw Ten Cate leave for Chelsea last September thus paving the way for Perez to move back to Amsterdam. Van Geel added that Ajax only wanted to buy Aissati last summer and he had no part in this transfer.

Perez has said he's very happy with his return to Amsterdam as Ajax always has been his favourite club.

[edit] Career statistics

Season	Club	Competition	Apps	Goals
1995/96	FC Copenhagen	Danish Superliga	7	0
1996/97	FC Copenhagen	Danish Superliga	22	3
1997/98	MVV	Eredivisie	12	2
1998/99	MVV	Eredivisie	22	8
1999/00	MVV	Eredivisie	13	6
	AZ Alkmaar	Eredivisie	7	1
2000/01	AZ Alkmaar	Eredivisie	7	0
2001/02	AZ Alkmaar	Eredivisie	28	6
2002/03	AZ Alkmaar	Eredivisie	29	11
2003/04	AZ Alkmaar	Eredivisie	32	10
2004/05	AZ Alkmaar	Eredivisie	30	13
2005/06	AZ Alkmaar	Eredivisie	31	10
2006/07	Ajax	Eredivisie	27	12
2007/08	PSV Eindhoven	Eredivisie	14	8
	Ajax	Eredivisie	16	7
Total			297	97

[edit] Honours

• Danish Cup: 1997
• Dutch Super Cup: 2006

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Danish national team profile

v • d • e Denmark squad - UEFA Euro 2004 1 Sørensen • 2 Bøgelund • 3 Henriksen • 4 Laursen • 5 N. Jensen • 6 Helveg • 7 Gravesen • 8 Grønkjær • 9 Tomasson • 10 Jørgensen • 11 Sand • 12 Kahlenberg • 13 Krøldrup • 14 C. Jensen • 15 D. Jensen • 16 Skov-Jensen • 17 Poulsen • 18 Priske • 19 Rommedahl • 20 Perez • 21 Madsen • 22 Andersen • 23 Løvenkrands • Coach: Olsen