Mark Agner Boecking Strudal is a retired Danish footballer who played as a striker and scored three goals in nine games for the Danish national team. He became known for his extravagant lifestyle, but in later years he reentered the minds of the Danish public as the manager of FC Zulu.
Biography
Strudal was born in Glostrup. He got his national breakthrough while playing for Næstved IF in the Danish 1st Division championship. He made his debut for the Danish national team in May 1988, and was named 1988 Revelation of the Year as Næstved finished runners-up in the 1st Division. He moved abroad to play professionally for German team Borussia Dortmund in the winter 1988. He played half a season at Dortmund, but had a controversy with manager Horst Köppel. He moved on to play for Grasshopper Club Zürich in Switzerland in the summer 1989, and won three trophies in his two years at the club. When the Grasshoppers squad faced 20% wage cuts, Strudal decided to leave the club in July 1991. In September 1991, he returned to Denmark to play for Vejle Boldklub in a transfer deal worth more than DKK 4 million. It was later to be known that his contract with Vejle had a clause which secured Vejle approximately DKK 4 million if he ever was to be sold to a club abroad. His stay at Vejle was short, as he suffered injuries and the club was relegated. He underwent a series of loan deals to other Danish teams; first to former club Næstved IF in the fall 1992, then to F.C. Copenhagen in February 1993, and finally to BK Frem in April 1993. When his Vejle contract ran out in the summer 1993, he moved on to league rivals Brøndby IF on a free transfer in July 1993. Strudal helped Brøndby win the 1994 Danish Cup and he was a part of the Denmark national team which won the 1995 King Fahd Cup. He stayed two years at Brøndby, before he left the club in July 1995. Despite his credentials, the Vejle clause kept him from moving to a foreign club. He joined Næstved IF for a second time, where he suffered a knee injury which kept him out for five months. He tried to move abroad in the summer 1996, but a four-year contract with Greek club Skoda Xanthi was terminated without pay when Strudal was injured in a pre-season game. He underwent recovery, and made a short comeback to football on an amateur basis at Danish a local club in Hagested in August 1997. After his active career he has worked mostly as a coach of youth teams and forwards.
