The Swedish Football Association has sacked head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson following poor results in World Cup qualifying. The unanimous decision was made at an emergency board meeting on Tuesday, and the search for a replacement begins ahead of the November internationals and March World Cup playoffs. Chairman Simon Åström emphasizes the goal of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
Jon Dahl Tomasson, who took over as head coach in March 2024, was sacked after a series of poor performances in World Cup qualifying, including a 0-1 loss to Azerbaijan in Gothenburg on Monday. The unanimous decision was made by the board at an emergency meeting on Tuesday morning, following an evaluation of the sporting activities. Football director Kim Källström informed Tomasson, who received the news professionally.
"Our clearest goal is to reach the World Cup," says Swedish Football Association chairman Simon Åström. The association has a gross list of candidates to evaluate, considering the upcoming gathering in November and World Cup playoffs in March. Åström expresses frustration over recent results but notes that Tomasson's strong CV suited Swedish football, and the 18 months were not wasted.
The association must continue paying Tomasson per his contract, though no amounts are commented on. Players react mixedly: Dejan Kulusevski praises him on Instagram as "a fantastic person, a fantastic coach," while Anthony Elanga looks ahead: "We stumbled but we're not done." Yasin Ayari shares a motivational Latin phrase: "Aut viam inveniam aut faciam."
Graham Potter, former Östersunds FK coach, opens for the job: "It would be fantastic." SVT expert Jonas Eriksson calls him a dream candidate. Mikael Lustig criticizes Tomasson's man-to-man marking as "a hole in the head" and suggests Olof Mellberg as replacement, focusing on simple basics and mentality.