The men’s national team’s new captain Jon Dahl Tomasson has felt the blue-yellow atmosphere and started his mission. Now the focus is on hard work towards the upcoming assembly in March.
– I will create bonds with the players, says Jon Dahl Tomasson.
In two and a half weeks, Jon Dahl Tomasson will present his first squad.
The blue-and-yellow journey has begun, the first press conference has been completed and Jon Dahl Tomasson’s focus in the coming period is to get down to work and plan the first gathering during which Sweden will play friendlies against Portugal away and Albania at home.
A prioritized part in the coming weeks is to make contact with the players.
– I will create bonds with the players. It’s important, preferably when you don’t see each other very often. It’s about us getting to know each other initially. We will use our four friendlies to prepare and get to know each other, then we will be in an excellent position to enter the Nations League (this autumn), says Jon Dahl Tomasson and continues:
– The players have to buy that we want a modern way of playing. SvFF have been very clear that they want me to create an international identity, which of course means attacking football. We must play to win instead of playing not to lose. We must create an atmosphere for the supporters, they must enjoy going to the arena and we must create the feeling of togetherness, then we will be strong.
What do the Swedish supporters need to know about their new national team captain?
-Yes, what do they need to know, haha… Well, but first of all they should know that I love this challenge. The SvFF representatives have been very clear that they want us to implement a modern style of football, which means an attacking style of play. I love the challenge. I look forward to creating bonds with the players, but also of course with the fans. The supporters are the most important thing. They are the soul of football.
Can you describe your football philosophy? How do you want the men’s national team to play?
– Sure, do you have an hour… (laughter)? No, but first and foremost we have fantastic players. Players who can score goals, create chances but first and foremost we have players who want to play for their country. I have been part of the national team for a long time and I know the pride you feel when you play for your country. But we also want to create a modern way of playing, when you dominate with and without the ball. We have to create chances, we have to score goals, it has to be great to watch but at the end of the day it’s about winning games.
Should we expect results early or should we have some patience?
– It is a new era as SvFF says. And when you start something new, you have to do it with passion, but also with patience. I’m sure there will be plenty of times when we can celebrate together, but there will also be bumps in the road. We have different phases. We will start with friendlies, normally when you play you always want to win but this is also an opportunity to implement things which of course is to have a style of play that is about dominating. Then comes the Nations League and then the big goal is the WC qualifiers. It is going to be exciting.
You have played for a long time in the Danish national team, you have encountered Sweden many times. What are your impressions of the Swedish national team?
-Hard team to beat. Sweden and Denmark have played many good matches. It’s like playing against your brother, you always want to beat your brother. If you lose you are very disappointed, if you win you are very happy. They are two great soccer nations.
Many people recognize you as a player, but what are you like as a coach?
– I want us to be dominant with and without the ball. An attacking coach. My way of thinking is that the team is number one, we do things together. I can be very direct. Also accurate, but also very loyal
You have solid and long experience as a player. You are the Danish national team’s best striker of all time with 52 goals. How much of that experience do you bring with you into this assignment?
– My whole life around the national team has made me proud. As a player and as a captain. As captain of Denmark you get a lot of responsibility and I was inspired to become a coach as well.
– Then I had four years as assistant national team captain in the Danish national team together with Åge Hareide and during that time we had some great moments together and we qualified for the WC. In those four years.., yes we didn’t lose a game in three years. It was a very special time.
How much has all your international experience as a player and then coach inspired you?
-Very. In my adult life I have not lived in Denmark but in other parts of Europe. It’s been fantastic. I have had the opportunity to live in different countries, in different cultures and I think it is enriching to live in different cultures. It’s healthy, you can see things in different ways and communication is also very important when communicating with the players and you really get to develop that when you live in different countries. An international mindset, of course, and the players also play in different European clubs. They are used to a European way of thinking and are used to an attractive way of playing football.
How Swedish are you inside after your years (2020-2021) in Malmö?
-Let me say this that it’s good that we speak English because if we spoke Swedish you wouldn’t understand anything, it would be terrible honestly… But I like Sweden, I had a great time in Malmö, it was a great place and I really liked it. I enjoyed the Allsvenskan and playing the Champions League with Malmö.
In his national team staff, Jon Dahl Tomasson will be joined by Remy Reijnierse, as assistant national team captain. The duo has a good experience of collaboration.
– We have worked together in Blackburn and in Malmö FF. We are two different personalities, which is very good because you see football in different ways. You don’t always have to agree, you can discuss different things. We want to take steps together with this fantastic nation, says the men’s national team’s new national team captain.