Kim Björkegren

Kim Björkegren
Björkegren with Racing Louisville FC in 2023
Personal information
Full name Lars Kim Björkegren[1]
Date of birth (1981-12-18) 18 December 1981 (age 43)[2]
Place of birth Linköping, Sweden
Managerial career
Years Team
2015 IK Gauthiod Men
2016 Hovås Billdal IF
2017 Linköpings FC
2018–2019 Beijing BG Phoenix F.C.
2020–2021 Apollon Ladies FC
2022–2023 Racing Louisville FC
Medal record

2020/21 Coach of the year
2020/21 Winner Cypriot League
2020/21 Runner-up Cypriot cup
2018/19 3rd Place Chinese FA cup
2018/19 3rd Place Chinese League cup
2017 Runner-up Swedish cup
2017 Winner Damallsvenskan
2017 Nominated coach of the year in Sweden
2015 Winner DM

Lars Kim Björkegren (born 18 December 1981) is a Swedish football manager who was most recently manager of Racing Louisville FC in the U.S. National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). He was hired from Cyprus champions Apollon Ladies FC after the 2020–21 European season. Björkegren had previously won the Damallsvenskan with Linköpings FC and managed Beijing BG Phoenix F.C. in the Chinese Women's Super League (CWSL). Björkegren is the second Swedish manager after Sven-Göran Eriksson to win two domestic titles in two different countries.[3]

Managing career

Björkegren started his managing career in his hometown of Linköping, where he managed the Karle IF's men's team in Sweden's fourth tier. After climbing the ladder with men's teams such as Kisa BK and IK Gauthiod, Björkegren began to manage women's football after accepting a role as manager for Hovås/Billdal in 2016.[4]

IK Gauthiod, 2015

Björkegren went to IK Gauthiod for a role in the youth team of Tyresö FF, where he was meant to take over the senior team after Tony Gustavsson's departure. But when the club folded, Björkegren moved to Grästorp and IK Gauthiod.[5] The spell in Gauthiod was successful for Björkegren, who led his team to a fifth-place finish in the Swedish division 2. The team also qualified for the Svenska Cupen by winning the DM final against IFK Tidaholm with 3–1. After one season with IK Gauthiod, Björkegren decided to leave and pursue an opportunity to manage a team at a higher level.[6]

Linköpings FC, 2017

Björkegren replaced Martin Sjögren as manager of reigning Damallsvenskan champions Linköpings FC in 2017 with the goal of defending the title as the champions. Björkegren and Linköping secured the title in the 2017 Damallsvenskan with two rounds to go,[7] despite losing Pernille Harder, Fridolina Rolfö, and Stina Blackstenius before the start of the season and selling its captain Magdalena Eriksson to Chelsea mid-season.[8] Björkegren then led Linköpings FC to its best-ever position in the UEFA Women's Champions League, where he guided the team to the quarterfinals.[9]

Beijing BG Phoenix, 2018–2019

In January 2018, Björkegren was presented as the new manager for CWSL club Beijing BG Phoenix, making him the first Swedish manager in the league.[9][10] Björkegren appointed recently retired Swedish player Elena Sadiku as his assistant and fitness coach,[11] and signed Spanish star Vero Boquete[12] and Swedish striker Marija Banušić.[13]

Björkegren left Beijing BG Phoenix after the 2019 season to return to Europe for his family, noting upon his appointment to Apollon Ladies FC in June 2020 that he expected to become a father in August 2020.[14]

Apollon Ladies FC, 2020

In June 2020, women's Cypriot First Division champions Apollon Ladies FC announced Björkegren as manager for their 2020–21 campaign.[14] Apollon had a goal to defend the championship title and advance further in UEFA Women's Champions League.[15]

Björkegren led Apollon Ladies FC to win the domestic league in Cyprus in an undefeated season, winning 64 of 64 points with a +105 goal differential.[16] His victory made history by making him the first Swedish manager to win a league in two different countries.[3][17]

After the success with Apollon Ladies FC, Björkegren was named Coach of the Year by the Pancyprian Footballers Association (PASP).[18]

Racing Louisville FC, 2021

On 9 December 2021, it was announced that Björkegren would become the new head coach of Racing Louisville FC in the United States, which had completed its first season in the NWSL several weeks earlier.[19][20]

Honours

Apollon Ladies FC
Beijing BG Phoenix
  • Chinese Women's FA Cup: 3rd place 2018
  • Chinese Women's Super Cup: 3rd place 2018
Linköpings FC

References

  1. ^ Kim Björkegren at Soccerway Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ Racing Louisville FC [@RacingLouFC] (18 December 2021). "What a calm, low-stress day to go over the hill. Happy 40th, Kim!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023 – via Twitter.
  3. ^ a b c "Fotboll: Historisk ligatitel för svenske tränaren Kim Björkegren" [Historic league title for Swedish coach] (in Swedish). 10 March 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  4. ^ "LFC:s guldtränare om nya USA-jobbet: "Ödmjukt stolt"" [LFC's gold coach on the new USA job: "Humbledly proud"]. Östgöta Correspondenten. 12 January 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  5. ^ "Gauthiods nya tränare" [Gauthiod's new coach]. lokalfotboll.[dead link‍]
  6. ^ "Tränare lämnar Gauthiod efter ett år" [Coach leaves Gauthiod after one year]. Sveriges Radio (in Swedish). 14 October 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  7. ^ "Linköping försvarade titeln" [Linköping defended the SM gold]. SVT Sport (in Swedish). 29 October 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  8. ^ Fredriksson, Emelie (15 July 2017). "Magdalena Eriksson klar för Chelsea" [Magdalena Eriksson ready for Chelsea]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  9. ^ a b c "Guldtränaren öppnar för återkomst i Sverige" [The gold trainer is open to a move to Sweden]. Expressen (in Swedish). 28 November 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  10. ^ Forsberg, Aaron (26 January 2018). "Skrällen: Linköpings guldtränare tar över kinesisk klubb: "Det var oväntat för mig också"" [The shock: Linköping's golden coach takes over Chinese club: "It was unexpected for me too"]. fotbollskanalen (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  11. ^ Brookes, Christian (2 July 2018). "Elena Sadiku interview: For every memory, a melody – Former Sweden prospect rolls another in the game of chances". Beats and Rhymes FC. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Vero Boquete leaves PSG and moves to China". Diario AS. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  13. ^ Høagerfelth, Lo (2 July 2018). "Bekräftat: Banušić lämnar Linköping" [Confirmed: Banušić leaves Linköping]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  14. ^ a b Thorén, Petra (18 June 2020). "Familjeskäl när guldtränaren tar över Apollon på Cypern" [Family reasons when the gold trainer takes over Apollon in Cyprus]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  15. ^ Colliander, Max (18 June 2020). "Tidigare guldtränaren klar för ny klubb" [The former gold coach ready for new club - takes over the Cypriot champions]. fotbollskanalen. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  16. ^ "Stats Apollon Ladies".
  17. ^ a b Norberg, Simon (11 March 2021). "Kim Björkegren första Svensk att vinna utomlands" [Kim Björkegren first Swede to win abroad]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  18. ^ Apollon Ladies F.C (4 April 2021). "Congrats Kim Björkegren #BestCoach". Facebook. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  19. ^ "Racing Louisville FC Hires Björkegren as Head Coach" (Press release). Racing Louisville FC. 9 December 2021. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  20. ^ Saxon, Jonathan (9 December 2021). "The search is over: Racing Louisville announces new head coach". Louisville Courier Journal. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  21. ^ Høagglund, Johannes. "Rosengård vann Svenska cupen" [Rosengård won the Swedish Cup]. Aftonbladet.