Robert Vilahamn

Robert Vilahamn
Vilahamn in 2024
Personal information
Full name Jan Robert Vilahamn
Date of birth (1983-01-02) 2 January 1983 (age 41)
Place of birth Skalhamn, Sweden
Team information
Current team
 Tottenham Hotspur (head coach)
Youth career
0000–2000 Lysekils FF
2000–2002 IFK Göteborg
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2004 IFK Göteborg
2003 → Bodens BK (loan) 9 (2)
2004–2006 FC Trollhättan
2006–2007 Qviding FIF
2007–2015 Ytterby IS
Managerial career
2009–2015 Ytterby IS
2016–2017 Örgryte IS (U19)
2018–2019 Qviding FIF
2020–2021 BK Häcken (assistant)
2022–2023 BK Häcken (women)
2023– Tottenham Hotspur (women)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jan Robert Vilahamn, (né Karlsson; born 2 January 1983) is a Swedish professional football coach and former player, who is the head coach of Tottenham Hotspur in the Women's Super League.

Playing career

Vilahamn started his career as a football player in Lysekils FF. He was signed by IFK Göteborg in 2000. After two seasons in the Reserves, he played a season and a half with the senior team in the Allsvenskan.[1] Vilahamn played 3 national team matches and scored 1 goal for the National Youth Team. During the fall of 2003 he went on loan to Bodens BK in the Swedish Division 2, Superettan, where he played 9 matches and scoring 2 goals helping Bodens BK to secure the contract in Superettan.

Vilahamn played for FC Trollhättan leaving for Superettan outfit Qviding FIF in 2006. In 2007, he joined Ytterby IS in the Swedish Division 3. He scored 27 goals in 22 matches which made him the top goal scorer in Division 3, but also winning the Swedish Golden Boot (Svenska Guldskon) in being most goal scorer of all divisions in Sweden from the Premiership (Allsvenskan) down to Division 3.[2]

In 2008, Vilahamn won the Division 3 title with Ytterby IS scoring 15 goals in 22 matches. In the following year, Vilahamn became a playing coach for Ytterby IS in the Division 2 where he shared the coaching task with Martin Berggren. In making his debut season as a coach for Ytterby IS, he got his team winning the Division 2 as well as becoming the top goal scorer along with Gabriel Altemark Vanneryr, both scoring 25 goals.[3]

In 2010, after being promoted to "Division 1 Södra" (Division 1 South) Ytterby IS was relegated in its first season. Vilahamn scored 10 goals. Vilahamn was a playing coach during 2011 when Ytterby IS ended up 7th in Division 2.

Between 2012 and 2014, Vilahamn was a playing assistant coach to Håkan Sandberg. Vilahamn was mostly a central midfielder during these years and Ytterby IS spent most of the time in the lower half of the table. In 2015, Vilahamn retired from playing to focus on his new head coaching role with Ytterby IS.

Coaching career

BK Häcken

In 2020, Vilahamn was appointed as assistant coach for BK Häcken in the Swedish Premiership Allsvenskan where he helped the club to qualify for the Europa Conference League.[4]

In the fall of 2021, Vilahamn was appointed head coach of the women's side BK Häcken FF. Under Vilahamn, BK Häcken qualified for UEFA Women's Champions League being runners up in the Swedish Premiership Damallsvenskan and reached the Swedish Cup Final in 2022 and 2023.

Tottenham Hotspur

On 7 July 2023, Women's Super League club Tottenham Hotspur announced Vilahamn as their new head coach for 2023–24 season.[5] Vilahamn left his former club BK Häcken FF at the top of the table of Swedish Premiership Damallsvenskan after 17 rounds.[6] After leading Tottenham to their first-ever Women's FA Cup final and a sixth place finish in the league during his first season in charge, Vilahamn signed a new three-year contract with the club in July 2024.[7][8][9]

Personal life

Vilahamn is the younger brother of Fredrik Risp. In 2016, he founded the Vilahamn Soccer Academy.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Robert Vilahamn". everysport.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  2. ^ "2007: Robert Vilahamn". magasinetmatch.se. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  3. ^ "Inför söderettan 2010: Ytterby". svenskafans.com. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  4. ^ "Robert Vilahamn ny assisterande tränare i BK Häcken FF". bkhacken.se (in Swedish). 7 November 2019. Archived from the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  5. ^ Vilahamn, Robert (7 July 2023). "Appointment of Robert Vilahamn as Spurs Women Head Coach". Archived from the original on 7 July 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Damallsvenskan tabell efter 17 omgångar 2023/24". 7 July 2023. Archived from the original on 7 July 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Tottenham boss Vilahamn signs new three-year deal". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 23 July 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Tottenham: Robert Vilahamn rewarded for Women's FA Cup run with new contract". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 23 July 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Tottenham Women's head coach Robert Vilahamn signs new contract". New York Times. Archived from the original on 23 July 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Vilahamn Soccer Academy". Archived from the original on 5 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2016.