23.04.2014, 12:55
Sweden secure Helle Thomsen’s services

NEWS REPORT: FC Midtjylland coach takes on a new role on the international stage

Sweden secure Helle Thomsen’s services

Helle Thomsen, head coach of MVM EHF FINAL4 participants FC Midtjylland is the new women´s national team coach of Sweden, effective from 1 June this year. The contract is valid until the end of 2016.

Thomsen, who has been head coach of FCM since 2012, will take charge of the Swedish women´s national team together with current national team coach Thomas Sivertsson. At the same time, she is still going to remain as head coach in FC Midtjylland.

“I see a chance to develop and got get a lot of inspiration in the job as Sweden coach and I am really looking forward to working with Thomas Sivertsson and the Swedish national team players. I have had some great talks with Thomas Sivertsson before we made this agreement and it appears that we look at things pretty much the same way.

“However, even though I am starting in the job already on 1 June, we have agreed that I am not going to have any responsibility in connection with the EURO qualifiers in June, as we will still need some time to arrange things between us,” said Thomsen.

Opportunities rather than limitations

It may seem rather difficult to master two coaching jobs at the same time, and in two different countries, but Helle Thomsen expects no problems with that.

“Fortunately, FCM as well as The Swedish Handball Federation have seen opportunities in this instead of limitations.

Actually, the Swedish federation particularly wanted a coach who was in a club at the same time. They consider it to be important to have a coach who is working with players on a daily basis, like their men’s national coaches Staffan Olsson and Ola Lindgren, who are both club coaches at the same time.

“We have agreed that during the eight international weeks every year, I am going to be with the Swedish national team. When the pressure is at its highest in FCM, I am going to be in FCM, of course.

“This will obviously mean that I will need an assistant coach who is in the club a lot, and who can probably not have a fulltime job besides being assistant coach like now, but we still have time to work that out,” concluded  Thomsen.

TEXT: Peter Bruun / cor