Sweden’s national team manager, Janne Andersson, is set to depart from his role after his side’s Euro 2024 qualification hopes were dashed, marking the end of an era for a man brought in to rekindle Sweden’s footballing traditions. The Swedish Football Association had previously announced that Andersson’s tenure would conclude if Sweden failed to qualify, and Austria’s 1-0 victory over Azerbaijan confirmed this fate while closing the door on Sweden’s Euro 2024 aspirations.
Andersson’s current tenure will continue for Sweden’s remaining qualifiers in November, comprising an away match against Azerbaijan and a home fixture against Estonia, though the outcome of his departure has already been determined.
Appointed as the replacement for Erik Hamren in 2016, whose heavy reliance on Zlatan Ibrahimovic and vague declarations about “shining” had led to his downfall, Andersson was characterized as a pragmatic football figure. Initially, his results were promising, but the luster gradually faded.
Janne Andersson is among the last of a generation of Swedish coaches heavily influenced by Englishmen Bob Houghton and Roy Hodgson, whose back-to-basics approach became ingrained in Swedish football in the mid-1970s.
Andersson’s arrival coincided with Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s initial international retirement, and his emphasis on team organization over individual flair initially yielded positive results.
Notably, Sweden’s impressive run at the 2018 World Cup underscored Andersson’s organizational brilliance and risk-averse style. Despite their defensive solidity, the team’s reluctance to commit players forward limited their attacking capabilities. The team reached the quarter-finals but were eliminated by Hodgson’s England, marking a celebrated reconnection with Sweden’s footballing traditions.
However, the feel-good factor gradually waned, and despite topping their group in the rescheduled Euro 2020, Sweden’s pragmatic style failed to garner widespread acclaim. They were eliminated in the last 16 by Ukraine. Subsequently, a decline in the Nations League rankings followed, and Sweden missed out on the 2022 World Cup, despite their notable second and third-place finishes in the 1958 and 1994 tournaments, respectively.
While football worldwide experimented with innovations like false nines, inverted fullbacks, and complex pressing systems, Sweden’s tactics appeared outdated and simplistic. When Andersson did make tactical adjustments, they often came too late in the game.
Challenges arose as key players, particularly in midfield and defense, aged and left the national team at inopportune moments.
Janne Andersson leaves behind a squad brimming with attacking talents such as Alexander Isak, Dejan Kulusevski, and Anthony Elanga, yet it lacks the rugged defenders and box-to-box midfielders that have been foundational in Sweden’s footballing history.
The 61-year-old Andersson is far from retiring from the sport, and his esteemed character and organizational skills are likely to make him a sought-after figure by both club and national teams. Nonetheless, for a man who once described managing Sweden as a role he would gladly perform for life, little else will compare to his seven years in charge of his beloved Sweden.
