Sweden have sacked manager John Dahl Tomasson following a series of disappointing performances and results. The former Blackburn manager took charge in February 2024 and was at the helm of a team full of attacking quality. Arsenal’s Victor Gokeres and Liverpool’s summer signing Alexander Isak lead a talented squad aiming to qualify for next summer’s World Cup.
However, they suffered a shocking loss to Kosovo on Tuesday night, leaving them at the bottom of their group with just one point from their four qualifying games. Former Denmark international striker Tomasson made history last year as Sweden’s first foreign manager, but he was only able to win nine of his 18 games in charge. After the goalless draw at home against Kosovo, the manager criticized his top strikers, saying: “It’s not good enough, it’s a terrible result. It really hurts. We forgot how to score goals and I don’t know why.”
But the Swedish Football Association clearly believes management is to blame and announced his dismissal on Tuesday afternoon.
“The Swedish Football Association’s board of directors has decided to dismiss John Dahl Tomasson as national team manager. This decision was taken due to poor performance in the World Cup qualifiers,” the statement read.
“The decision taken by the Swedish Football Association is based on the fact that the men’s national team has not achieved the results expected. There is still a possibility of a play-off in March and our responsibility is to be in the best possible condition to reach the World Cup final.”
Kim Kalström, former Arsenal midfielder and current head of Swedish football, added: “We have players that we have great confidence in and we want to create new opportunities for them to flourish.”
“We believe this team can qualify for the World Cup if we have a chance to make the playoffs in March. We would like to take this opportunity to thank John for his support during this time.”
Although the prospects of qualifying through the traditional route appear to have effectively ended, backup avenues remain. Sweden secured top spot in their UEFA Nations League group, ensuring they maintain their chances of reaching the United States, Canada and Mexico through the play-offs.
Nevertheless, it was another disappointing night for Isak and Gökeres, who earned a combined £193.5m this summer.
Both strikers have faced difficulties since their transfers, with Gokeres scoring three goals for the Gunners but failing to truly convince.
Meanwhile, Isak continues to battle fitness issues and has yet to score a goal in the Premier League.
He played little for 90 minutes in both matches during this international break, which suggests his game time with the club could increase quickly.
