NORRKÖPING. Patience, thought and no pressure to make a decision.
This is how Linus Wahlqvist hopes IFK Norrköping’s management will think when a new coach is appointed.
The important thing is that the club does not give itself any name just to please the people around it, says the defender.
Last Monday he trained IFK Norrköping In the morning, led by his coach Ricard Norling, focusing on Saturday’s match against Malmö FF.
Then came the news that Norrköpingssejour’s driver, Rijkaard Norling, had reached the end of the road.
Did it come like a thunderbolt out of the blue or did you feel it?
– Both. It is clear that the feeling surrounding everything is that something is going to happen. But as we were training as usual and we would prepare for the Malmö game, the feeling was that it would continue as it was. Midfielder Linus Walqvist said it came as a shock.
Configuration change
In the 0-2 loss against Malmö FF, a lot was new, with a four-line defense instead of a triple, and newly acquired Anton Eriksson as Wahlqvist’s weapon in the middle lock.
This after a week contained a lot of new.
The (week) had it all. From training as usual with Rijkaard on Monday to no head coach on the same afternoon. A completely new player mode to play and then face the well paced Malmö FF. It’s been a long week with a lot of new things. But also Wolqvist says it’s very positive.
At the meeting with the MFF, the team was headed by former assistant coaches Vedran Vucicevic and Anes Mravac. Since they do not have the training required for a professional coach, they are not suitable to continue the season.
So it remains to be seen who will take on the role of coach permanently.
“It is important that the following be correct”
According to information from Sportbladet, Iceland’s Oskar Thorvaldsson, former Blovet coach Boya Aspaghi and current Sirius coach Daniel Backstrom are three of the candidates.
Let’s say you won’t name names, but what kind of coach would you like to see take over the club?
– I think the important thing, as I told them here also, is that the club does not throw itself any name just to get a name and to please the people, says Walqvist and continues:
– I can speak for at least 99 per cent of the team of players when I say that both Vedran and Anis are very confident. Very qualified and very talented. I hope whatever it says they don’t stress about anything. Because we have good people around. The only thing that is important to me as a player and supporter is that the club will go up again. Then it is important that the next person is right.