Aberdeen: Jimmy Thelin to join as manager from Elfsborg in June; Peter Leven remaining in interim charge
Jimmy Thelin will join Aberdeen in June after the club agreed a deal with Elfsborg; Peter Leven to remain in interim charge of the Dons until end of the season; Aberdeen are ninth in the Scottish Premiership, five points clear of the relegation playoff spot
Wednesday 17 April 2024 16:56, UK
Elfsborg boss Jimmy Thelin will join Aberdeen as the club's new manager in June after agreeing a three-year deal.
The Dons had been searching for a new boss since they sacked Barry Robson in January after an inconsistent run of results.
Neil Warnock took interim charge on February 5 - in a move designed to last until the end of this season - however, he stepped down 34 days later.
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Aberdeen will continue to be led by Peter Leven until the end of this season who will then join Thelin's backroom team. They are just five points clear of the Scottish Premiership relegation play-off spot with five games to go this season.
Thelin will also bring assistants Emir Bajrami and Christer Persson with him to Pittodrie in the summer.
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Who is Thelin?
The 46-year-old took charge of Elfsborg in 2018 and led the club to two second-place finishes - with the club only missing out on Sweden's top-flight title on goal difference last year.
He also managed Jönköpings Södra IF in 2014, and in his debut season, led the team to their highest league finish for almost 40 years.
The following season he won the 2015 Superettan title and helping the team achieve Swedish top-flight football for the first time since 1969.
Elfsborg then appointed him on a deal until 2025 and after finishing 12th then eighth, led the club to the runners-up spot in 2020 - a feat matched last season as the club missed out on the title to Malmo by just two goals.
'A great opportunity'
Commenting on his move to the Dons, Thelin said: "I am very honoured to be the new Aberdeen manager and to be coming to this great club and city.
"I wanted to be sure I was making the right step in my career, particularly as this will be my first time managing outside of Sweden. At Elfsborg we work hard together to compete at the top level and it is our intention to achieve the same at Aberdeen.
"The feeling I have about what I have seen at the club, the staff and the facilities was all very impressive. The vision, effort and support offered by Dave, Alan and Steven have also convinced me it is a great opportunity for me and the club.
"I can promise the fans we will be striving to build and develop a team that captures the hearts of the supporters and delivers success on the pitch.
"I'm looking forward to working with Peter and the players and I hope they get the win at Hampden this weekend."
'Transfer funds available for new boss'
Speaking in an exclusive interview on Sky Sports News, Aberdeen chief executive Alan Burrows said the new boss would be backed in the summer transfer window.
"I think we need to support the manager as best we can," he said. "We need to assess the squad, have Jimmy assess players versus how he wants to play and try give him as much help as we possibly can for the changes he wants to make.
"There are funds available to try and bring in some players in the summer to help Jimmy in that part.
"The bottom six is not a place Aberdeen want to be. In three of last five seasons we have been in the top six, only Rangers and Celtic have a better record than that.
"Where we are is not where we want to be, and not where we intend to be again, but for that we are going to have to work very hard, get recruitment right and make sure the managerial appointment is right."
'Thelin needs time to create something special'
Chairman Dave Cormack added: "We are delighted to be welcoming Jimmy to Pittodrie this summer.
"The extensive process we ran allowed us to speak with several excellent candidates from both the UK and abroad. As the process evolved, we were determined to land Jimmy and were prepared to be patient. Elfsborg certainly didn't make it easy for us, which tells you how highly they think of his six-year tenure.
"The Board felt that Jimmy's style and playing philosophy, his ability to continually develop excellent players within a successful player trading model and his experience at taking a team and having them compete at the top end of the table all really matched the criteria we had set out at the start.
"He has a reputation in Sweden as a team builder; someone who will methodically construct a winning side over time. From our point of view, we want this appointment to anchor the club for years to come, and to work with Jimmy and his coaching staff to create something special at Aberdeen. That will take time, we understand that.
"Everyone at AFC is looking forward to working with Jimmy from June and, at the same time, are very thankful to Peter Leven for agreeing to lead the team until the end of the campaign. I would ask the fans to get right behind Peter, and the team, in the remaining matches of the 23/24 campaign."
What is at stake this season?
The Dons will hope to avoid being dragged into a relegation play-off battle with just five matches to go this season.
Aberdeen's post-split schedule starts with a games at Pittodrie against Motherwell (April 27) and Livingston (May 4) before visiting Hibernian (May 12) and ends with matches against the bottom two - Livingston at home (May 15) and Ross County away (May 19).
Just five points separate Aberdeen in ninth and 11th-placed Ross County. Whoever finishes in the relegation play-off spot will face a team from the Championship over two legs - live on Sky Sports - for a place in the top flight.
A Scottish Cup semi-final spot also awaits this weekend against Celtic at Hampden Park.
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