Roger Palmgren

Roger Palmgren
Personal information
Full name Roger Lennart Palmgren
Date of birth (1963-03-11) 11 March 1963
Place of birth Stockholm, Sweden
Club information
Current team
Shanghai FC SIPG
Teams managed
Years Team
1990–1993 FC Cafe Opera
1993–1994 AC Arezzo
1994–1996 Sierra Leone
1997–1998 Degerfors IF
1998–1999 AC Arezzo
1999–2000 DR Congo
2001–2004 Vasalunds IF
2004–2006 Rwanda
2006–2007 Kwara United
2007–2009 Thanda Royal Zulu
2009–2012 AmaZulu
2013 Namibia
2013–2014 Guangzhou R&F
2015 – Shanghai FC SIPG

Roger Lennart Palmgren is a Swedish football manager that has been active as club manager in nine different countries: Italy, Sweden, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Congo, Nigeria, South Africa, Namibia and China.

He has been coach of the national football teams of Sierra Leone, Rwanda and Namibia with over 47 national games and qualifying cups under his belt.

Career

Cafe Opera & Arezzo

Roger started his coaching career in 1990 as a playing coach with Alessandro Catenaccis team FC Cafe Opera in Sweden. After climbing 3 divisions in 3 years, Palmgren got an offer in 1993 from Francesco Graziani to coach Primavera team FC Arezzo to explore a professional managing career. After great success, Palmgren got offered the job as coach for Sierra Leone national team.[1][2]

Sierra Leone

When Palmgren won the Amílcar Cabral Cup (1995), and qualified to Africa Cup of Nations (1996) in South Africa with Sierra Leone national team, he made his break through as an international football manager. This is the best result in Sierra Leones football history yet.

Degerfors

After Sierra Leone, Palmgren worked as assistant coach and sport director for the Swedish Allsvenskan team Degerfors IF. When FC Arezzo offered him to come back coaching 1998, he took the challenge.

Congo & Vasalund

Palmgren thereafter worked as a technical director for DR Congo national football team. In 2001, he was back in Sweden building up young talents such as Henok Goitom in Swedish football club Essinge IK. After the fusion between Essinge and Vasalunds IF, Palmgren became sport director and later managing coach of Vasalunds IF between 2003 and 2004.[3]

Rwanda

In August 2004, Palmgren relocated to Africa as he accepted the position head coach of Rwanda national football team,[4] where he took the team to the final of the CECAFA Cup against Ethiopia. By the end of 2005, Palmgren took on the Nigerian club Kwara United F.C.[5] in Nigeria Premier League and they eventually reached semi finals in CAF Confederation Cup in 2006.

Thanda Royal Zulu

Palmgren moved to South Africa in May 2007 when he got an offer from a Swedish consortium[6] to manage the club Thanda Royal Zulu F.C. in Premier Soccer League in Durban.

Amazulu

After two years with Thanda, he got offered to become sport director with the South African team Amazulu FC[7][8] , and short thereafter head coach.[9] Palmgren achieved the best league result ever for the club in 2011-12, as well as FA cup finals against Bidvest Wits FC.

Namibia

In 2013, Roger took the offer to coach Namibia national football team.[10][11] Unfortunately he didn't stay long as he and his family were threatened by supporters and decided to resign[12]

Guangzhou & Shanghai

Palmgren relocated to China, and started working as Sven-Göran Erikssons assistant coach in the Chinese Super League with the team Guangzhou R&F.[13] They took the team from 13th position to 3rd and qualified for Asian Championship at the end of 2014. As of 2015, Roger still works as assistant coach to Sven, but currently with the team Shanghai FC SIPG.

References

  1. Fajah Barrie (29 July 2002). "Sierra Leone opt for European manager". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
  2. "Sierra Leone FA seeks new coach". Football Sierra Leone. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  3. http://issuu.com/guiden/docs/guide2009
  4. Andrew Jackson Oryada (15 August 2004). "Rwanda get Swedish coach". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
  5. Oluwashina Okeleji (21 April 2007). "Nigeria's Kwara demand sanctions". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
  6. "Sven's son to coach Benoni Premier United". Independent Online. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  7. "Interview with Roger Palmgren, Sports Director at AmaZulu FC" (PDF). Accord. Retrieved June 2010.
  8. "Roger Palmgren Appointed Director Of Sport At AmaZulu". Goal.com. 14 November 2009. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
  9. "AmaZulu sack coach Manqoba Mngqithi". Goal.com. 19 September 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
  10. "Roger Palmgren new Warriors coach". Namibia Football Association. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  11. "Roger Palmgren appointed Namibia coach". BBC Sport. 2 May 2013.
  12. "Roger Palmgren resigns as Namibia coach after death threats". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  13. "助理教练-罗 杰 (Assistant coach: Roger Lennart Palmgren)" (in Chinese). Guangzhou R&F F.C. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
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