Larsson about the new role and Jon Dahl Tomasson leadership style

– The computer is my workplace, as you say, explains Sebastian Larsson.

It is in a co-working room in the hometown of Eskilstuna that DN meets the Swedish national team’s second assistant coach. Unlike his time as a professional in England, he has lived a life for over a year that a larger number of people can relate to.

At the moment, a lounge -like office space reflects everyday life at least as good as along the sidelines on one of Europe’s national arenas.

– When I’m not away and traveling, I work a lot from home to follow players. I am currently following seven players and then it will be to see all their matches, download them into our program and cut based on Jon’s principles on how we play football, says Larsson.

– It does not matter in case I sit at home or here, then I usually get up to the office at the union in Stockholm look as close.

Since March last year Has the former midfielder who made 133 international matches, included in Jon Dahl Tomasson’s coaching staff.

While as a coach he has developed a different and new view of football, but a large part of the work also requires technical skills in terms of film and video editing.

– It was completely new to me so it was just to learn how to get the matches home, learn the programs and get into it. It took much longer in the beginning if I say so, but you have come into it now.

Is there anything stimulating in the technical part of the work – to cut and paste videos?

– Yes, it does – and above all in learning something new. A large part of the football today lies in managing that bit to be able to keep as good as possible.

– As a player you sit and get a presentation that may be three minutes and do not reflect much on it. Now you realize that there are a lot of hours behind those three minutes that eventually appear to the players.

As a 16-year-old, he left the hometown of Eskilstuna for games in Arsenal’s youth academy in 2001. But it was in Birmingham and Sunderland that he made the biggest impression during his total eleven seasons in the clubs.

After five years in AIK Was the last season in 2022 the last of his career and he then resigned to football – without any major feelings of emptiness that can arise after a 20 -year professional career.

– I think it’s a classic question: « How do you replace that feeling or that pier and nerves after a career? »

He looks away and ponders for a second for an answer to his question, before turning his eyes back.

– It is probably an insight, that you do not replace it.

– Now that you are back in this environment, it is very reminiscent of it, even though it is in a slightly different way. But there was nothing I felt before I stepped into this – that I had to chase that feeling.

During the national team collections, he works closely with the national team captain and the first assistant coach Remy Reijnierse with tactical analyzes before, during and after match.

Larsson emphasizes that there is a lot of room to question and present your own thoughts and opinions. But in the end, it is always the league captain Jon Dahl Tomasson who has the last word.

– He often says it: « We absolutely do not have to agree with each other, but I want to hear what you think ».

– He is straight in his communication, there will not be a lot of frills. He says what he means and then you know what you have to relate to. I think that is a very good leadership.

What is it like to work with Jon Dahl Tomasson?

– It has mainly been very inspiring – he has his philosophy and his football that he believes in very strongly. The best way to explain it is if we play with the idea that I would become a head coach today, then I had brought a lot of his ideas about football.

The 39-year-old often returns to the fact that since the shoes were put on the shelf, he has not reflected so much on what he has achieved during his career.

But when he gets asked about what he feels about taking a role as head coach in the future, he admits that the idea has obviously struck him.

– It is clear that you have thought about it at some point, it’s not that I never think anything.

– But I am not stuck in the fact that it is the coaching profession that applies to one hundred percent or that it will never happen. Right now I enjoy the role I have and I feel that I can take on and learn a lot.