Peter Gerhardsson Prepares for Final Tournament as Coach of Swedish Women's Team
Peter Gerhardsson reflects on his legacy as he prepares for the 2025 European Championship, his final tournament as Sweden's head coach.
Key Points
- • Gerhardsson will step down after the 2025 European Championship in Switzerland.
- • He has led Sweden to significant successes, including two World Cup bronze medals and an Olympic silver.
- • His tenure marks a notable professionalization of women's football in Sweden.
- • He urges younger players to recognize the contributions made by past generations in women's football.
Peter Gerhardsson, the head coach of the Swedish women's national football team, is set to leave his position following the 2025 European Championship in Switzerland. With nearly three decades of involvement in women's football, he transitioned to the head coach role in 2017 and has since led the team to significant accomplishments, including winning bronze medals at the World Cup in 2019 and 2023, as well as a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
As he prepares for his final tournament, Gerhardsson emphasizes the importance of the younger generation understanding the contributions of those who came before them. "I hope they feel that it is these earlier players who have paved the way for them to have these conditions today," he remarked, hoping to instill appreciation for the struggles faced by previous players in women's football. Under his leadership, the professionalization of women's football in Sweden has advanced significantly, characterized by a shift where players now develop primarily in clubs rather than solely at the national level.
In reflecting on this evolution, Gerhardsson noted that in 2017, his first squad contained 16 players from the Swedish league, while only four players hail from domestic clubs ahead of the upcoming European Championship. This change illustrates the expansion of opportunities in clubs across Europe and North America, significantly improving sports conditions for female footballers.
Moreover, Gerhardsson has been a staunch critic of existing inequalities in women's football, advocating for structural changes such as expanding competitive opportunities in areas like the Olympic tournaments and supporting the creation of a U21 European Championship for women.
As he approaches his team's opening match against Denmark on July 4, 2025, he acknowledges the unpredictability inherent in football, stating, "The reason we love this is that football is the most unpredictable sport." With this final chapter ahead of him, Gerhardsson's impact on Swedish women's football remains profound, having laid a foundation for future generations of players and coaches alike.