Damallsvenskan Newsblog

Kristianstad's hiring of multiple Icelandic championship winner Elisabet Gunnarsdottir as their new head coach might pay off in player signings too. Two players, Iceland's national team goalkeeper Gudbjörg Gunnarsdottír and national team winger Holmfrídur Magnusdottír, visits Kristianstad this weekend to get to know the club and the town. Sport director Ulf Berglund tells that the visit is for the benefit of the players, not a try-out: "We already knows their qualities".
Kristianstadsbladet: Isländskor till KDFF?

Kristianstad's current goalkeeper, Maria Edman, has already decided to leave the club and return to her old club, newly promoted Stattena. She played for Stattena during their 2003-2004 stint in Damallsvenskan and then played for Göteborg before coming to Kristianstad a year ago.
Stattena's coach Thomas Persson is very pleased with Edman joining the team, but says he needs an additional three or four established players to be able to hold on to their place in Damallsvenskan. 
Helsingborgs Dagblad: Maria säger ja till Stattena

Linköping finally seems to be able to round up some key players for 2009. Yesterday they could announce that Caroline Seger signed for another year. Today their star forward Jessica Landström also signed a new one year contract.
Linköping has also announced that 37 years old Magnus Wikman will be the new head coach, having agreed to a 1+1 year contract. Wikman coached Bälinge 2005-2006. Linköping's Josefine Öqvist, who had Wikman as her coach in high-school, showed enthusiasm for the signing and it seems like this maybe could influence her decision on which club to play for 2009.
Corren: Anfallsstjärna kvar i LFC
Upsala Nya Tidning: Magnus Wikman till Linköping - hyllas av Josefine Öqvist

Anna-Kaisa Rantanen, Linköping's Finnish defender/midfielder, has agreed on a 1 + 1 year contract with Djurgården. She has played for Linköping in five seasons, but had problems keeping her first team position this year.
Dagens Nyheter: Rantanen till Djurgården

Djurgården's sport director Mikael Söderman reveals that the main reason behind Nadine Angerer's decision to leave the club was that Angerer's partner, who moved to Sweden with her, had problems settling and finding a job in Stockholm. This wasn't unknown to the club, and they are already looking for a replacement, mainly outside Sweden: "There are not many [goalkeepers] at this level in Sweden".
Aftonbladet: Angerer lämnar Djurgården

Newly promoted Piteå IF estimates that they will have to sign five or six quality player to the team for their Damallsvenskan season next year. They are looking at the American player market - two American players, Kim Bonilla and Marisa Brown played a big part in their successful 2008 season - but also closer to home. New Zealand centre back Rebecca Smith, who didn't get a renewed contract with Sunnanå, is one of them. They are also interested in Sunnanå midfielder Johanna Lindahl, where they might offer a double deal, signing Johanna's boy friend to their men's side. Other Sunnanå players, that still haven't resigned with the club, might also be interesting for Piteå.
Norra Västerbotten: Satsande Piteå letar spelare i Sunnanå

Umeå IK has offered Linköping's 25 year old forward Josefine Öqvist a one year contract. "Good coaches, good players, good organisation" speaks in Umeå's favour, says Öqvist. When asked what could keep her in Linköping, she first and foremost wants a coach and the team needs to keep a lot of the current players. She will take the weekend, at least, to think things over.
SR:  Öqvist har fått kontraktsförslag  (audio)

Djurgården's goalkeeper Nadine Angerer has decided not to use her option to extend her contract with Djurgården. She moves back to Germany, but it doesn't seem set which club she will join. Djurgården's head coach Anders Johansson says Angerer cites personal reasons for leaving.
Djurgården's other German, Ariane Hingst, has fullfilled her two year contract and returned to Germany. She is currently doing rehab training after her knee surgery earlier this fall at her old club Turbine Potsdam.
I don't know if this has influenced Angerer and Hingst, but Germany's head coach Silvia Neid has in no uncertain terms stated that she expects all her national team players to play in the German Bundesliga until the World Cup is played in Germany 2011.
Damfotboll.com: Angerer lämnar Djurgården

National team midfielder CAroline Seger has signed a new one year contract with Linköping FC. Seger is captain and one of the key players in the team and Linköping's sport director Anders Mäki comments that it is very satisfying to be able to keep her.
Corren: Seger stannar i LFC

AIK's goalkeeper Sofia Lundgren has signed with Damallsvenskan runners-up Linköping FC. The deal is for the 2009 and 2010 seasons and Lundgren says she is looking forward playing in Linköping, "where I will get the chance to fight for the league title and to play in Europe". Lundgren played for Umeå IK before she joined AIK two years ago and has already won several Swedish and European titles.
SR: Lundgren klar för LFC

This must mean that Linköping has given up on Hedvig Lindahl, who yesterday returned from a short visit in Göteborg. She commented positively on her reception in Göteborg and on the club and sounded a lot like she had made up her mind for Göteborg. Expect an announcement within short.
Corren: Lindahl: "Göteborg ligger bra till"

Nobody wants to confirm the rumour that Marta has agreed on a contract with the WPS club Los Angeles Sol. Marta herself, on her way to London with Umeå to play Arsenal, simply refused to talk to the press, Umeå's sport director Britta Åkerlund had no news and Los Angeles Sol denied that anything should have been finalized.
Åkerlund confirmed that Josefine Öqvist and Lisa De Vanna now are Umeå's main targets.
SVT: Umeå IK hoppas fortfarande på Marta (video)

Should Linköping's national team goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl sign with Göteborg FC, Linköping has already started talks with a possible replacement; AIK's Sofia Lundgren. Lundgren (20 caps for Sweden) has had a good season for AIK and the Stockholm club comments that "we hope and believe that she will stay".
Corren: LFC jagar ny landslagsmålvakt

Daniela, Linköping's Brazilian midfielder, is according to Brazilian media negotiating a renewal of her contract with the club. There is no mention about any talks with the American club St. Louis, that has the WPS league player rights to her.
Globoesporte.com: Daniela Alves é campeã em cima de Marta na Suécia

Ifeoma Dieke, who has just arrived in Cyprus with two Kristianstad team mates (Therese Björck and Vlora Bajraktaraj) to spend part of the winter playing with Salamina in the women's top league, will most likely chose to play for WPS side Chicago Red Stars next season. Kristianstad's other centre back Kia McNeill is in talks with the club and sport director Ulf Berglund hopes to be able to keep her.
Kristianstadsbladet: Elitlicensen är hemma för KDFF

16 years old Alvik (2nd division) player Sara Eliasson, who had a try-out with Umeå last week, has been called back for a second audition. She has also been invited to Sunnanå, and will travel there toward the end of the month.
Norrländska Socialdemokraten: Eliasson ska träna mer med Umeå IK

Örebro might run into some problems when they tries to renew the contracts with several key players. Midfielders Marie Hammarström and Elin Magnusson, both important players in Örebro's long-time plans, have both graduated from Örebro University recently and are looking for jobs.
Sweden U21 player Lena Andersson, who seems to be less of a priority for the club, might also be leaving. Örebro is looking for an established two-way midfielder, a player that could threaten Andersson's position in the team.
National team defender Stina Segerström is in close contact with Kopparbergs/Göteborg. The Göteborg club has, since selling Lotta Schelin to Lyon, much better financial resources than Örebro, but they still hope to be able to keep her. Boyfriend, job and studies complicates a move för Stina.
Finally Örebro is looking for an established goalscorer, 12 to 15 goals a year. They will most likely have to go abroad to find that, and Brazil is not an unlikely target.
Nerikes Allehanda: Lena Andersson nästa frågetecken i Kif, Stina Segerström funderar vidare

Katri Nokso-Koivisto, Bälinge and Finland midfielder, is on a try-out with the Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg. According to the local newspaper, the visit is more about finding out if Katri likes it in Wolfsburg than for the Wolfsburg club to find out if she is what they want. 35 caps for Finland seems to be convincing enough.
Waz-online: VfL will Finnin aus Schweden

Former Bälinge coach Magnus Wikman, presently assistant coach for Sirius in the men's Superettan (2nd level), has been contacted by Linköping FC about the job as head coach for the team. He is interested, "it is a big club on the women's side and they seem to have an interesting vision for the club", but wants to think it over for a while.
Corren: Han kan ta över i LFC

Relegated teams almost always lose several of their best players, who gets offers from Damallsvenskan sides that has managed to stay in the premier league. Umeå Södra is no exception:

Goalkeeper Minna Meriluoto, capped 14 times for Finland, has signed with Hammarby. Sport director Annelie Norén is happy to have been able to tie "such a high class goalkeeper" to the club. No mention of their current, also fairly high class, keeper Kathrin Lehmann, but let's assume she isn't staying with the club.
Hammarby: Hammarby värvar mer finländskt och från Jitex
EDIT: OK, I did some research and found that Kathrin, at her website, has confirmed that she is leaving Hammarby, even though she was offered an extension of her contract. She says she has offers from Swedish and German clubs, but will focus on her ice-hockey playing for the next five months.
kathrinlehmann.com: Abschied aus Hammarby

Hammarby were also proposing to Södra's young forward Linda Fransson, but she chose to sign with Sunnanå.
Västerbottenskuriren: Fransson till Sunnanå

Umeå Södra's maybe hottest name on the player market, 20 years old midfielder Hanna Folkesson, has recieved interest from all of Örebro, Hammarby, Umeå IK and Sunnanå, but seems to be most likely to sign for AIK.
Västerbottenskuriren: Folkesson och Andersson blir 08:or

Sunnanå S is still looking for a new head coach since Kaj Eskelinen resigned after a less than successful season. The club is working with three names, one of them Mats Stenlund from the towns best men's side Skellefteå FF. They are also working on a few new signings, among them Bälinge's Emma Lindqvist and New Zealand national team player Kirsty Yallop.
Norra Västerbotten: Stenlund - ett av tre spår för SSK

Linköping's team captain Caroline Seger reveals that she is chosing between contract offers from Linköping and LDB FC Malmö. "It's not the easiest decision", she says and points out that Malmö has the entire organization for 2009 set already, both players and coach. In Linköping nothing yet. She adds that she will try to make up her mind as soon as possible. Malmö's sport director Kenny Jönsson refused to comment.
Corren: Malmö vill värva LFC-kaptenen

In other news, the successful 1st division forward Johanna Andersson from Jitex, has accepted an offer from Hammarby.
Västerbottenskuriren: Johanna Andersson till Hammarby

Emma Lindqvist from Bälinge is training with AIK and seems close to make the move over. Emilie Appelqvist and Linda Blom from the same club are also in contact with Damallsvenskan clubs, but doesn't want to comment any further.
Upsala Nya Tidning: Bälingespelare jagas av allsvenska klubbar

AIK has announced that the new women's team coach will be 22 years old Patric Jildefalk, who has been assistant coach this season. Retiring coach Benny Persson will remain in the club organization as some kind of elder statesman, mentoring the new coaching team and working with player recruitment together with sport director Peter Johansson.
Jidefalk's age is of course an issue here - he is younger than two thirds of the players in his team. He comments that he has to be humble and has to value and respect the experience of the older players.
SVT: 22-åringen som tar över AIK (video)
AIK: AIK Damfotboll omstrukturerar ledar- och tränarstaben

Just promoted Piteå has signed a new coach for their Damallsvenskan season, Peter Grundström. Grundström comes from the men's game and has coached at the 2nd level in the Swedish league system. LÖately he has been working with player development in the regional branch of the Swedish Football Association.
Norrbottenskuriren: Grundström tar plats

Marta's agent Fabiano Farah did not answer the deadline Umeå IK set for their contract offer to Marta. Umeå IK tonight released a press statement, saying that the consequence is that Umeå now "will intensify our contacts with the players who are the most interesting alternatives for the 2009 season". On the top of Umeå's list of candidates are most probably AIK's Australian Lisa De Vanna, who visited Umeå last week, and Linköping's Josefine Öqvist. Öqvist tells just after landing at Umeå airport for a two day visit that she is "very interested" in playing for Umeå. "Otherwise I wouldn't have taken the trip".

Umeå's sport director Britta Åkerlund adds that this doesn't mean that the club is counting out Marta completely, but they now have to persue other alternatives. But an anonumous source, quoted by a local Umeå newspaper, says that Marta's deal with the WPS club Los Angeles Sol is now completed. "She just hasn't signed yet".
Västerbotenskuriren: Los Angeles nästa för världsstjärnan
SVT: Öqvist interview (video)

AIK's Lisa De Vanna and Linköping's Josefine Öqvist have both been mentioned by Umeå's manager Andrée Jeglertz as his top priorities, should Marta leave Umeå.
Umeå can't sit and wait for Marta and see other possible recruits sign with other clubs and their deadline for Marta expires this weekend. "If Marta leaves, we have to continue with plan B, and maybe even plan C", comments Umeå's Britta Åkerlund. Josefine Öqvist reveals that she will take the trip up north on Monday to take a closer look at the club and the town. "I want to develop as a footballer and I would definitely do it there", she says.

According to some information, Linköping still hasn't renewed contracts with a single player on the team, that won the Swedish Cup Saturday. The budding forward star Kosovare Asllani has offers from both Linköping and LDB FC Malmö, and "you could say it's 50/50", she comments. Linköping's national team goal-keeper Hedvig Lindahl will take the trip to Göteborg on Wednesday to talk over things with them.
Dagens Nyheter: Linköpingstjärnor kan lämna
Västerbottenskuriren: Marta ut och Josefine in?

Umeå's veteran Frida Östberg hasn't decided if she will continue to play. The 31 year old says she's been pushing the final decision in front of her and will probably not announce any decision until after the Women's Cup quarterfinals against Arsenal. "You need to be able to commit 110 %" she says and isn't sure she can to that.
The other unsigned players from the current roster, except Marta, is Johanna Frisk (who might go to Los Angeles with Marta) and Norwegian defender June Pedersen, who hasn't received any offer.
Västerbottens Folkblad: Östberg tvekar – men inte inför finalen

Emma Westholm, a forward from relegated 1st division side Gideonsberg, has received interest from Kif Örebro and Hammarby.
VLT: Klubbar jagar GIF:s Westholm

Former Örebro player and Finnish international Leena Puranen has signed with Hammarby.
Hammarby: Finsk landslagsspelare klar för Hammarby

Kif Örebro's promising defender Sara Fröjdfeldt earned attention from Linköping. She also has an offer from Örebro.
Nerikes Allehanda: Kif-Sara eftertraktad av flera klubbar

Djurgården has renewed the contracts with Therese Brogårde and Sara Thunebro, the latter with a two year deal.
Djurgården: Therese Brogårde fortsätter, Sara Thunebro klar för två nya år

Emma Stålhammar, 23 year old midfielder/forward with LDB FC Malmö, has signed a one year deal with 1st division side Tyresö FF. Stålhammar, who has played 180 matches for Malmö, makes the move to get more playing time.
LDB FC: Emma Stålhammar till Tyresö FF

Sunnanå's Rebecca Smith and Sanna Frostevall will join Newcastle Jets in the new Australian league. The Westfield W-League, as it is called, kicked off it's inaugural season last weekend and will finish in February. "It doesn't interfere with the Swedish season, it will be like a really long training camp", says a happy Sanna Frostevall. The league is a low-cost league and it isn't yet decided if Sanna will get a full time contract or if she will be set up with a part-time day-job.

Frostevall is still negotiating with Sunnanå, but hopes there will be an agreement before she takes the trip to Australia. the New Zealand international Rebecca Smith will however not get a renewed contract with Sunnanå.
"It was a hard decision to make, but we have so many other good defenders already signed for 2009" says sport director Sören Gustafsson. "Rebecca has been a great asset to the team and we wish her luck in the future".
Norra Västerbotten: Frostevall och Smith spelar i Australien
Västerbottens Folkblad: Rebecca Smith lämnar Sunnanå

Another Sunnanå player, the youngest of the Marklund sisters, Mirjam Marklund, has decided to leave the club and top football. The 28 years old leaves after 10 Damallsvenskan seasons.
Norra Västerbotten: Mirre lägger skorna på hyllan

"I have received an offer [from the WPS club Los Angeles Sol], but I don't want to say more than that", says Umeå defender Johanna Frisk to a local newspaper. Marta revealed earlier this week, that she in her negotiations with Los Angeles has asked if they could make an offer to her friend Johanna too.
Johanna Frisk says she wants to think it over, but "it doesn't have to take too much time". She adds that she wants to focus on Umeå's three remaining matches this season, the Swedish Cup final on Saturday and the UEFA Women's Cup quarter finals against Arsenal November 6 and 12, before making any decisions.
Both Johanna and Marta have received contract offers from Umeå as well as Los Angeles. The club has set a deadline for this weekend. Club manager Britta Åkerlund has been pessimistic about the possibilities to keep Marta in the club and that goes for Johanna too.

Former Malmö goalkeeper Caroline Jönsson, who is training with Umeå, says she is interested in the option of playing in the American league and is now looking into what Chicago Red Stars has to offer.
Västerbottenskuriren: Los Angeles vill även ha Frisk

Sunnanå's midfielder Sanna Frostevall has been offered a contract with Newcastle Jets in the Australian W-league. The paperwork between the clubs isn't finished yet, but "this is a once in a lifetime opportunity", says Frostevall, who hopes to be able to take the flight to Australia within short. Part of the lure of the Australian league is that their October to January season hardly interfers with the Swedish one at all. And, Sanna Frostevall points out, it's much more tempting to play football in the Australian summar than having pre-season training in the Swedish winter.
Norra Västerbotten: Lämnar Sanna frosten för att spela i värmen?

Alexandra Nilsson, one of Sunnanå's most wanted young talents, has decided to turn down her suitors and renew her contract with the northern Swedish club. Hanna Marklund's decision to return to the club was an important part of Alexandra's decision: "As a defender I can't wish for anyone better to play with than Hanna Marklund".
Norra Västerbotten: Även Alexandra stannar

Damallsvenskan newcomers Piteå might lose one of their key players. Sweden U18 forward Emelie Lövgren was invited to a try-out with Djurgården the other week, and they were impressed. "They thought it looked good. They want me", said Emelie Lövgren to the local newspaper. Herself, she wants to think a bit about it. "I would probably have to spend a lot of time on the bench in Djurgården".
Norrländska Socialdemokraten: Succéspelaren het hos toppklubben

Kif Örebro's Caroline Näfver and Hanna Pettersson will not get new contracts with the club. Näfver, midfield or full back, got five caps in 2006 as a left back but hasn't managed to return to the national side. Pettersson has been the second best goalscorer in an admittedly very low scoring team. She has been approached by one of the most ambitious 1st division sides, Eskilstuna United. The team's best goalscorer, Maria Nordbrant has been offered a renewed contract by the club and accepted it.
Nerikes Allehanda: Landslagsspelare lämnar Kif Örebro, Eskilstuna United jagar Kif-anfallare

Sunnanå SK has managed to resign their sought-after U23 player Josefin Johansson (Umeå and Malmö has been mentioned as possible addresses for her, had she decided to leave). Interestingly, Sunnanå's disappointing 2008 season has played a role in her decision to stay - she wants the opportunity to get revenge. Full back Sandra Bergsten has also re-signed as has defender Maggie Esseryd.
Norra Västerbotten: "Jossan" och Sandra stannar i Sunnanå, Maggie stannar i SSK

Just promoted Piteå IF tries to find the right players to strengthen their side before the 2009 Damallsvenskan season. They are mainly looking at players with some connection with the small town in the far north. AIK's 27 years old full back Sofia Simonsson is one of those, as she has played for Piteå. Simonsson herself says it could be fun to move back home to play in the top league, but hasn't made up her mind yet. Other players on Piteå's list are Bälinge's defender Nina Engström and LDB FC Malmö's former goalkeeper Caroline Jönsson.
Norrbottenskuriren: Simonsson överväger att flytta hemåt
Norrländska Socialdemokraten: Stjärnjakten har börjat

Caroline Jönsson has been approached by both Sunnanå and Piteå, fairly close to Umeå where she studies. She hasn't figured out what to do with her playing next year yet, and she is interested in a possible offer from the American club Chicago Red Stars, that has aquired her playing rights in the American WPS league. But that seems to depend a lot on whether playing in Chicago would be possible to work with her school schedule. Most of the American season is during the summer vacation, but not all.

The other newcomers, Stattena, has turned to the neighbouring club Kristianstads DFF. On the wish-list are goalkeeper Maria Edman and midfielders Johanna Rosén and Erla Arnadottir. Both Edman and Arnadottir are from Helsingborg and has played for Stattena. They left when Stattena was relegated 2004. At least Edman seems possible to persuade, the more since she is still living in Helsingborg and commutes to Kristianstad. It will probably be harder to convince Rosén, who is team captain and in many ways the heart and soul of the Kristianstad team.
A player that Stattena almost certainly will sign is the young attacker Emma Sjödahl from 1st division side Vittsjö. She has been trying out with the team and says "Damallsvenskan is always your goal".
Kristianstadsbladet: Stattena jagar spelare i KDFF
Norra Skåne: Emma Sjödahl på väg till Stattena

Djurgården announces that they have re-signed three young players; back-up goalkeeper Sofia Åhman and defenders Malin Engdahl och Freja Hellenberg. Engdahl is the only one who has got any significant playing time this year.
Djurgården: Trio fortsätter spela med Djurgården

LDB FC Malmö signs up Icelandic international Dora Stefansdottir for another three years after her current three year contract expires this month.
Skånska Dagbladet: LDB Malmö förlänger med Dóra Stefánsdóttir

AIK's Lisa De Vanna visited Umeå IK as the last thing before she took a flight back to Australia, where she will be playing for Perth in the new Australien W-league. Thw W-league season finishes already in January, so it will not compete much with the Swedish season. She said that she wanted to find out as much as possible about Umeå IK and how it compares to AIK, which seems to be her main alternatives for the 2009 season. She has been drafted by Washington Freedom in the WPS league, but she hasn't been in contact with them yet and said that "it feels like I have more to accomplish in Sweden".
Västerbottens Folkblad: De Vanna på Umeåbesök

Göteborg's coach Torbjörn Nilsson seems more interested to do something about his defense than trying to find someone to replace Lotta Schelin. As I earlier noted here, he has contacted Linköping's goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl, who has "it's 50/50" between her present club Linköping and Göteborg. Another target is Örebro's national team defender Stina Segerström, who doesn't seem completely uninterested. And they are trying to keep Ingvild Stensland yet another season.
Göteborgsposten: Göteborg FC jagar Örebros landslagsback

Umeå IK has set a deadline for Marta's answer on their contract offer for 2009. If she hasn't decided by the end of this month, we will move on to other players, says Umeå's general manager Britta Åkerlund. Marta's agent Fabiano Farah comments that he respects Umeå's schedule, but he and Marta have their own. Farah doesn't give away any details about the negotiations, but says that "both the American league WPS and the Los Angeles club are very eager to get Marta over".
Marta has received offers from, according to her agent, "several clubs in Europe and USA". But she says that if she doesn't join the new American league, she will stay with Umeå.
Marta also tells that she in her discussions with the Los Angeles club has indicated that she would like her best friend (and Umeå defender) Johanna Frisk getting the opportunity to join her in Los Angeles. "That doesn't necessarily mean that Johanna joins me if I go to Los Angeles", she adds, "She makes her own decisions". Umeå's manager Britta Åkerlund says this is news to her. Johanna Frisk is still under contract with Umeå and has recieved an offer for 2009 from the Swedish club.
The Swedish tabloid Expressen has been in contact with Lauren Gregg, who is acting as an advisor to WPS clubs in their contacts with foreign clubs. She says that "the club's ambition is to satisfy that demand as well as other possible contract conditions". "It is reasonable that every player will demand things that are important to them personally" she says and adds that this concerns not only Marta but also other international players.
Västerbottenskuriren: UIK: "Vi går snart vidare med att hitta ersättaren"
Expressen: Martas löfte: Stannar i Umeå - om det inte blir USA, Martas krav till USA: Ta med Frisk, Los Angeles accepterar: Martas vän får kontrakt