Tomas Brolin
Encyclopedia
Per Tomas Brolin is a Swedish
former professional football player who had a successful period with A.C. Parma
during the early nineties
winning the 1992
Coppa Italia
, the 1993 Cup Winners' Cup
, the 1993
UEFA Super Cup and the 1995 UEFA Cup
.
Brolin also played for the Swedish national team
, finishing third in the 1994
World Cup
and was also a beaten semi finalist at the 1992 European championship as well as having competed in the 1990 World Cup
.
Although a class act in his youth , in 2007 he was voted in at Number 2 in The Times
poll of the "50 Worst footballers (to grace the Premier League)", reflecting his dismal downturn in form after he signed for the English club Leeds United in 1995.
His once glittering career never recovered after the transfer to Leeds United, and by the age of 29 he had retired from playing.
, spotted Brolin and offered him a contract in which he could continue his education while developing his career. In 1986 Brolin enrolled at Fotbollsgymnasiet, the football academy in Sundsvall. He was subsequently signed by GIF Sundsvall
, making his first team debut in 1987 against IF Elfsborg
.
After two seasons at Sundsvall Brolin moved to IFK Norrkoping
.
, in 1990 just after Parma had been promoted to Serie A
. He quickly formed an effective partnership at Parma with another player, Alessandro Melli
, who, like Brolin was only 20 years old. Melli who wore the No.7 jersey was a box player, quick, nimble, good in the air, and lethal from six yards. Meanwhile, Brolin who wore No.11 was a midfielder. The partnership delivered 20 goals; 13 from Melli and 7 from Brolin. Parma finished in joint fifth place in their first season in Serie A. It was the first time that the team qualified for the Europe in their history.
In 1991–92 season, Brolin played in all 34 Serie A matches, scoring 4 goals. Parma finished in 6th place and it was the club’s run in the Coppa Italia
. Brolin scored two goals in the Coppa Italia which resulted in a 1–1 draw with Fiorentina, and the other in the 1–0 victory over Sampdoria in the semi-final. Parma beat Juventus 2–1 on aggregate to lift their first trophy in the club’s history.
In the 1992–93 season with Parma in the European Cup Winners' Cup
, the club splashed out on two foreign imports Colombian Faustino Asprilla
and Argentine Sergio Berti
. The addition of Asprilla and Berti meant the positions of Parma's three other non-Italian players Taffarel, Grün and Brolin were not guaranteed as the club could only field three stranieri in a match. Before Asprilla's arrival, Brolin had been playing up-front with fellow forward Alessandro Melli
. However, Parma's coach benched Brolin in favour of Asprilla for most of the season. When Asprilla played, Brolin's No.11 was handed to Asprilla with Brolin playing either in the No. 8 or 9 jersey. Brolin did help the club lift the European Cup Winners'Cup
by defeating Belgian club Royal Antwerp 3–1 in the final at Wembley.
The following season, the club signed duo Gianfranco Zola
and Massimo Crippa
for a total of £9m from cash strapped Napoli
that put Brolin's place in the team even more in the balance. Coach Scala, having seen the benefit of playing Brolin in midfield during the previous season, decided to play Brolin in a deeper position than his first three seasons at the club. He was handed Melli's No.7 jersey and played in a three man midfield with Gabriele Pin
on the right, Crippa on the left, and Asprilla and Zola leading the attack. When the team was a goal down or in need of extra fire power up-front, striker Melli came on as a substitute in place of Pin and Zola dropped into midfield, a tactic that was deployed by the coach during the 1993/94 season.
The club reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup
having beaten Ajax and Benfica on the road to Copenhagen
, where they played Arsenal
. Despite Brolin coming close to scoring in the first fifteen minutes even hitting the post, Parma lost 1–0.
, Brolin had broken his foot in a qualifier for Euro 96. At the time of Brolin's injury, Parma were two points clear at the top of the Italian league. By the time he returned on 23 April 1995 Parma were eight points behind leaders and eventual champions Juventus. With Gianfranco Zola missing, Brolin was given his first full start after his injury on 7 May 1995, a week after he resumed playing for Sweden. In his first start for nearly six months came against Genoa, and Parma needed a victory to keep the pressure on runaway leaders Juventus at the top of the league. Brolin lasted 62 minutes before he was subbed for Stefano Fiore
as Parma drew 0–0 and slipped seven points behind in the title race. Brolin struggled the rest of the season to find his form and fitness but continued to make appearances. On the last day of the season against Napoli, Brolin was sent off for the first time in his career after the 23rd minute.
for £6.5m as Brolin tried to get back to full fitness for the start of the 1995–96 season. Despite scoring in the Parmalat Cup against the USA (2–1) and Boca Juniors
(3–1) and a friendly against RSC Anderlecht (1–0) during the club’s pre-season, the coach felt that Brolin lacked the appropriate level of fitness to continue playing in the central midfield position.
Brolin made his first league appearance during the 1995–96 season as a late substitute in a 2–1 home win against Inter
on 10 September. Four days later in a first round European Cup Winners’ Cup, Brolin made his first start against KS Teuta Durrës
in Tirana
as well as made another start in the return match on 28 September. After a few more appearances, it was clear that Brolin would not have a chance to play regularly due to his lack of form. After five years at Parma, Brolin decided he would have to leave Parma in order to get more playing time.
on 7 November 1995. On 17 November, he signed a two and a half year contract. Coach Howard Wilkinson
saw Brolin as the perfect foil for the club's top scorer Tony Yeboah
.
A day after signing for the club, at St James’ Park against Newcastle
, Brolin came on in the 82nd minute for Mark Ford
to make his Premier League debut for Leeds United. They lost 2–1. Four days later Brolin made his first start for the club as he contributed in the 2–1 win over Blackburn Rovers
in the League Cup
.
Brolin scored his first goal for the club against Sheffield Wednesday
on 16 December, in which they lost 6–2. He continued, briefly, as a regular starter playing in a 2–0 win over Bolton Wanderers
on 27 December, in which he scored his second goal for the club. On 13 January, Brolin hit two goals as 10 man Leeds United, without Yeboah and Deane
, beat West Ham United
2–0 at Elland Road
.
Then came a 5–0 defeat to Liverpool
on 20 January. After that match Brolin and Wilkinson clashed over the player's defensive abilities, saying he was not pulling his weight. He played in the 2–1 defeat to Nottingham Forest
on 31 January, but was dropped for the league match against Aston Villa
despite Wilkinson missing nine first team players through suspensions, injuries and international duty. Brolin also missed the following matches.
Brolin returned to the team as Leeds beat Birmingham City
3–0 on 25 February, in the second leg of the League Cup semi-final to play Aston Villa
at Wembley.
On 1 April 1996, Brolin had to apologise to Leeds manager, Howard Wilkinson
, after an April Fool's Day prank backfired. He had told Swedish television station that he was going to play out the season on loan to former club IFK Norrköping
. However, he returned on 3 April, and played in the matches against Southampton
, Arsenal
and Nottingham Forest
. He played his last match of the season at Stamford Bridge
on 14 April setting up Gary McAllister
's goal in the 4–1 defeat, but was dropped for the following match against Manchester United
. On 1 May, it was announced by the club that Brolin had returned home to Sweden undergo surgery to remove scar tissue from his troublesome ankle, and was not fit for Leeds' last two league matches. However, his future at Leeds was already in doubt.
on the legality of withholding Brolin's wages, and told the press that he would rather have any player in my team than Brolin. Leeds stopped his wages when he refused to show up for pre-season training and reportedly saved £72,000 by the time Brolin had joined FC Zürich
on loan, where he received the minimum wage of £800-a-week for a player in the Swiss League.
Brolin joined the Swiss club on 20 August 1996 and played three matches for FC Zürich
in the Nationalliga A and one Swiss Cup match against lowly Uzwil, which FC Zürich won with a 10–0 scoreline. Brolin wanted to stay at the club until their mid-season winter break in December to get back to full fitness but Leeds under new coach George Graham
wanted him back at Elland Road and refused to allow him to play for the club against FC St.Gallen on 9 October, after his loan spell ended on 30 September. Graham was quoted as saying "We have heard nothing from Tomas Brolin. We have not even got a telephone number for him. All our correspondence with him has been done through his agent, Lars Peterson." Leeds gave Brolin an ultimatum to return to the club on 6 November or face legal action.
Leeds urged Brolin, to return to Yorkshire
and have tests on his damaged ankle to clarify the extent of the injury, fearing Brolin would be forced to retire, and wanted him to seek a second opinion from a leading orthopaedic surgeon. Then on 24 December, Brolin paid £500,000 of his own money to fund his loan move back to Parma until the end of the season. Brolin trained with the club but did not return to first team action until 23 February 1997 as a second half sub in a 2–0 win over Lazio
. He also made substitute appearances against Cagliari
(3–2), Perugia
(2–1), Internazionale
(1–0), and Fiorentina (0–1) – all in March 1997.
Brolin played in an exhibition match at the Olympic Stadium
in Montjuïc
, in Barcelona
on 26 April for the International Association of Professional Footballers (AIFP), of which he was a founding member. Brolin played against Udinese (0–2) on 28 April as a sub, and with Parma having several injuries and suspensions, Parma Coach Carlo Ancelotti
handed Brolin his first and only start in his second spell at the Italian club on 4 May in a 2–1 win over Atalanata, and he made another appearance in the 3–0 win over Vicenza
a wek later. Brolin even played a part in Parma’s title run-in with Juventus
, making substitute appearances against AC Milan
(1–1), and against Juventus (1–1) on 25 May, coming on after Crespo
limped off with a hamstring injury. His last appearance came on the last game of the season, on 1 June, in a 2–1 win over Verona, as Parma finished in their best ever position, second place.
By the end of the season, it was clear that Parma were not interested in keeping the player and had only agreed to sign him on loan to keep him fit after so many years of loyal service to the Parma club.
within 72 hours. However, Brolin was axed by coach George Graham
for the club’s pre-season tour of Sweden. Brolin was forced to find another club on loan or play for the reserves.
On 29 August, he was offered a loan deal with Real Zaragoza
but the deal fell through and Brolin missed the Spanish transfer deadline. As a result, he was fined by Leeds for being absent for training for three days which he disputed. Then, on 15 September, Brolin met with Jim Jefferies
about a loan to Hearts
. Yet again, the deal fell through. According to Brolin’s agent, the club would not meet their price, but the Hearts chief Chris Robinson decided to pull the plug on the deal due to the player’s lack of fitness.
After the two failed loan deals, Brolin continued to train and play in the reserves. On 6 October, he was fined £90,000 after missing a match to attend his father's 50th birthday as well as criticizing George Graham
in the media. The player threatened to take the club to a Premier League tribunal. On 28 October 1997, club officials, Brolin, and Brolin's representatives decided to terminate Brolin's contract for a reported £140,000.
Although he recovered from his ankle injury, Brolin never regained his pre-injury level of fitness. He made 19 Premier League appearances for Leeds, scoring 4 goals.
He is widely regarded by Leeds fans as one of the club's worst ever players, and in 2003 a poll by BBC Sport
saw him voted by the club's fans as the club's worst player in living memory, with the editor joking that Brolin had given almost all of his £4.5million fee back to the local catering industry with "dedicated munching".http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/2902411.stm
, the manager of struggling Crystal Palace
, offered Brolin a two week trial. Palace had been playing a friendly in Sweden, and Coppell was hoping to finalize the two week trial while he was there. At the time, Brolin was training with Hammarby
in Stockholm
.
The trial began on 5 January 1998. With a player shortage, Brolin was asked by Coppell to play for the club in a league match. Brolin was registered as a player for the club and allocated the No.12 jersey. He played in the home league match against Everton
on 10 January, and netted a ball in the 72nd minute only to see the referee rule it out for offside. The club lost 3–1 but Brolin, whose trial ended on 16 January, was handed a contract until the end of the season.
In his third game, Brolin came up against his old club Leeds United
. Brolin was still overweight, but managed to get a starting place in the team. However, after five minutes, he had to come off after a collision with Bruno Ribeiro
, which left him dazed and needing stitches to a head wound. While he was receiving treatment, Leeds scored. Brolin, determined to upset his former team returned to the field six minutes later, but Palace were unable to beat Leeds.
Brolin went onto play twelve more times for Palace, mostly as a striker due to the London club's shortage of players up-front. On 13 March 1998, the club lost to Chelsea
6–2. Crystal Palace had been procured by Mark Goldberg
who decided Steve Coppell
should step down as manager and player Attilio Lombardo
would take over as player-manager. Despite it being widely reported that Brolin was to be his assistant coach, Palace chairman Goldberg insisted that the fluent Italian and English speaking Brolin was merely Lombardo’s interpreter.
Brolin's last competitive game came in the 3–0 defeat to Manchester United
on 27 April 1998. He was substituted for Jamie Fullarton
after 68 minutes. Brolin was unable to recapture his form or fitness failing to score in 15 appearances. Palace were relegated from the Premier League and on 14 May 1998, he was released from the London club and returned to Sweden to think about his prospects.
as a goalkeeper.
for GIF Sundsvall
for three years, Brolin moved to IFK Norrköping
and in his first game for the club in a pre-season friendly against IFK Eskilstuna
, he netted a hat-trick. However, it was his hat-trick in his league debut in a 6–0 victory over IFK Göteborg
at Idrottsparken in Norrköping, that grabbed all the headlines and alerted Sweden's coach Olle Nordin
to Brolin's talents. Sweden had just qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1978, and were looking for a forward to lead their frontline, having only managed nine goals in six matches during the qualifying rounds.
Eighteen days later, Brolin was lining up against Wales
at the Råsunda Stadion, and five minutes after Dean Saunders
had given the visitors the lead, Brolin announced his arrival on the international stage with two goals in six minutes to give Sweden a 2–1 lead. Sweden won 4–2 on the night, and Brolin went onto score another two in the following match with Finland
a month later, which Sweden won 6–0. Subsequently Brolin was picked to lead the Swedish attack in the 1990 World Cup in Italy
. Sweden failed to win any of their matches at that tournament, but after scoring against Brazil
, Brolin was soon signed by Italian club AC Parma
for £1.2 million pounds (out of a possible 12 buyers), and also won his first Guldbollen
as Sweden's footballer of the year.
, Dennis Bergkamp
and Karl-Heinz Riedle); his goal against England
did much to raise his profile.
in the best shape of his career, at the age of 23, However despite having a talented group of players, Sweden was not predicted to go far at the World Cup in America. After they scraped a draw with Cameroon
in their opening game, not much was expected of them. Things improved in Sweden's next game with Russia
, with Brolin playing behind Martin Dahlin
and the towering Kennet Andersson
, as Sweden won 3–1.
In their final group match, Sweden drew 1–1 with tournament favourites Brazil
after Brolin set up Sweden's goal for Kennet Andersson, and reached the second round.
Brolin scored 3 goals for Sweden
in the 1994 World Cup, and Sweden surprised many by finishing third in the competition. Brolin's performances earned him a place in the competition's "World Cup All Star Team". In the quarter final against Romania
, he scored one of his most famous goals; when Sweden were awarded a free kick, everyone expected Stefan Schwarz
to shoot. Instead, he jumped over the ball and Håkan Mild
passed the ball past the wall to Brolin who managed to score. Brolin received his second Guldbollen
award in 1994.
, and scored a penalty but was unable to help his team to a much needed victory in their qualifying campaign.
On 16 April 1996, Brolin was then dropped by Swedish coach Tommy Svensson for a friendly against Northern Ireland
in Belfast
, and was quoted "Brolin is not at 100 percent at the moment and it is difficult to say when he will be." Brolin told Swedish news agency TT that it was the best for him, and the national side "Right now I need to recover in order to get to the capacity needed to add something to the national team."
In the end, Sweden did not qualify for 1996 European Championship.
, Brolin scored 26 goals. However in February 2010, Brolin claimed credit for a goal against Norway
, given to international teammate Roland Nilsson
and that his record should read 27 goals.
which featured other famous Swedish
sportsmen, including Björn Borg
.
In 2001, a long time girlfriend, Susan Hardenborg, gave birth to Brolin's first child, a boy, named Sebastian. The couple had split before the birth of the child, but remain on good terms.
Brolin has been an active World Series Poker
player, since 2006. Playing in the 2007 World Series of Poker
and the 2006 Football & Poker Legends Cup
organized by PartyPoker.com
. He has also competed regularly in the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour and cashed twice – once in the Season 4 Prague event where he came 23rd and again in the EPT Grand Final later that season in Monte Carlo where he came 38th out of a 842-strong field.
Parma
Leeds United
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
former professional football player who had a successful period with A.C. Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
during the early nineties
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
winning the 1992
Coppa Italia 1991-92
-First leg:-Second leg:Parma won 2–1 on aggregate.-References:*...
Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
, the 1993 Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
, the 1993
1993 UEFA Super Cup
The 1993 UEFA Super Cup was contested between Milan of Italy and Parma of Italy . It was won by Parma, 2–1 on aggregate. The final was contested over two legs with a leg at each of the sides' home grounds. The first leg took place at Ennio Tardini, Parma on 12 January 1994 and ended 0–1...
UEFA Super Cup and the 1995 UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
.
Brolin also played for the Swedish national team
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
, finishing third in the 1994
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and was also a beaten semi finalist at the 1992 European championship as well as having competed in the 1990 World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
.
Although a class act in his youth , in 2007 he was voted in at Number 2 in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
poll of the "50 Worst footballers (to grace the Premier League)", reflecting his dismal downturn in form after he signed for the English club Leeds United in 1995.
His once glittering career never recovered after the transfer to Leeds United, and by the age of 29 he had retired from playing.
Näsvikens IK/GIF Sundsvall
Brolin's first professional match was for Näsvikens IK in 1984 at the age of 14 against Kilafors, and he went onto make 36 appearances for the fourth division club. GIF SundsvallGIF Sundsvall
GIF Sundsvall is a Swedish football club located in the city of Sundsvall. The club, formed on 25 August 1903, is currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan. The club is affiliated to Medelpads Fotbollförbund.- History :...
, spotted Brolin and offered him a contract in which he could continue his education while developing his career. In 1986 Brolin enrolled at Fotbollsgymnasiet, the football academy in Sundsvall. He was subsequently signed by GIF Sundsvall
GIF Sundsvall
GIF Sundsvall is a Swedish football club located in the city of Sundsvall. The club, formed on 25 August 1903, is currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan. The club is affiliated to Medelpads Fotbollförbund.- History :...
, making his first team debut in 1987 against IF Elfsborg
IF Elfsborg
IF Elfsborg is a Swedish football club located in Borås. The club has won five national championship titles, the latest in 2006, and two national cup titles. Currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan. Elfsborg is based at Borås Arena...
.
After two seasons at Sundsvall Brolin moved to IFK Norrkoping
IFK Norrköping
IFK Norrköping is a Swedish football club based in Norrköping. The club, formed on 29 May 1897, is currently playing in the first division of Swedish football, Allsvenskan...
.
AC Parma
Brolin was signed by the Italian club, AC ParmaParma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
, in 1990 just after Parma had been promoted to Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
. He quickly formed an effective partnership at Parma with another player, Alessandro Melli
Alessandro Melli
Alessandro Melli is a retired Italian footballer who played as a striker.-Club career:Melli's father was a professional footballer, playing as a centre forward for Parma FC, and the son followed in his footsteps...
, who, like Brolin was only 20 years old. Melli who wore the No.7 jersey was a box player, quick, nimble, good in the air, and lethal from six yards. Meanwhile, Brolin who wore No.11 was a midfielder. The partnership delivered 20 goals; 13 from Melli and 7 from Brolin. Parma finished in joint fifth place in their first season in Serie A. It was the first time that the team qualified for the Europe in their history.
In 1991–92 season, Brolin played in all 34 Serie A matches, scoring 4 goals. Parma finished in 6th place and it was the club’s run in the Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
. Brolin scored two goals in the Coppa Italia which resulted in a 1–1 draw with Fiorentina, and the other in the 1–0 victory over Sampdoria in the semi-final. Parma beat Juventus 2–1 on aggregate to lift their first trophy in the club’s history.
In the 1992–93 season with Parma in the European Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1992-93
The season 1992–93 of the European Cup Winners' Cup was won by Parma in the final against Royal Antwerp. Both were first time finalists in the competition, and Antwerp were the last Belgian side to reach a European final up to the present day...
, the club splashed out on two foreign imports Colombian Faustino Asprilla
Faustino Asprilla
Faustino Hernán "Tino" Asprilla Hinestroza is a former Colombian football player. He was known by his supporters in his home country as The Octopus for his voracious appetite...
and Argentine Sergio Berti
Sergio Berti
Sergio Ángel Berti is a retired Argentine professional football player, nicknamed La Bruja....
. The addition of Asprilla and Berti meant the positions of Parma's three other non-Italian players Taffarel, Grün and Brolin were not guaranteed as the club could only field three stranieri in a match. Before Asprilla's arrival, Brolin had been playing up-front with fellow forward Alessandro Melli
Alessandro Melli
Alessandro Melli is a retired Italian footballer who played as a striker.-Club career:Melli's father was a professional footballer, playing as a centre forward for Parma FC, and the son followed in his footsteps...
. However, Parma's coach benched Brolin in favour of Asprilla for most of the season. When Asprilla played, Brolin's No.11 was handed to Asprilla with Brolin playing either in the No. 8 or 9 jersey. Brolin did help the club lift the European Cup Winners'Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
by defeating Belgian club Royal Antwerp 3–1 in the final at Wembley.
The following season, the club signed duo Gianfranco Zola
Gianfranco Zola
Gianfranco Zola, OBE, Ufficiale OMRI is a retired Italian footballer and manager, who most recently managed West Ham United from 2008 to 2010, after having been assistant manager of the Italy U-21 under Pierluigi Casiraghi...
and Massimo Crippa
Massimo Crippa
Massimo Crippa , is a former Italian international footballer; he played as a midfielder.-Club career:A determined and physically powerful player, Crippa began his playing career in the Eccellenza Lombardy - the sixth tier of Italian club football - playing for FBC Saronno for two seasons before...
for a total of £9m from cash strapped Napoli
S.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
that put Brolin's place in the team even more in the balance. Coach Scala, having seen the benefit of playing Brolin in midfield during the previous season, decided to play Brolin in a deeper position than his first three seasons at the club. He was handed Melli's No.7 jersey and played in a three man midfield with Gabriele Pin
Gabriele Pin
Gabriele Pin , is an Italian football coach. He is currently working as Cesare Prandelli's assistant with the Italy, after working with him during the former's stint at Fiorentina....
on the right, Crippa on the left, and Asprilla and Zola leading the attack. When the team was a goal down or in need of extra fire power up-front, striker Melli came on as a substitute in place of Pin and Zola dropped into midfield, a tactic that was deployed by the coach during the 1993/94 season.
The club reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1993-94
The season 1993-94 of the European Cup Winners' Cup was won by Arsenal in the final against defending champions Parma FC.- Qualifying round :-First leg:-----------------------------------------Second leg:...
having beaten Ajax and Benfica on the road to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, where they played Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
. Despite Brolin coming close to scoring in the first fifteen minutes even hitting the post, Parma lost 1–0.
Injury
On 16 November 1994, at the Råsunda Stadion in StockholmStockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Brolin had broken his foot in a qualifier for Euro 96. At the time of Brolin's injury, Parma were two points clear at the top of the Italian league. By the time he returned on 23 April 1995 Parma were eight points behind leaders and eventual champions Juventus. With Gianfranco Zola missing, Brolin was given his first full start after his injury on 7 May 1995, a week after he resumed playing for Sweden. In his first start for nearly six months came against Genoa, and Parma needed a victory to keep the pressure on runaway leaders Juventus at the top of the league. Brolin lasted 62 minutes before he was subbed for Stefano Fiore
Stefano Fiore
Stefano Fiore is an Italian football manager and former player, who can play as an attacking midfielder or on the wing. He is currently in charge as manager technical area of Cosenza in Serie D.-Parma and early years:...
as Parma drew 0–0 and slipped seven points behind in the title race. Brolin struggled the rest of the season to find his form and fitness but continued to make appearances. On the last day of the season against Napoli, Brolin was sent off for the first time in his career after the 23rd minute.
Departure
Parma signed Hristo StoichkovHristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov Stoichkov , sometimes Stoitchkov; born 8 February 1966 in Plovdiv) is a retired Bulgarian footballer. He is regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation and the greatest Bulgarian footballer of all time. Nicknamed The Dagger , The Dog , The Modern Left...
for £6.5m as Brolin tried to get back to full fitness for the start of the 1995–96 season. Despite scoring in the Parmalat Cup against the USA (2–1) and Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
(3–1) and a friendly against RSC Anderlecht (1–0) during the club’s pre-season, the coach felt that Brolin lacked the appropriate level of fitness to continue playing in the central midfield position.
Brolin made his first league appearance during the 1995–96 season as a late substitute in a 2–1 home win against Inter
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
on 10 September. Four days later in a first round European Cup Winners’ Cup, Brolin made his first start against KS Teuta Durrës
KS Teuta Durrës
Klubi Sportiv Teuta Durrës or KS Teuta is an Albanian football team, with its base in the city of Durrës. The club was founded in 1925 with the name of "KS Urani". In 1927, the club renamed themselves to "SK Durrës", in 1930, "KS Teuta Durrës", in 1946 "Ylli i Kuq Durrës" , in 1950 "SK Durrës", in...
in Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
as well as made another start in the return match on 28 September. After a few more appearances, it was clear that Brolin would not have a chance to play regularly due to his lack of form. After five years at Parma, Brolin decided he would have to leave Parma in order to get more playing time.
Leeds United
Brolin turned down three Italian clubs before moving to Leeds UnitedLeeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
on 7 November 1995. On 17 November, he signed a two and a half year contract. Coach Howard Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson is a former English football player and manager, and has recently stepped down as a Non-Executive Director at Sheffield Wednesday after formerly relinquishing the chairman role to Milan Mandaric...
saw Brolin as the perfect foil for the club's top scorer Tony Yeboah
Tony Yeboah
Anthony "Tony" Yeboah is a Ghanaian former footballer most noted for his time at European clubs 1. FC Saarbrücken, Eintracht Frankfurt, Leeds United and Hamburger SV during the 1990s...
.
A day after signing for the club, at St James’ Park against Newcastle
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, Brolin came on in the 82nd minute for Mark Ford
Mark Ford (footballer)
Mark Stuart Ford is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League for Leeds United, Burnley, Torquay United and Darlington and in the Belgian First Division for Lommel. He was capped twice for the England under-21s.-Career:Ford was born in Pontefract and attended...
to make his Premier League debut for Leeds United. They lost 2–1. Four days later Brolin made his first start for the club as he contributed in the 2–1 win over Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
.
Brolin scored his first goal for the club against Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
on 16 December, in which they lost 6–2. He continued, briefly, as a regular starter playing in a 2–0 win over Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
on 27 December, in which he scored his second goal for the club. On 13 January, Brolin hit two goals as 10 man Leeds United, without Yeboah and Deane
Brian Deane
Brian Christopher Deane is an English former footballer.Signed for £40,000 from Doncaster Rovers in the close season of 1988, Deane first played and scored for Sheffield United in an 8–1 victory against Skegness Town...
, beat West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
2–0 at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
.
Then came a 5–0 defeat to Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
on 20 January. After that match Brolin and Wilkinson clashed over the player's defensive abilities, saying he was not pulling his weight. He played in the 2–1 defeat to Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
on 31 January, but was dropped for the league match against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
despite Wilkinson missing nine first team players through suspensions, injuries and international duty. Brolin also missed the following matches.
Brolin returned to the team as Leeds beat Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
3–0 on 25 February, in the second leg of the League Cup semi-final to play Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
at Wembley.
On 1 April 1996, Brolin had to apologise to Leeds manager, Howard Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson is a former English football player and manager, and has recently stepped down as a Non-Executive Director at Sheffield Wednesday after formerly relinquishing the chairman role to Milan Mandaric...
, after an April Fool's Day prank backfired. He had told Swedish television station that he was going to play out the season on loan to former club IFK Norrköping
IFK Norrköping
IFK Norrköping is a Swedish football club based in Norrköping. The club, formed on 29 May 1897, is currently playing in the first division of Swedish football, Allsvenskan...
. However, he returned on 3 April, and played in the matches against Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
. He played his last match of the season at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
on 14 April setting up Gary McAllister
Gary McAllister
Gary McAllister MBE is a Scottish former professional footballer.McAllister played primarily as a midfielder, in a successful career spanning over nineteen years. He started his career at local side Motherwell before moving south of the border to Leicester City at the age of 20...
's goal in the 4–1 defeat, but was dropped for the following match against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. On 1 May, it was announced by the club that Brolin had returned home to Sweden undergo surgery to remove scar tissue from his troublesome ankle, and was not fit for Leeds' last two league matches. However, his future at Leeds was already in doubt.
Loan move to FC Zürich
In the summer of 1996, Brolin went searching for a club and was granted three extra days by Wilkinson to find a new club, however no serious interest was forthcoming. On 19 August 1996, Leeds United announced that Brolin was on the transfer market and were prepared to sell him for nearly £2m less than the £4.5m paid for him just a year earlier. Leeds manager Wikinson had fined Brolin a week's wages around £12,000 for not turning up to pre-season training and announced he was seeking guidance from the Professional Footballers' AssociationProfessional Footballers' Association
The Professional Footballers' Association is the trade union for professional footballers in England and Wales. The world's oldest professional sport trade union, it has 4,000 members....
on the legality of withholding Brolin's wages, and told the press that he would rather have any player in my team than Brolin. Leeds stopped his wages when he refused to show up for pre-season training and reportedly saved £72,000 by the time Brolin had joined FC Zürich
Fussballclub Zürich
Fussballclub Zürich, commonly abbreviated to just FC Zürich, is a Swiss football club from the city of Zürich. The club was founded in 1896 and have won the Swiss Super League 12 times and the Swiss Cup 7 times. The club won the 2009 Swiss Super League and last won the Swiss Cup in 2005...
on loan, where he received the minimum wage of £800-a-week for a player in the Swiss League.
Brolin joined the Swiss club on 20 August 1996 and played three matches for FC Zürich
Fussballclub Zürich
Fussballclub Zürich, commonly abbreviated to just FC Zürich, is a Swiss football club from the city of Zürich. The club was founded in 1896 and have won the Swiss Super League 12 times and the Swiss Cup 7 times. The club won the 2009 Swiss Super League and last won the Swiss Cup in 2005...
in the Nationalliga A and one Swiss Cup match against lowly Uzwil, which FC Zürich won with a 10–0 scoreline. Brolin wanted to stay at the club until their mid-season winter break in December to get back to full fitness but Leeds under new coach George Graham
George Graham (footballer)
George Graham is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best remembered for his success at Arsenal, as a player in the 1970s and then as manager from 1986 until 1995.-Early life:...
wanted him back at Elland Road and refused to allow him to play for the club against FC St.Gallen on 9 October, after his loan spell ended on 30 September. Graham was quoted as saying "We have heard nothing from Tomas Brolin. We have not even got a telephone number for him. All our correspondence with him has been done through his agent, Lars Peterson." Leeds gave Brolin an ultimatum to return to the club on 6 November or face legal action.
Loan move to Parma
A proposed loan move to Sampdoria collapsed on 13 November after a medical due to a metal staple in his foot. This scuppered a move back to Italy, with a view to a permanent £2 million move to the club.Leeds urged Brolin, to return to Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
and have tests on his damaged ankle to clarify the extent of the injury, fearing Brolin would be forced to retire, and wanted him to seek a second opinion from a leading orthopaedic surgeon. Then on 24 December, Brolin paid £500,000 of his own money to fund his loan move back to Parma until the end of the season. Brolin trained with the club but did not return to first team action until 23 February 1997 as a second half sub in a 2–0 win over Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
. He also made substitute appearances against Cagliari
Cagliari Calcio
Cagliari Calcio is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. The club was formed in 1920 and currently plays in Italian Serie A, having spent a large part of recent years mainly in Serie A and Serie B....
(3–2), Perugia
Perugia Calcio
Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio is an Italian association football club based in Perugia, Umbria, direct heir of the old Perugia Calcio and A.C. Perugia, excluded from Italian football because of financial troubles....
(2–1), Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
(1–0), and Fiorentina (0–1) – all in March 1997.
Brolin played in an exhibition match at the Olympic Stadium
Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys is a stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Originally built in 1927 for the 1929 International Exposition in the city , it was renovated in 1989 to be the main stadium for the 1992 Summer Olympics...
in Montjuïc
Montjuïc
Montjuïc is a hill located in Barcelona, Catalonia.-Etymology:Montjuïc is translated as 'Jew Hill' in medieval Catalan, or is perhaps related to the Latin phrase Mons Jovicus . The name is found in several locations in the Catalan Countries: the Catalan cities of Girona and Barcelona both have a...
, in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
on 26 April for the International Association of Professional Footballers (AIFP), of which he was a founding member. Brolin played against Udinese (0–2) on 28 April as a sub, and with Parma having several injuries and suspensions, Parma Coach Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager, Nicknamed Carletto, Ancelotti played as a midfielder and had a successful career with Roma – captaining the team – with whom he won one Scudetto and 4 Coppa Italia and was part of the legendary late 80's Milan team, with whom he won two Scudetti and...
handed Brolin his first and only start in his second spell at the Italian club on 4 May in a 2–1 win over Atalanata, and he made another appearance in the 3–0 win over Vicenza
Vicenza Calcio
Vicenza Calcio is an Italian football club based in Vicenza, Veneto. The club was formed in 1902 and currently plays in Italy's Serie B, having spent the entire 1960s and a large part of the 1990s in Serie A...
a wek later. Brolin even played a part in Parma’s title run-in with Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
, making substitute appearances against AC Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
(1–1), and against Juventus (1–1) on 25 May, coming on after Crespo
Hernán Crespo
Hernán Jorge Crespo is an Argentine footballer who plays for Parma in the Italian Serie A. Crespo has scored over 300 goals in a career spanning 18 years. His honors include an Olympic Games silver medal, a Copa Libertadores, an English Premier League title and three Scudettos. He was topscorer in...
limped off with a hamstring injury. His last appearance came on the last game of the season, on 1 June, in a 2–1 win over Verona, as Parma finished in their best ever position, second place.
By the end of the season, it was clear that Parma were not interested in keeping the player and had only agreed to sign him on loan to keep him fit after so many years of loyal service to the Parma club.
Leeds Departure
On 16 June 1997 his loan deal with Parma expired. Under the terms of the agreement, he was obligated to return to Elland RoadElland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
within 72 hours. However, Brolin was axed by coach George Graham
George Graham (footballer)
George Graham is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best remembered for his success at Arsenal, as a player in the 1970s and then as manager from 1986 until 1995.-Early life:...
for the club’s pre-season tour of Sweden. Brolin was forced to find another club on loan or play for the reserves.
On 29 August, he was offered a loan deal with Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...
but the deal fell through and Brolin missed the Spanish transfer deadline. As a result, he was fined by Leeds for being absent for training for three days which he disputed. Then, on 15 September, Brolin met with Jim Jefferies
Jim Jefferies
James "Jim" Jefferies is a Scottish football former player and manager. Jefferies played for Heart of Midlothian for almost his whole playing career and enjoyed a successful first managerial spell with the club, winning the 1998 Scottish Cup...
about a loan to Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
. Yet again, the deal fell through. According to Brolin’s agent, the club would not meet their price, but the Hearts chief Chris Robinson decided to pull the plug on the deal due to the player’s lack of fitness.
After the two failed loan deals, Brolin continued to train and play in the reserves. On 6 October, he was fined £90,000 after missing a match to attend his father's 50th birthday as well as criticizing George Graham
George Graham (footballer)
George Graham is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best remembered for his success at Arsenal, as a player in the 1970s and then as manager from 1986 until 1995.-Early life:...
in the media. The player threatened to take the club to a Premier League tribunal. On 28 October 1997, club officials, Brolin, and Brolin's representatives decided to terminate Brolin's contract for a reported £140,000.
Although he recovered from his ankle injury, Brolin never regained his pre-injury level of fitness. He made 19 Premier League appearances for Leeds, scoring 4 goals.
He is widely regarded by Leeds fans as one of the club's worst ever players, and in 2003 a poll by BBC Sport
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
saw him voted by the club's fans as the club's worst player in living memory, with the editor joking that Brolin had given almost all of his £4.5million fee back to the local catering industry with "dedicated munching".http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/2902411.stm
Crystal Palace
On 16 November 1997, Steve CoppellSteve Coppell
Stephen James "Steve" Coppell is an English former footballer and manager, currently without a club.As a player, he was a highly regarded right winger known for his speed and work rate. He won domestic honours with Manchester United and represented England at the World Cup...
, the manager of struggling Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, offered Brolin a two week trial. Palace had been playing a friendly in Sweden, and Coppell was hoping to finalize the two week trial while he was there. At the time, Brolin was training with Hammarby
Hammarby
Hammarby is a locality situated in Sandviken Municipality, Gävleborg County, Sweden with 550 inhabitants in 2005....
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
.
The trial began on 5 January 1998. With a player shortage, Brolin was asked by Coppell to play for the club in a league match. Brolin was registered as a player for the club and allocated the No.12 jersey. He played in the home league match against Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
on 10 January, and netted a ball in the 72nd minute only to see the referee rule it out for offside. The club lost 3–1 but Brolin, whose trial ended on 16 January, was handed a contract until the end of the season.
In his third game, Brolin came up against his old club Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
. Brolin was still overweight, but managed to get a starting place in the team. However, after five minutes, he had to come off after a collision with Bruno Ribeiro
Bruno Ribeiro
Bruno Miguel Fernandes Ribeiro is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a left midfielder.His main asset was a powerful left-foot strike, and he spent most of his career playing for local Vitória Futebol Clube, also having a small abroad spell in England.-Club career:After making his...
, which left him dazed and needing stitches to a head wound. While he was receiving treatment, Leeds scored. Brolin, determined to upset his former team returned to the field six minutes later, but Palace were unable to beat Leeds.
Brolin went onto play twelve more times for Palace, mostly as a striker due to the London club's shortage of players up-front. On 13 March 1998, the club lost to Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
6–2. Crystal Palace had been procured by Mark Goldberg
Mark Goldberg
Mark Goldberg is an English football club chairman and manager, who is currently in his third spell with Bromley F.C.-Business:Goldberg originally made his fortune in the IT recruitment industry, becoming a multi millionaire...
who decided Steve Coppell
Steve Coppell
Stephen James "Steve" Coppell is an English former footballer and manager, currently without a club.As a player, he was a highly regarded right winger known for his speed and work rate. He won domestic honours with Manchester United and represented England at the World Cup...
should step down as manager and player Attilio Lombardo
Attilio Lombardo
Attilio Lombardo is a retired football player turned manager.-Playing:...
would take over as player-manager. Despite it being widely reported that Brolin was to be his assistant coach, Palace chairman Goldberg insisted that the fluent Italian and English speaking Brolin was merely Lombardo’s interpreter.
Brolin's last competitive game came in the 3–0 defeat to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
on 27 April 1998. He was substituted for Jamie Fullarton
Jamie Fullarton
James 'Jamie' Fullarton is a Scottish ex-professional footballer.-Career:Fullarton won seventeen Scotland under-21 caps, captaining the side at the 1996 under-21 European Championship, where they reached the semi-finals....
after 68 minutes. Brolin was unable to recapture his form or fitness failing to score in 15 appearances. Palace were relegated from the Premier League and on 14 May 1998, he was released from the London club and returned to Sweden to think about his prospects.
Retirement
On 12 August 1998, the player announced his retirement from the game and made his last appearance on 29 August 1998 in the last 15 minutes for Hudiksvalls A.B.K. against Kiruna FFKiruna FF
Kiruna FF is a Swedish football club located in Kiruna. The club currently competes in Division 3 Norra Norrland., the fifth tier of the Swedish football league system.-Background:...
as a goalkeeper.
Under 21
At the age of 20, and having played in the AllsvenskanAllsvenskan
Allsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
for GIF Sundsvall
GIF Sundsvall
GIF Sundsvall is a Swedish football club located in the city of Sundsvall. The club, formed on 25 August 1903, is currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan. The club is affiliated to Medelpads Fotbollförbund.- History :...
for three years, Brolin moved to IFK Norrköping
IFK Norrköping
IFK Norrköping is a Swedish football club based in Norrköping. The club, formed on 29 May 1897, is currently playing in the first division of Swedish football, Allsvenskan...
and in his first game for the club in a pre-season friendly against IFK Eskilstuna
IFK Eskilstuna
IFK Eskilstuna is a Swedish football club located in Eskilstuna in Södermanland County. In their early seasons IFK had a proud record as a Allsvenskan club but they now play in Division 3 Västra Svealand which is the fifth tier of Swedish football....
, he netted a hat-trick. However, it was his hat-trick in his league debut in a 6–0 victory over IFK Göteborg
IFK Göteborg
IFK Göteborg is a Swedish professional football club based in Gothenburg. Founded in 1904, the club has won 18 national championship titles, five national cup titles, and two UEFA Cups....
at Idrottsparken in Norrköping, that grabbed all the headlines and alerted Sweden's coach Olle Nordin
Olle Nordin
Olle Nordin is a Swedish football coach and former player. He was capped 19 times for the national team and played at the 1978 FIFA World Cup, but he is best remembered for his coaching merits. As national team coach, he led Sweden to the 1990 FIFA World Cup — its first World Cup since Nordin...
to Brolin's talents. Sweden had just qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1978, and were looking for a forward to lead their frontline, having only managed nine goals in six matches during the qualifying rounds.
Eighteen days later, Brolin was lining up against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
at the Råsunda Stadion, and five minutes after Dean Saunders
Dean Saunders
Dean Nicholas Saunders is a former Wales international footballer who played as a striker in a professional career which lasted from 1982 until 2001. He is the manager of Doncaster Rovers....
had given the visitors the lead, Brolin announced his arrival on the international stage with two goals in six minutes to give Sweden a 2–1 lead. Sweden won 4–2 on the night, and Brolin went onto score another two in the following match with Finland
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
a month later, which Sweden won 6–0. Subsequently Brolin was picked to lead the Swedish attack in the 1990 World Cup in Italy
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
. Sweden failed to win any of their matches at that tournament, but after scoring against Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, Brolin was soon signed by Italian club AC Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
for £1.2 million pounds (out of a possible 12 buyers), and also won his first Guldbollen
Guldbollen
Guldbollen, , is a Swedish football award given by the Aftonbladet and the Swedish Football Association to the best male Swedish footballer each year....
as Sweden's footballer of the year.
Euro 1992
In Euro 92, he was joint top-scorer (three goals) with three others (Henrik LarsenHenrik Larsen
Henrik Larsen , nicknamed Store Larsen , is a Danish former professional football player who was last the manager of Lyngby Boldklub.-Biography:...
, Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level...
and Karl-Heinz Riedle); his goal against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
did much to raise his profile.
World Cup 1994
Brolin went to the World Cup1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
in the best shape of his career, at the age of 23, However despite having a talented group of players, Sweden was not predicted to go far at the World Cup in America. After they scraped a draw with Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
in their opening game, not much was expected of them. Things improved in Sweden's next game with Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
, with Brolin playing behind Martin Dahlin
Martin Dahlin
Martin Nathaniel Dahlin is a former Swedish football player.-Early life:He is the son of an Afro-Venezuelan father, who was a musician, and a Swedish mother who both decided to name him after Martin Luther King. He was born in Uddevalla, but lived as a child in Lund.-Career:In 1988, he became the...
and the towering Kennet Andersson
Kennet Andersson
Bernt Kennet Andersson is a Swedish former football player and a key member of the Swedish national team that finished third in the 1994 World Cup....
, as Sweden won 3–1.
In their final group match, Sweden drew 1–1 with tournament favourites Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
after Brolin set up Sweden's goal for Kennet Andersson, and reached the second round.
Brolin scored 3 goals for Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
in the 1994 World Cup, and Sweden surprised many by finishing third in the competition. Brolin's performances earned him a place in the competition's "World Cup All Star Team". In the quarter final against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
, he scored one of his most famous goals; when Sweden were awarded a free kick, everyone expected Stefan Schwarz
Stefan Schwarz
Hans-Jürgen Stefan Schwarz is a Swedish former footballer.Born to a German father, he played as a midfielder and a left-back. He started playing football at youth level in Kulladals FF and began his career at his hometown club Malmö FF...
to shoot. Instead, he jumped over the ball and Håkan Mild
Håkan Mild
Stig Håkan Mild is a former Swedish football midfielder and current director of sports of IFK Göteborg, his main club as player, with which he won four Swedish Championships...
passed the ball past the wall to Brolin who managed to score. Brolin received his second Guldbollen
Guldbollen
Guldbollen, , is a Swedish football award given by the Aftonbladet and the Swedish Football Association to the best male Swedish footballer each year....
award in 1994.
Euro 1996
On 16 November 1994, at the Råsunda Stadion in Stockholm, Brolin broke his foot in a qualifier for the European Championship. On 7 May 1995, a week after he had returned from injury, Brolin played for Sweden against IcelandIceland national football team
The Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....
, and scored a penalty but was unable to help his team to a much needed victory in their qualifying campaign.
On 16 April 1996, Brolin was then dropped by Swedish coach Tommy Svensson for a friendly against Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, and was quoted "Brolin is not at 100 percent at the moment and it is difficult to say when he will be." Brolin told Swedish news agency TT that it was the best for him, and the national side "Right now I need to recover in order to get to the capacity needed to add something to the national team."
In the end, Sweden did not qualify for 1996 European Championship.
Record
In 47 games for SwedenSweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
, Brolin scored 26 goals. However in February 2010, Brolin claimed credit for a goal against Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
, given to international teammate Roland Nilsson
Roland Nilsson
Roland Nilsson is a Swedish football manager and the current manager of FC Copenhagen. As a player, Nilsson played 116 games for Sweden, making him second only to Thomas Ravelli in international appearances for Sweden...
and that his record should read 27 goals.
International goals
- Scores and results list Sweden's goal tally first
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 25 April 1990 |  Råsunda, StockholmStockholm Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area... |
1–0 | 4–2 | Friendly | |
| 2. | 25 April 1990 | Råsunda, Stockholm |
2–0 | 4–2 | Friendly | |
| 3. | 27 May 1990 | Råsunda, Stockholm |
3–0 | 6–0 | Friendly | |
| 4. | 27 May 1990 | Råsunda, Stockholm |
4–0 | 6–0 | Friendly | |
| 5. | 10 June 1990 |  Stadio delle AlpiStadio delle Alpi The Stadio delle Alpi was a football and athletics stadium in Turin, Italy and was the home of both Juventus Football Club and Torino Football Club between 1990 and 2006. In English, the name meant "Stadium of the Alps," a reference to the nearby Alps mountain range... , Turin Turin Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat... , |
1–2 | 1–2 | 1990 World Cup 1990 FIFA World Cup The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated... |
|
| 6. | 5 June 1991 | Råsunda, Stockholm |
1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly | |
| 7. | June 1991 | Ullevi Ullevi Ullevi is a stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. The stadium was built for the 1958 FIFA World Cup, but since then Ullevi has also hosted the 1995 World Championships in Athletics and the 2006 European Championships in Athletics, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup finals in 1983 and 1990, the UEFA Euro 1992... , Gothenburg Gothenburg Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area... |
1–0 | 2–3 | Scania 100 Semi-finals | |
| 8. | June 1991 | Ullevi, Gothenburg |
2–2 | 2–3 | Scania 100 Semi-finals | |
| 9. | June 1991 | Idrottsparken Idrottsparken Idrottsparken is a multi-purpose stadium in Norrköping, Sweden constructed in 1903. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It is the home arena for IFK Norrköping, IK Sleipner and for IF Sylvia. The stadium had a capacity of 19,414 people until 2008/2009 when the arena was re-built.... , Norrköping Norrköping Norrköping is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County. The city has a population of 87,247 inhabitants in 2010, out of a municipal total of 130,050, making it Sweden's tenth largest city and eighth largest... |
4–0 | 4–0 | Scania 100 3rd place | |
| 10. | 14 June 1992 | Råsunda, Stockholm |
1–0 | 1–0 | Euro 92 | |
| 11. | 17 June 1992 | Råsunda, Stockholm |
2–1 | 2–1 | Euro 92 | |
| 12. | 17 June 1992 | Råsunda, Stockholm |
1–2 | 2–3 | Euro 92 Semi-finals | |
| 13. | 2 June 1993 | Råsunda, Stockholm |
1–0 | 5–0 | 1994 World Cup qualification 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification.... |
|
| 14. | 2 June 1993 | Råsunda, Stockholm |
2–0 | 5–0 | 1994 World Cup qualification | |
| 15. | 2 June 1993 | Råsunda, Stockholm |
4–0 | 5–0 | 1994 World Cup qualification | |
| 16. | 20 April 1994 |  Racecourse GroundRacecourse Ground The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League... , Wrexham Wrexham Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England... |
0–2 | 0–2 | Friendly | |
| 17. | 5 June 1994 | Råsunda, Stockholm |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | |
| 18. | 5 June 1994 | Råsunda, Stockholm |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | |
| 19. | 24 June 1994 |  Pontiac SilverdomePontiac Silverdome The Silverdome is a domed stadium located in the city of Pontiac, Michigan, USA, which sits on . It was the largest stadium in the National Football League until FedEx Field in suburban Washington, D.C... , Pontiac Pontiac Pontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the... |
1–1 | 3–1 | 1994 World Cup 1994 FIFA World Cup The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988... |
|
| 20. | 10 July 1994 | Stanford Stadium Stanford Stadium Stanford Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the Stanford University campus, the home of Stanford Cardinal college football team. It originally opened in 1921 as a football and track stadium, an earthen horseshoe with wooden bleacher seating and flooring upon a steel frame... , Palo Alto |
1–0 | 2–2 | 1994 World Cup Quarter-finals | |
| 21. | 16 July 1994 | Rose Bowl Rose Bowl (stadium) The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12... , Pasadena Pasadena, California Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet... |
1–0 | 4–0 | 1994 World Cup 3rd place | |
| 22. | 17 August 1994 | Eyravallen, Örebro Örebro -Sites of interest:Örebro's old town Wadköping is located on the banks of Svartån . It contains many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions.... |
1–0 | 4–2 | Friendly | |
| 23. | 17 August 1994 | Eyravallen, Örebro |
2–0 | 4–2 | Friendly | |
| 24. | 16 November 1994 | Råsunda, Stockholm |
1–0 | 2–0 | Euro 96 qualifying | |
| 25. | 1 June 1995 | Råsunda, Stockholm |
1–1 | 1–1 | Euro 96 qualifying | |
| 26. | 16 August 1995 | Idrottsparken, Norrköping |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
- Brolin has also claimed credit for a goal against NorwayNorway national football teamThe Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
in 1991 which has been officially recorded to Roland NilssonRoland NilssonRoland Nilsson is a Swedish football manager and the current manager of FC Copenhagen. As a player, Nilsson played 116 games for Sweden, making him second only to Thomas Ravelli in international appearances for Sweden...
Retirement
After retiring from football, Brolin settled to become a businessman and returned to his homeland where he during a period of time owned an Italian-Swedish restaurant called "Undici" . Undici has been fined numerous times for permitting underage drinking. He also invested money in real estate and – to some public amusement – in a firm selling a new type of mouthpiece for vacuum cleaners. He also appeared in a video by Dr. AlbanDr. Alban
Alban Uzoma Nwapa , known by his stage name Dr. Alban, is a Nigerian, Sweden-based musician and producer with his own record label dr-records. His music can best be described as a Eurodance/hip-hop reggae with a dancehall style. He is most famous for his worldwide 1992 hit "It's My...
which featured other famous Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
sportsmen, including Björn Borg
Björn Borg
Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles...
.
In 2001, a long time girlfriend, Susan Hardenborg, gave birth to Brolin's first child, a boy, named Sebastian. The couple had split before the birth of the child, but remain on good terms.
Brolin has been an active World Series Poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player, since 2006. Playing in the 2007 World Series of Poker
2007 World Series of Poker
The 2007 World Series of Poker began on June 1, 2007. The $10,000 no-limit Texas hold 'em Main Event began on July 6 and was completed on the morning of July 18...
and the 2006 Football & Poker Legends Cup
PartyPoker.com Football & Poker Legends Cup
The PartyPoker.com Football & Poker Legends Cup is a televised poker tournament, airing in the United Kingdom on Five from April 2006 onwards, in the lead-up to the 2006 FIFA World Cup.- Format :...
organized by PartyPoker.com
PartyGaming
bwin.Party Digital Entertainment Plc is an online gambling company, formed by the March 2011 merger of PartyGaming plc and bwin. The world's largest publicly traded online gambling firm, it is best known for its online poker room PartyPoker.com and its sports betting brand Bwin. It is...
. He has also competed regularly in the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour and cashed twice – once in the Season 4 Prague event where he came 23rd and again in the EPT Grand Final later that season in Monte Carlo where he came 38th out of a 842-strong field.
Club honours
IFK NorrköpingIFK Norrköping
IFK Norrköping is a Swedish football club based in Norrköping. The club, formed on 29 May 1897, is currently playing in the first division of Swedish football, Allsvenskan...
- AllsvenskanAllsvenskanAllsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
- Runner-up (1): 1990Allsvenskan 1990Allsvenskan 1990, part of the 1990 Swedish football season, was the 66th Allsvenskan season played. IFK Göteborg won the league ahead of runners-up IFK Norrköping, while IK Brage, Örgryte IS and Hammarby IF were relegated.-League table:...
- Runner-up (1): 1990
Parma
- Serie ASerie ASerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
- Runner-up (1): 1996–97
- Coppa ItaliaCoppa ItaliaThe Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
- Winner (1): 1991–92Coppa Italia 1991-92-First leg:-Second leg:Parma won 2–1 on aggregate.-References:*...
- Runner-up (1): 1994–95Coppa Italia 1994-95The 1994–95 Coppa Italia was the 47th edition of the tournament. The final was contested between Juventus and Parma, who also met in the previous month in the 1995 UEFA Cup Final.-First leg:-Second leg:Juventus won 3–0 on aggregate.-References:*...
- Winner (1): 1991–92
- UEFA Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
- Winner (1): 1992–931993 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup FinalThe 1993 European Cup Winners' Cup Final was a football match contested between Parma of Italy and Royal Antwerp of Belgium. The final was held at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on 12 May 1993. It was the final match of the 1992–93 European Cup Winners' Cup and the 33rd European Cup Winners'...
- Runner-up (1): 1993–941994 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup FinalThe 1994 European Cup Winners' Cup Final was a football match on 4 May 1994 contested between Arsenal of England and Parma of Italy. It was the final match of the 1993–94 European Cup Winners' Cup and the 34th European Cup Winners' Cup Final. The final was held at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen,...
- Winner (1): 1992–93
- UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
- Winner (1): 1994–95
- UEFA Super Cup
- Winner (1): 19931993 UEFA Super CupThe 1993 UEFA Super Cup was contested between Milan of Italy and Parma of Italy . It was won by Parma, 2–1 on aggregate. The final was contested over two legs with a leg at each of the sides' home grounds. The first leg took place at Ennio Tardini, Parma on 12 January 1994 and ended 0–1...
- Winner (1): 1993
Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
- League cupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
- Runner-up (1): 19961996 Football League Cup FinalThe 1996 Coca-Cola Cup Final took place on 24 March 1996 at Wembley Stadium and was contested between Aston Villa and Leeds United. This was the 35th final and the 29th to be played at Wembley...
- Runner-up (1): 1996
International honours
- FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
- Third Place: 19941994 FIFA World CupThe 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
- Appearances: 19901990 FIFA World CupThe 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
, 19941994 FIFA World CupThe 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
- Third Place: 1994
- UEFA European ChampionshipUEFA European Football ChampionshipThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
- Semi-final: 1992
- Olympic GamesOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
- Appearances: 1992
Individual honours
- GuldbollenGuldbollenGuldbollen, , is a Swedish football award given by the Aftonbladet and the Swedish Football Association to the best male Swedish footballer each year....
- Winner (2): 1990, 1994