Björn Wesström
{{short description|Swedish football executive}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Björn Wesström
| fullname = Björn Tom Wesström
| image = Björn Wesström (2015).jpg
| caption = Wesström in 2015 with AIK
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|9|11|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Upplands Väsby, Stockholm, Sweden
| height =
| managerclubs1 = AIK youth (consultant and manager)
| managerclubs2 = AIK (assistant coach)
| manageryears1 = 1999–2006
| manageryears2 = 2006–2007
| manageryears3 = 2007–2008
| managerclubs3 = Väsby United (head coach)
| manageryears4 = 2008
| managerclubs4 = AIK (head scout)
| manageryears5 = 2009–2010
| managerclubs5 = AIK (sporting director)
| manageryears6 = 2010
| managerclubs6 = AIK (caretaker)
| manageryears7 = 2010–2011
| managerclubs7 = AIK (assistant coach)
| manageryears8 = 2011–2012
| managerclubs8 = AIK (head scout)
| manageryears9 = 2013–2020
| managerclubs9 = AIK (sporting director)
| manageryears10 = 2020–2021
| managerclubs10 = AIK (CEO)
| manageryears11 = 2022–2024
| managerclubs11 = Odense BK (football director)
| managerclubs12 = Kerala Blasters (assistant coach)
| manageryears12 = 2024
| club-update = 15:07, 9 August 2024 (UTC)
| upright = 1.3
}}
Björn Tom Wesström (born 11 September 1972) is a Swedish football executive and manager who was recently sacked from the assistant coach position of the Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters.
Career
= Early life =
Björn Wesström was born on 11 September 1972 in the Upplands Väsby in Stockholm County, Sweden. Despite not having a career as a football player, Wesström started his career is management at the age of 27 with AIK Fotboll in 1999.{{Cite web |title=Björn Wesström - Player Profile |url=https://www.eurosport.com/geoblocking.shtml |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=Eurosport |archive-date=23 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323204914/https://www.eurosport.com/geoblocking.shtml |url-status=live }}
= AIK Fotboll (1999-2021) =
Wesström began his management career with the Swedish club AIK in 1999, where he served as a consultant for their youth team during his initial years, and would eventually serve as the head coach of AIK's under-19 football team.{{Cite web |title=Björn Wesström lämnar AIK Fotboll |url=https://www.aikfotboll.se/nyheter/bjorn-wesstrom-lamnar-aik-fotboll-2021-06-24 |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=AIK Fotboll |language=sv |archive-date=7 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307110511/https://www.aikfotboll.se/nyheter/bjorn-wesstrom-lamnar-aik-fotboll-2021-06-24 |url-status=live }}
His first significant role came in 2007 when he was appointed as the head coach of FC Väsby United (now AFC Eskilstuna), a club affiliated with AIK, where he worked alongside Mikael Stahre as the head coach for the 2007 Swedish Division 1 season. Under their management, Väsby United achieved a second-place finish in the league, securing promotion to the Superettan, the second-tier of Swedish football.{{Cite web |title=Kerala Blasters add two to backroom staff |url=https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/football/2024/06/07/kerala-blasters-add-two-to-backroom-staff.html |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=Onmanorama |archive-date=7 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240607131251/https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/football/2024/06/07/kerala-blasters-add-two-to-backroom-staff.html |url-status=live }}
File:Björn Wesström (2013, cropped).jpg
One year following his success with the Väsby United, Wesström was appointed as the head of scouting operations for AIK's men's team.{{Cite web |title=AIK:s nya sportchef - chefsscouten |trans-title=AIK's new sports manager - the chief scout |url=https://www.fotbollskanalen.se/allsvenskan/aiks-nya-sportchef---chefsscouten/ |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=fotbollskanalen |language=sv |archive-date=21 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421143412/http://www.fotbollskanalen.se/allsvenskan/aiks-nya-sportchef---chefsscouten/ |url-status=live }} On 11 November 2008, he was promoted to the role of sporting director, succeeding Ola Andersson following his resignation from the post.{{Cite news |last=Lindblad |first=Anders |date=2008-11-11 |title=Björn Wesström ny sportchef i AIK |trans-title=Björn Wesström new sporting director in AIK |url=https://www.svd.se/a/745c6f34-a4e1-3ac6-8d82-ca25cacf4382/bjorn-wesstrom-ny-sportchef-i-aik |access-date=2024-08-09 |work=Svenska Dagbladet |language=sv |issn=1101-2412}} During his first year at the club as the sporting director in the 2009 season, AIK won the Swedish top-tier league Allsvenskan and the Svenska Cupen, completing the double and qualifying for the UEFA Champions league qualifiers. He would also go on to win the 2010 Svenska Supercupen during his tenure as the sporting director.{{Cite web |date=2024-06-07 |title=Kerala Blasters FC bolsters coaching staff with appointments of Björn Wesström & Frederico Pereira Morais. |url=https://keralablastersfc.in/kerala-blasters-fc-bolsters-coaching-staff-with-appointment-of-bjorn-wesstrom-frederico-pereira-morais/ |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=Kerala Blasters FC |language=en-US |archive-date=7 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240607131252/https://keralablastersfc.in/kerala-blasters-fc-bolsters-coaching-staff-with-appointment-of-bjorn-wesstrom-frederico-pereira-morais/ |url-status=live }}
In the early stages of the 2010 season, Mikael Stahre resigned as the club's head coach and as a result,{{Cite web |date=2010-04-27 |title=Bank: Hur man än vänder på det är det en sensationell utveckling |trans-title=Bank: Any way you look at it, it's a sensational development |url=https://www.aftonbladet.se/a/ka8pw9 |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.aftonbladet.se |language=sv}} Wesström was appointed as the caretaker manager of AIK on 26 April 2010 with immediate effect.{{Cite news |last=Lindblad |first=Anders |date=2010-04-27 |title=Wesström inte rädd att förändra |trans-title=Wesström not afraid to change |url=https://www.svd.se/a/461763cd-d179-3c5e-841b-639712179987/wesstrom-inte-radd-att-forandra |access-date=2024-08-09 |work=Svenska Dagbladet |language=sv |issn=1101-2412 |archive-date=9 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240809195451/https://www.svd.se/a/461763cd-d179-3c5e-841b-639712179987/wesstrom-inte-radd-att-forandra |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=TV: Wesström, ordförande och sportkommitténs chef om valet: På rätt väg |trans-title=TV: Wesström, chairman and head of the sports committee on the election: On the right track |url=https://www.fotbollskanalen.se/allsvenskan/tv-wesstrom-ordforande-och-sportkommittens-chef-om-valet-pa-ratt-vag/ |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=fotbollskanalen |language=sv |archive-date=21 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421153115/http://www.fotbollskanalen.se/allsvenskan/tv-wesstrom-ordforande-och-sportkommittens-chef-om-valet-pa-ratt-vag/ |url-status=live }} His first match as the caretaker came on 29 April against the rivals Helsingborgs IF, which they lost 1–0.{{Cite news |last=Lindblad |first=Anders |date=2010-04-29 |title=Wesströmeffekten uteblev |trans-title=The Wesström effect did not occur |url=https://www.svd.se/a/aca2a4b8-b0b0-343e-9255-7ad55bbcf6e6/wesstromeffekten-uteblev |access-date=2024-08-09 |work=Svenska Dagbladet |language=sv |issn=1101-2412 |archive-date=9 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240809195342/https://www.svd.se/a/aca2a4b8-b0b0-343e-9255-7ad55bbcf6e6/wesstromeffekten-uteblev |url-status=live }} After a series of disappointing results, and due to the club's failure for securing the UEFA coaching license for Wesström for managing the team in the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round,{{Cite web |date=2010-04-26 |title=Nye tränaren kan stoppas i Champion League-kvalet |trans-title=The new coach can be stopped in the Champions League qualifiers |url=https://www.aftonbladet.se/a/ddvLmz |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.aftonbladet.se |language=sv |archive-date=9 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240809195343/https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/ddvLmz/nye-tranaren-kan-stoppas-i-champion-league-kvalet |url-status=live }} the club appointed Alex Miller as their new head coach and Wesström was appointed as his assistant for the rest of the season.{{Cite web |last=UEFA.com |date=22 June 2010 |title=AIK appoint Miller as new coach |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/01e6-0ea187263a5a-fbd972f64075-1000--aik-appoint-miller-as-new-coach/ |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=UEFA |language=en |archive-date=19 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919150314/https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/01e6-0ea187263a5a-fbd972f64075-1000--aik-appoint-miller-as-new-coach/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=2010-06-22 |title=AIK:s plan: Wesström tar över 2012 |trans-title=AIK's plan: Wesström takes over the team in 2012 |url=https://www.aftonbladet.se/a/G10nex |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.aftonbladet.se |language=sv |archive-date=9 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240809195346/https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/G10nex/aiks-plan-wesstrom-tar-over-laget-2012 |url-status=live }}
Wesström was reinstated as the scouting head in the 2011 season, and would go on for scouting across the Balkans and Africa.{{Cite web |title=AIK scoutar i Afrika och på Balkan - SvenskaFans |url=https://www.svenskafans.com/fotboll/AIK-scoutar-i-Afrika-och-pa-Balkan-404413 |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=www.svenskafans.com |language=sv}}
From 2013 to 2020, Wesström served his second term as the sporting director at the club,{{Cite web |title=Bekräftat: Björn Wesström lämnar AIK |trans-title=Confirmed: Björn Wesström leaves AIK |url=https://www.fotbollskanalen.se/allsvenskan/bekraftat-bjorn-wesstrom-lamnar-aik/ |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=fotbollskanalen |language=sv |archive-date=3 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230403215111/https://www.fotbollskanalen.se/allsvenskan/bekraftat-bjorn-wesstrom-lamnar-aik/ |url-status=live }} and in 2021, he was appointed as the club's director by the board, which would also ultimately make him the CEO of AIK Fotboll.{{Cite web |title=Ny klubbdirektör för AIK Fotboll |trans-title=New club director for AIK Football |url=https://www.aikfotboll.se/nyheter/ny-klubbdirektor-for-aik-fotboll-2 |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=AIK Fotboll |language=sv |archive-date=5 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705151117/https://www.aikfotboll.se/nyheter/ny-klubbdirektor-for-aik-fotboll-2 |url-status=live }} However, on 24 June 2021, Wesström resigned as AIK's CEO just one year following his appointment, and would subsequently leave the club following his long 22 years at the Swedish club.{{Cite web |title=Björn Wesström lämnar AIK Fotboll |trans-title=Björn Wesström leaves AIK Football |url=https://www.aikfotboll.se/nyheter/bjorn-wesstrom-lamnar-aik-fotboll-2021-06-24 |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=AIK Fotboll |language=sv |archive-date=7 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307110511/https://www.aikfotboll.se/nyheter/bjorn-wesstrom-lamnar-aik-fotboll-2021-06-24 |url-status=live }}
= Odense Boldklub (2021-2024) =
Following his departure from AIK, Wesström joined the Danish Superliga club Odense Boldklub as their director of football.{{Cite web |title=Officiellt: Björn Wesström blir fotbollsdirektör i Odense |trans-title=Official: Björn Wesström becomes football director in Odense |url=https://fotbolltransfers.com/nyheter/officiellt-bjorn-wesstrom-blir-fotbollsdirektor-i-odense/140742 |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=fotbolltransfers.com |archive-date=3 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203221655/https://fotbolltransfers.com/nyheter/officiellt-bjorn-wesstrom-blir-fotbollsdirektor-i-odense/140742 |url-status=live }} He was reunited with the head coach Andreas Alm, under whom he served as the scouting head in 2011 at AIK.{{Cite web |title=Uppgifter: Björn Wesström högaktuell för Odense |trans-title=Details: Björn Wesström highly current for Odense |url=https://fotbolltransfers.com/nyheter/uppgifter-bjorn-wesstrom-hogaktuell-for-odense/140595 |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=fotbolltransfers.com |archive-date=3 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203225004/https://fotbolltransfers.com/nyheter/uppgifter-bjorn-wesstrom-hogaktuell-for-odense/140595 |url-status=live }} He signed the contract with Odense in July 2021, and took up his role as the football director from 1 January 2022.{{Cite web |title=Officiellt: Wesström klar för danska Odense |url=https://www.fotbollskanalen.se/danmark-1/officiellt-wesstrom-klar-for-danska-odense/ |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=fotbollskanalen |language=sv |archive-date=24 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724170251/https://www.fotbollskanalen.se/danmark-1/officiellt-wesstrom-klar-for-danska-odense/ |url-status=live }} He served at the Danish club for two years, but was sacked from his role on 27 May 2024 after the club was relegated to the Danish 1st Division (second-tier league) following a disappointing 2023–24 season.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-09 |title=OB siger farvel til Björn Wesström |trans-title=OB says goodbye to Björn Wesström |url=https://ob.dk/nyheder/2024/maj/ob-siger-farvel-til-bjorn-wesstrom |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=ob.dk |language=da |archive-date=9 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240809195437/https://ob.dk/nyheder/2024/maj/ob-siger-farvel-til-bjorn-wesstrom |url-status=live }}
= Kerala Blasters FC (2024) =
Just days after getting sacked by Odense Boldklub, on 7 June 2024, Wesström was appointed as the assistant coach of the Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters FC.{{Cite news |date=2024-06-07 |title=Wesstrom and Morais join Kerala Blasters' coaching team |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/westrom-and-morais-join-kerala-blasters-coaching-team/article68263640.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240607144758/https://www.thehindu.com/sport/westrom-and-morais-join-kerala-blasters-coaching-team/article68263640.ece |archive-date=7 June 2024 |access-date=2024-08-09 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}} He was appointed as the assistant coach under Mikael Stahre, with whom he had worked at AIK and Väsby United. Wesström joined the Indian club as one of the assistant coaches under Stahre, alongside the Indian assistant coach T. G. Purushothaman.{{Cite web |last=Rayan |first=Stan |date=2024-06-07 |title=Westrom, Morais join Kerala Blasters' coaching team |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/indian-football/kerala-blasters-coaching-staff-bjorn-wesstrom-frederico-morais-isl-indian-football/article68263827.ece |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=Sportstar |language=en |archive-date=14 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614100737/https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/indian-football/kerala-blasters-coaching-staff-bjorn-wesstrom-frederico-morais-isl-indian-football/article68263827.ece |url-status=live }}
On 16 December 2024, he resigned from his post along with the head coach due to club's poor performance.{{Cite news |last=Sriram |first=Siddharth |date=16 December 2024 |title=KBFC sacks head coach and his assistants. |url=https://www.news18.com/football/isl-2024-25-kerala-blasters-fc-sack-head-coach-mikael-stahre-and-his-assistants-9158014.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241216170725/https://www.news18.com/football/isl-2024-25-kerala-blasters-fc-sack-head-coach-mikael-stahre-and-his-assistants-9158014.html |archive-date=16 December 2024 |access-date=16 December 2024 |work=News18 |pages=1}}
Managerial statistics
{{updated|match played 9 August 2024}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Managerial record by team and tenure |
| rowspan="2"|Team
! rowspan="2" |Nat ! rowspan="2" |From !rowspan="2"|To !colspan="8"|Record !rowspan="2"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
|---|
| {{Tooltip|G|Games managed}}
!{{Tooltip|W|Games won}} !{{Tooltip|D|Games drawn}} !{{Tooltip|L|Games lost}} !{{Tooltip|GF|Goals for}} !{{Tooltip|GA|Goals against}} !{{Tooltip|GD|Goal difference}} !{{Tooltip|Win %|Winning percentage}} |
| align=left|AIK (caretaker)
|{{Flagicon|BEL}} | align="left" |26 April 2010 |align=left|22 June 2010 {{WDL|7|3|0|4|for=30|against=32|diff=yes}} |
| colspan="4" |Total
{{WDLtot|7|3|0|4|for=30|against=32|diff=yes}} ! |
Honours
= Sporting director =
AIK
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerway coach|bjorn-wesstrom/130102}}
- {{WorldFootball.net|bjoern-wesstroem}}
{{AIK Fotboll managers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wesström, Björn}}
Category:Swedish football managers
Category:People from Upplands Väsby Municipality
Category:AFC Eskilstuna managers
Category:Swedish chief executives
Category:Swedish expatriates in Denmark
Category:Swedish expatriates in India