Mats Werner

{{Infobox football biography

| embed =

| name = Mats Werner

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| fullname = Mats Rune Werner

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1953|6|1|df=y}}

| birth_place = Värnamo, Sweden

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height =

| position = Forward / Defender

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Hammarby IF

| years1 = 1971–1984

| clubs1 = Hammarby IF

| caps1 = 251

| goals1 = 46

| years2 = 1984

| clubs2 = Vasalunds IF

| caps2 = 14

| goals2 = 5

| totalcaps = 265

| totalgoals = 51

| nationalyears1 = 1970–1971

| nationalteam1 = Sweden U19

| nationalcaps1 = 7

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 1972–1979

| nationalteam2 = Sweden U21

| nationalcaps2 = 7

| nationalgoals2 = 1

| nationalyears3 = 1978

| nationalteam3 = Sweden B

| nationalcaps3 = 1

| nationalgoals3 = 0

| nationalyears4 = 1976–1979

| nationalteam4 = Sweden

| nationalcaps4 = 6

| nationalgoals4 = 1

| medaltemplates =

}}

Mats Rune "Matte" Werner (born 1 June 1953) is a Swedish former professional footballer. He played for Hammarby IF throughout most of his career.{{cite web|url=http://hifhistoria.se/Historia/storys/2003matswerner.pdf|title=Hårdingen – om livet efter fotbollen, domare och kost|publisher=HIF Historia|accessdate=1 February 2021|language=Swedish}}

Club career

Trained in the youth ranks of Hammarby IF, Werner made his debut in Allsvenskan, the domestic top tier, for the club in 1971, at age 17.

Between 1971 and 1976, Hammarby consistently finished mid-table, being unable to produce any sort of challenge for the Swedish champion title. During this period, Werner became one of Hammarby's most important players, together with experienced Tom Turesson and other younger talents like Jan Sjöström, Kenneth Ohlsson and Ronnie Hellström.{{cite web|url=http://hifhistoria.se/Historia/storys/1961tomturesson.pdf|title=Den störste|publisher=Hammarby Fotboll|access-date=15 November 2020|language=sv}}

Hammarby reached the final of Svenska Cupen in 1977, the main domestic cup, but lost 0–1 to Östers IF.{{cite web|url=http://www.hammarbyfotboll.se/se/omhammarbyfotboll/historik/|title=Historik|language=Swedish|publisher=Hammarby Fotboll|date=|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110326220649/http://www.hammarbyfotboll.se/se/omhammarbyfotboll/historik/

| archivedate = 26 March 2011}}

In 1979, Werner had re-positioned himself from a tough defender to a physical forward, a move that proved highly successful. The same season, he became the first ever top scorer in Allsvenskan to represent Hammarby, scoring 14 goals in 26 league games.{{cite web|url=http://www.hifhistoria.se/Historia/1979.html|title=1979|publisher=HIF Historia|access-date=1 February 2021|language=sv}}

The highlight of Werner's career came in 1982 when Hammarby finished second in the table, going unbeaten the whole season. In the following playoff to decide the Swedish champion, the club went on to beat Örgryte in the quarter-finals and Elfsborg in the semi-finals. In the finals against IFK Göteborg, Hammarby won 2–1 in the first leg away, but lost 1–3 in the home game at Söderstadion to a record crowd, missing out on the gold medal.{{cite web|url=http://www.hifhistoria.se/Historia/1982.html|title=1982|publisher=HIF Historia|access-date=16 November 2020|language=Swedish}}{{cite web|url=http://www.hifhistoria.se/Historia/bilder/1982goteborgref.jpg|title=SM-finalen 1982|publisher=Hammarby Fotboll|access-date=16 November 2020|language=Swedish}}{{cite web|url=https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/Xwqdoo/laget-som-fick-soder-att-skratta|title=Laget som fick Söder att skratta|date=20 October 2001 |publisher=Aftonbladet|access-date=16 November 2020|language=Swedish}}

Throughout his time at Hammarby, Werner went on trial with German giants Bayern Munich and reportedly attracted interest from Standard Liège, Kaiserslautern and Toronto Blizzard.{{cite web|url=http://www.gronvitaprofiler.se/40-Werner/|title=#40 - Mats "Matte" Werner|publisher=Grönvita Profiler|accessdate=1 February 2021|language=Swedish}} However, he remained with the club for the most of career, making 251 league appearances and scoring 46 goals in total.{{cite web|url=https://www.mitti.se/nyheter/mats-werner-snackar-derby/lmpjm!509612/|title=Mats Werner snackar derby|publisher=Mitt I|accessdate=1 February 2021|language=Swedish}}

Halfway through 1984, Werner joined fellow Stockholm-based club Vasalunds IF in Division 1, Sweden's second tier. He played the remainder of the season with the club before retiring from football at the end of the year, aged 31.{{cite web|url=http://www.hifhistoria.se/Historia/1984.html|title=1984|publisher=HIF Historia|access-date=1 February 2021|language=Swedish}}

In 2004, Werner was voted as Hammarby's eleventh biggest profile throughout its history.{{cite web|url=http://www.hammarbyfotboll.se/se/omhammarbyfotboll/historik/?playerid=657&teamId=177|title=11- Mats Werner|language=Swedish|publisher=Hammarby Fotboll|date=|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110508230530/http://www.hammarbyfotboll.se/se/omhammarbyfotboll/historik/?playerid=657&teamId=177|archivedate=8 May 2011|accessdate=1 February 2021}}

International career

In a period of three years, Werner won 6 caps for Sweden.{{cite web|url=

https://www2.svenskfotboll.se/landslag/landslagsdatabas/landslagsspelare/?fplid=26fc022a-ca8e-4c24-9fb5-25800c4ea7f5|title=Landslagsdatabasen: Mats Werner|publisher=Swedish Football Association|accessdate=1 February 2021|language=Swedish}} He scored his only international goal in a 6–0 friendly win against Finland on 11 August 1976, home at Malmö Stadion.{{cite web|url=https://www2.svenskfotboll.se/landslag/landslagsdatabas/information/?scr=result&fmid=1568547|title=Sverige 6 – 0 Finland|publisher=Swedish Football Association|accessdate=1 February 2021|language=Swedish}}