Roger Palmgren

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Roger Palmgren

|image = RogerPalmgren.jpg

|image_size =

|caption =

|fullname = Roger Lennart Palmgren

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|3|11|df=y}}

|birth_place = Stockholm, Sweden

|currentclub =

|manageryears1 = 1990–1993 | managerclubs1 = FC Cafe Opera

|manageryears2 = 1993–1994 | managerclubs2 = AC Arezzo

|manageryears3 = 1994–1996 | managerclubs3 = Sierra Leone

|manageryears4 = 1997–1998 | managerclubs4 = Degerfors IF

|manageryears5 = 1998–1999 | managerclubs5 = AC Arezzo

|manageryears6 = 1999–2000 | managerclubs6 = DR Congo

|manageryears7 = 2001–2004 | managerclubs7 = Vasalunds IF

|manageryears8 = 2004–2006 | managerclubs8 = Rwanda

|manageryears9 = 2006–2007 | managerclubs9 = Kwara United

|manageryears10 = 2007–2009 | managerclubs10 = Thanda Royal Zulu

|manageryears12 = 2009–2012 | managerclubs12 = AmaZulu

|manageryears13 = 2013 | managerclubs13 = Namibia

|manageryears14 = 2013–2014 | managerclubs14 = Guangzhou R&F (assistant)

|manageryears15 = 2015–2016 | managerclubs15 = Shanghai SIPG (assistant)

|manageryears16 = 2018–2019 | managerclubs16 = Brommapojkarna (assistant)

|manageryears17 = 2019–2021 | managerclubs17 = FC Nacka Iliria

}}

Roger Lennart Palmgren is a Swedish football manager.

He has been active as club manager in nine different countries: Italy, Sweden, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, South Africa, Namibia and China.

He has been coach of the national football teams of Sierra Leone, Rwanda and Namibia.

Career

=Cafe Opera & Arezzo=

Roger started his coaching career in 1990 as a playing coach with Alessandro Catenaccis team FC Cafe Opera in Sweden. After climbing 3 divisions in 3 years, Palmgren got an offer in 1993 from Francesco Graziani to coach Primavera team FC Arezzo to explore a professional managing career. After great success, Palmgren got offered the job as coach for Sierra Leone national team.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/2159030.stm|title=Sierra Leone opt for European manager|access-date=1 October 2010|date=29 July 2002|author=Fajah Barrie|publisher=BBC Sport|archive-date=6 April 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030406003735/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/2159030.stm|url-status=live}}{{cite web | title = Sierra Leone FA seeks new coach | url = http://www.footballsierraleone.net/2015/04/29/sierra-leone-fa-seeks-new-coach/ | publisher = Football Sierra Leone | access-date = 29 April 2015 }}{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

=Sierra Leone=

When Palmgren won the Amílcar Cabral Cup (1995), and qualified to Africa Cup of Nations (1996) in South Africa with Sierra Leone national team, he made his break through as an international football manager. This is the best result in Sierra Leones football history yet.

=Degerfors=

After Sierra Leone, Palmgren worked as assistant coach and sport director for the Swedish Allsvenskan team Degerfors IF. When FC Arezzo offered him to come back coaching 1998, he took the challenge.

=Vasalund=

After the merger between Essinge IK and Vasalunds IF, Palmgren became sport director and later managing coach of Vasalunds IF between 2003 and 2004.{{Cite web|url=https://issuu.com/guiden/docs/guide2009|title=Svensk Fotboll Guide 2009|website=Issuu|date=27 March 2009 |access-date=16 February 2020|archive-date=22 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422084132/https://issuu.com/guiden/docs/guide2009|url-status=live}}

=Rwanda=

In August 2004, Palmgren relocated to Africa as he accepted the position head coach of Rwanda national football team,{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/3567440.stm|title=Rwanda get Swedish coach|access-date=1 October 2010|date=15 August 2004|author=Andrew Jackson Oryada|publisher=BBC Sport|archive-date=20 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920142404/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/3567440.stm|url-status=live}} where he took the team to the final of the CECAFA Cup against Ethiopia.

By the end of 2005, Palmgren took on the Nigerian club Kwara United F.C.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/6579469.stm|title=Nigeria's Kwara demand sanctions|access-date=1 October 2010|date=21 April 2007|author=Oluwashina Okeleji|publisher=BBC Sport|archive-date=11 August 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070811055317/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/6579469.stm|url-status=live}} in Nigeria Premier League and they eventually reached semi finals in CAF Confederation Cup in 2006.

=Thanda Royal Zulu=

Palmgren moved to South Africa in May 2007 when he got an offer from a Swedish consortium{{cite web| title = Sven's son to coach Benoni Premier United | url = http://www.iol.co.za/sport/sven-s-son-to-coach-benoni-premier-united-1.576471?noredirect=#.VVxkk_ntlBc | publisher = Independent Online| access-date =12 August 2007}} to manage the club Thanda Royal Zulu F.C. in Premier Soccer League in Durban.

=Amazulu=

After two years with Thanda, he got offered to become sport director with the South African team Amazulu FC{{cite web | title = Interview with Roger Palmgren, Sports Director at AmaZulu FC | url = https://media.africaportal.org/documents/Playing_for_Peace.pdf | publisher = Accord | access-date = 20 September 2020 | archive-date = 3 July 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200703013022/https://media.africaportal.org/documents/Playing_for_Peace.pdf | url-status = live }}{{cite web|url=http://www.goal.com/en/news/1659/south-africa/2009/11/14/1623793/roger-palmgren-appointed-director-of-sport-at-amazulu|title=Roger Palmgren Appointed Director Of Sport At AmaZulu|access-date=1 October 2010|date=14 November 2009|publisher=Goal.com|archive-date=16 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091116022744/http://goal.com/en/news/1659/south-africa/2009/11/14/1623793/roger-palmgren-appointed-director-of-sport-at-amazulu|url-status=live}}

, and short thereafter head coach.{{cite web|url=http://www.goal.com/en/news/1659/south-africa/2011/09/19/2672607/amazulu-sack-coach-manqoba-mngqithi|title=AmaZulu sack coach Manqoba Mngqithi|access-date=19 September 2011|date=19 September 2011|publisher=Goal.com|archive-date=17 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017214659/http://www.goal.com/en/news/1659/south-africa/2011/09/19/2672607/amazulu-sack-coach-manqoba-mngqithi|url-status=live}} Palmgren achieved the best league result ever for the club in 2011-12, as well as FA cup finals against Bidvest Wits FC.

=Namibia=

In 2013, Roger took the offer to coach Namibia national football team.{{cite web | title = Roger Palmgren new Warriors coach | url = http://www.nfa.org.na/?q=node/1430 | publisher = Namibia Football Association | access-date = 2 May 2013 | archive-date = 27 May 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150527023224/http://www.nfa.org.na/?q=node%2F1430 | url-status = live }}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22383269|title=Roger Palmgren appointed Namibia coach|date=2 May 2013|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=11 February 2018|archive-date=21 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121120815/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22383269|url-status=live}} Unfortunately he didn't stay long as he and his family were threatened by supporters and decided to resign{{cite web | title = Roger Palmgren resigns as Namibia coach after death threats | work = BBC Sport | date = 10 June 2013 | url = https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/22843038 | access-date = 10 June 2013 | archive-date = 17 August 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150817000535/http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/22843038 | url-status = live }}

=Guangzhou & Shanghai=

Palmgren relocated to China, and started working as Sven-Göran Eriksson's assistant coach in the Chinese Super League with the team Guangzhou R&F.{{cite web|url=http://www.gzrffc.com.cn/club/teamshow_92.htm|title=助理教练-罗杰 (Assistant coach: Roger Lennart Palmgren)|publisher=Guangzhou R&F F.C.|language=zh|access-date=7 July 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221173604/http://www.gzrffc.com.cn/club/teamshow_92.htm|archive-date=21 February 2014}}

=Return to Sweden=

On 5 September 2018, Palmgren was appointed as assistant manager of the Swedish club side IF Brommapojkarna, following the sacking of Luís Pimenta.{{cite web|url=http://ifbp.se/forening/forandringar-i-ledarstaben-kring-bps-allsvenska-trupp/|title=Förändringar i ledarstaben kring BPs allsvenska trupp|publisher=Brommapojkarna|date=5 September 2018|access-date=5 September 2018|archive-date=5 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180905170959/http://ifbp.se/forening/forandringar-i-ledarstaben-kring-bps-allsvenska-trupp/|url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Roberth Björknesjö ny manager i BP |url=http://ifbp.se/forening/roberth-bjorknesjo-ny-manager-i-bp/ |website=ifbp.se |publisher=IF Brommapojkarna |access-date=2 November 2018 |language=sv |date=7 September 2018 |archive-date=12 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112181610/http://ifbp.se/forening/roberth-bjorknesjo-ny-manager-i-bp/ |url-status=live }}

He was then manager of FC Nacka Iliria in Stockholm.{{Cite web|url=https://www.expressen.se/sport/foreningsliv/svennis-larjunge-nobbar-landslag-for-stockholm/|title=Svennis lärjunge tackar nej till landslag för Stockholm|website=www.expressen.se|date=3 December 2019 |access-date=15 February 2020|archive-date=15 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215232246/https://www.expressen.se/sport/foreningsliv/svennis-larjunge-nobbar-landslag-for-stockholm/|url-status=live}}

Honours

Sierra Leone

Amílcar Cabral Cup: 1995{{Cite web |last=Strack-Zimmermann |first=Benjamin |title=Mauritania vs. Sierra Leone |url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/27622/Mauritania_Sierra_Leone.html |access-date=2025-01-21 |website=www.national-football-teams.com |language=en}}