Age is just a media thing

Age is just a number.

The former national team star Oscar Hiljemark should just be himself in his new role as Elfsborg's new coach.

Age is more of a media thing, says the 32-year-old.

Before the restart of the men's Allsvenskan, there are some new names on the coaching benches. Stefan Billborn has taken over IFK Göteborg. Stefan Larsson and Henok Goitom are temporary head coaches in Kalmar and AIK, respectively.

The one who has had the longest time to mentally prepare himself is Oscar Hiljemark – already in mid-April, it was clear that the 32-year-old would become the new coach in Elfsborg. Despite this, time has been short. The coaching change took place on June 17 when Jimmy Thelin left for Scottish Aberdeen.

Building Rome in a Day?

Now Brommapojkarna await on Saturday at home on Borås Arena.

There's not much time to build Rome in a day. We'll have to turn and twist the small things and try to set the big lines in our structure, says Oscar Hiljemark.

The former national team midfielder was only 28 years old when he was forced to make the decision to retire due to major problems with his hips.

It was an emotional and emotional thing to do. You've lived the football life for so many years and been abroad for ten years, so it was tough to make the decision, says Hiljemark, who is credited with 28 A-international matches and was part of the squad in the World Championship 2018 and European Championship 2016.

But there weren't many other ways to go. The body couldn't take it anymore.

He belonged to Danish Ålborg when his playing career ended in the summer of 2021, and it was also there that his next career began. After being an assistant coach to – in turn – Martí Cifuentes, Lars Friis, and Erik Hamrén, Hiljemark took over as head coach in March 2023.

A little over a year later, he was bought out by Elfsborg, the club he broke through in as a teenager. It became the Swedish Championship gold in 2012 before he moved to Dutch PSV Eindhoven later that winter.

Now the 32-year-old will be in charge of some players who are older than himself, such as former teammates Johan Larsson and Niklas Hult.

"Very Comfortable"

Age is more of a media thing than something I and the people around me focus on. We'll be judged on what we deliver on the pitch and hopefully not based on age. I'm very comfortable in my role and the way I lead, says Hiljemark.

Last year's Allsvenskan runner-up Elfsborg – narrowly missing the Swedish Championship gold – is currently ninth with only 16 points in 13 matches.