Thelin’s strong bond with assistant coaches

New manager Jimmy Thelin starts work at Aberdeen on June 3, and will take IF Elfsborg staff members Christer Persson and Emir Bajrami with him.

But what do the two assistants bring to the Thelin tactical table?

Former defendermidfielder Persson, 44, played for Kalmar FF in his homeland and Danish sides Tonsberg and Pors Fotball, retiring in 2014 after a spell back in Sweden with Jonkopings Sodra.

He worked as assistant under Thelin when he took charge of the Jonkoping first-team in 2014, and, in 2015, they led the club back to the Swedish top-flight for the first time in nearly 50 years.

Thelin and Persson split when the manager moved to Elfsborg in 2018, with Persson remaining at Jonkoping for another year, before serving as a manager in his own right with lowerleague Motala AIF for two years. Persson took Motala up into Sweden’s third tier in his first season, before linking back up with Thelin at Elfsborg in 2021.

Boras Tidning’s Elfsborg reporter Oskar Palsson thinks Thelin and Persson’s close and longstanding coaching relationship means it was clear he would follow his boss to Aberdeen, saying: “Jimmy Thelin had Christer Persson as assistant coach already in 2014 when they got the job in Jonkopings Sodra.

“They worked together during the years, until Thelin moved to Elfsborg (December 2017).

“About one year later, Persson left Jonkoping.

“In January 2021, he was recruited to Elfsborg for a reunion with Jimmy Thelin. It’s totally clear that they know and like each other very well.

“I was not surprised at all when it came out that Persson will follow Thelin to Aberdeen – but I was more surprised about Bajrami.”

Former winger Bajrami, 36, had two spells at Elfsborg as a player, while also turning out for Twente, Monaco and Panathinaikos during his playing career.

Born in Pristina, now the capital of Kosovo, Bajrami represented Sweden 18 times at international level – netting in a 3-0 friendly win over Scotland in 2010. When he retired as an Elfsborg player in 2018, he moved into youth coaching at the club, before joining the first-team staff in 2020.

Palsson explained that while Persson and Bajrami both support Thelin by scouting Elfsborg’s upcoming opponents, their work with the players on the training pitch is focused on different, vital areas.

Persson helps Thelin organise a defence who conceded just 26 goals in 30 league outings in the 2023 Swedish league season.

Bajrami is credited with helping Elfsborg hone the winger-focused, attacking-style, which has Aberdeen fans so excited ahead of Thelin and his staff’s arrival and new Scottish season.

Palsson said: “Christer Persson and Emir Bajrami have pretty much the same things to do, both are on the pitch and both are scouting coming opponents. My picture is that Persson has more responsibility when it comes to the defensive parts of Elfsborg, and Bajrami is dealing more with the offensive parts.”

Jimmy Thelin and Christer Persson.