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Despite his age, Poya Asbaghi has managed to coach clubs like Dalkurd, Gefle IF and IFK Gothenburg. Earlier this year, the 35-year-old was forced to step down as Blåvitt’s coach after a time when the point harvest was not considered good enough. Now, almost three months later, he’s done with a new job. It was then that the Swedish Football Association announced on Tuesday afternoon that Poya Asbaghi will now be the captain of the national team for the U21 team.
– Very funny and inspiring. It’s a new environment to get to as I’ve only been in a club team environment before. It is clear that it will be fun and especially developing in a current environment that imposes new demands on me as a coach. And also to get to work as captain of the U21 national team with the most promising players in the country, it is very motivating, says Poya Asbaghi to Fotbollskanalen and continues:
– There wasn’t much to doubt. We had some meetings where they presented the design as I felt this is what I want and do. And after that, he was just driving.
Sweden’s Under-21 national team failed last week to qualify for next year’s European Under-21 Championship, when instead it was a major loss to Italy. Parties like Asbaghi followed closely.
– They did something very good, but maybe it was the results at the beginning that suffered, but the end was good and in the end there was a chance to move on. But overall, during the playoffs, neither the performance nor the result was enough for a tiebreaker. We have to try to get to the next U21 championship.
What do you hope to achieve as captain of the U21 national team?
– No matter how old you are, the Swedish team always wants to qualify for the playoffs. In parallel, we also want to make a good impression. Even though I didn’t have the biggest impact on the players as the captain of the national team, because it is the club team, I can still figure as a complement on my part to get the best national team player possible.
I was going to say you’re purged, but your career has gone fast. How do you look at it?
– I’m more grateful. I am still a relatively young soccer coach and am most grateful to have been able to work in those environments over the years. It has developed me a lot as a coach. There have been many different environments with everything from Dalkurd, to Gefle, to IFK Gothenburg and now you have to act as captain of the U21 national team, in relatively few years. Very in development. That’s a big reason why I haven’t been so hesitant to take this job.
He continues:
– I’m used to club team activities where you can influence players every day, but now it’s about being careful in planning so, in the few collections you have, you get the most out of the players. This is something I am not used to. I’m not nervous, more curious. I am also convinced that I will feel a greater awareness with each collection that passes.
How have you felt since you were forced to leave IFK Gothenburg?
– In general, I have felt relatively good in the way that it has been good for me to get away from football a bit. In the way that I have not been active in any club and I have not felt that I am leaving since I started working as a coach. So it’s been really nice, even if it felt weird at first. After two months, I felt: “now is enough” so I hope to start a new job on February 1.
Have you seen Blåvitt’s matches?
– It is clear that I tried to see Blåvitt as much as I could. Maybe it was more intense at first, but I will always watch Allsvenskan matches and there is no reason to stop watching now that it is part of the job.
– It was strange to look at a team that has been training for almost three years. You have a good relationship with many and I had that. It felt strange not standing there on the sidelines. But you get further away with time. This is how it works in football. Of course it was interesting, but somewhere it has also been possible to move on.
Has there been interest from other clubs?
– A little more than I thought because we are still in the middle of the season, but it has been good to have that confirmation. At the same time, I had a fairly early contact with the union, so for me the focus has always been on this job.
Assistant role in U21, what about him?
– It is not something that is clear at this time, it is a dialogue that we have right now. We should keep reviewing the available options and come back when something is ready. But I am definitely involved in the process.
