Dugout watch: Blackburn Rovers
Ahead of Blues' match against Blackburn Rovers in the Sky Bet Championship, BCFC.com has charted the career of the opposition's head coach.
Wayne Rooney will aim for back-to-back wins for the first time as Birmingham City Manager as his team takes on Jon Dahl Tomasson’s Rovers at Ewood Park on Wednesday 29 November, kick-off 7.45pm. The Danish boss is experiencing his second season in Lancashire, after finishing seventh during his maiden term, only missing out on the play-offs by virtue of goal difference.
His coaching career dawned in the Netherlands, first initiating himself inside the technical area at second-tier Dutch club Excelsior Rotterdam, spending two seasons as an assistant coach before taking up the managerial hot seat ahead of the 2013/14 campaign. He left the Eerste Divisie side midway through the season to take the reins at Eredivisie outfit Roda JC Kerkrade, however, he departed the role only five months later following the club’s relegation. He spent a year out before joining Vitesse for 2015/16 as their new assistant manager, only to be recruited by the Danish national team midway through his first year there.
The man from Copenhagen spent the following three-and-a-half years serving his country under the guidance of head coach, Age Hareide. Together, the duo reached the Round of 16 at the 2018 FIFA Men's World Cup and were set to continue their partnership at UEFA EURO 2020 before the tournament was postponed due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Hareide’s contract expired in 2020, and he was replaced by Kasper Hjulmand, but Tomasson stayed on. The new pair embarked on an impressive semi-final run when the tournament took place in 2021, losing out 2-1 in extra-time at Wembley Stadium to eventual runners-up England.
Swedish side Malmo FF moved to appoint him as manager in January 2020. The 47-year-old’s arrival proved an instant success, leading the team to their 21st title later that season. The next term, he brought UEFA Champions League football to the Eleda Stadion after succeeding in four qualifying rounds, notably seeing off Rangers and Ludogorets Razgard. Tomasson and Malmo won their second consecutive Allsvenskan in December 2021 before the Dane left the role at his own request. Six months later, Tomasson began his tenure at Ewood Park - Blackburn currently sit three points ahead of Blues in the Championship.
Tomasson’s 19-year playing career began at Koge Boldklub where he came through the youth system before earning his senior debut in 1992, at 16-years-old, ahead of consecutive promotions to reach the Danish top flight. Aged 18, he signed for SC Heerenveen and was their leading scorer in his second and third seasons, with the Best Dutch Football Talent of 1996 earning himself a move to Premier League Newcastle United 12 months later. However, just four goals in 35 outings saw him return to the Netherlands and join Feyenoord the following summer.
At De Kuip, where he formed a strong attacking partnership with Pierre van Hooijdonk, he would quickly win a league title and the Dutch Super Cup, but bigger European honours lie in wait. This was delivered thanks in no small part to Tomasson who scored and was named man of the match in their 2002 UEFA Cup Final glory against Borussia Dortmund.
The following season, having caught the continent's eye, he was a European Cup winner with AC Milan and a year later lifted Serie A, but despite scoring in the penalty shootout, he would be on the losing side in 2005's astonishing Champions League Final defeat to Liverpool. Spells at VfB Stuttgart and Villarreal followed, winning the Bundesliga with the former, as Denmark's joint all-time Men's goalscorer (52) became only the fifth player to have played in the English, Italian, German and Spanish top flights.
His playing career ended back at Feyenoord in 2011, a year after he received his 112th and final international cap when playing at the 2010 FIFA Men's World Cup.
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