The list of his engagements is quite diverse. Today, 35-year-old Tim Sparv worked in Finnish Norrvalla and English Southampton in his youth. He played senior football as a defensive midfielder in Sweden (Halmstads), Finland (VPS, HJK Helsinki), Netherlands (Groningen), Germany (Fürth), Denmark (Midtjylland) and Greece (Larisa).
Fans will remember him from last year’s EURO, where he led Finland as captain. He played 84 matches in the national team jersey. During his career he won 3 Danish titles, the Danish Cup, the Finnish title and in 2015 he became the Finnish footballer of the year. He ended his professional career last year.
“After the end of my career, I contacted some clubs in Europe by email. Not all of them answered me, which was not the case with Sparta. She contacted me and I connected with several youth coaches. Subsequently, they invited me to Strahov. It appealed to me a lot,” he describes in an interview for sparta.cz how he appeared in Prague.
A new chapter begins! Excited to start my coaching journey at Sparta Prague & its fantastic academy. I’m grateful for this opportunity & I’m looking forward to learn from my colleagues. I’ll do my outmost to support the players in their development as footballers & human beings. pic.twitter.com/DtvbCNRtAd
– Tim Sparv (@TimSparv) July 16, 2022
He arrived here with his family before the end of last year. The key for him was to be able to be with her after his career. He is just getting started as a coach.
“When I was injured during my time at Midtjylland, I attended some of our academy’s training sessions and matches, but I didn’t coach. Rather, it was mental support for the children when they saw that the A player came to see them,” Sparv smiles.
Tim Sparv, the former captain of Finland, begins his coaching career with the Spartan youth team.Photo: sparta.cz
He is happy to be on the pitch, even if not as a player anymore.
“I want to be at a club where the concept is focused on the progression of young players and their subsequent use in the first team. Midtjylland and Southampton influenced me a lot in this regard, where players like Bale, Walcott and Lallana got from the same youth team where I played, all the way to big football,” says Sparv.
Now he meets his old acquaintances in Strahov.
“My former coaches and members of the executive team from Midtjylland have now taken over – Brian Priske, Christian Clarup and Stephen Foyston. We have already met a few times, so I am very much looking forward to watching their work. I believe they will be successful!”
I really enjoy it with Spartan B, says Michal Horňák. And he praises the arrival of Tomáš Sivok.Video: Sport.cz
Of course, he knows Sparta’s new Danish coach well.
“He is demanding, but in a respectful way. He is very experienced and has a clear idea of how he wants to play. He wants to be proactive, play intensely, aggressively and be strong on the ball. He is very curious about data and statistics. So his approach is very modern,” Sparv points out.
“He’s a former professional footballer, which is a good combination. He did a lot to be successful. Brian has put together a good coaching staff, which, while not automatically guaranteeing success, helps minimize failure. He is also a very good person who is sociable and likes to laugh,” the recent Finnish captain appreciates Prisk.
