“We want to help the players get better”

With five clean sheets and a lot of goals scored IF Brommapojkarna 1 in the Boys 13 class have their minds set on another final. The team won Gothia Cup two years ago and are determined to repeat the task. “I hope we can win this year again”, says Jonathan Wikström.

IF Brommapojkarna have a history of developing young players into professional ones. There’s John Guidetti, Albin Ekdal and Kristoffer Nordfeldt, all currently playing for the Swedish national team, to mention a few. The club has been sending teams to Gothia Cup for many years, and with these boys – already qualified for the 1/8 final on Friday – the future looks bright. Coach Tom Linder explains the club’s concept by not only comparing themselves to other Swedish teams, but also international ones.
“We are usually abroad four to five times a year to get good competition from other countries. It’s both fun for the boys and the teams we play are usually very good”, he says.

Tom Linder has been training the young team since 2017 and believe that the whole squad has a clear picture of what they want to accomplish. But the most important thing is still not to score as many goals as possible. Developing and educating young players is all about helping them forward in a positive, yet productive way.
“We want to help the players get better and give them the opportunity to be as good as possible when they get older. And it’s very clear that a model like that makes them want to perform in an early stage as well”, says Tom Linder.

Player Jonathan Wikström was part of the team who won the Boys 11 class two years ago. Since then they have moved up to a nine-a-side system, allowing them to play on a bigger pitch and with more movement. Jonathan Wikström is happy to be back at Gothia Cup and explains why he likes the tournament so much.
“There are so many teams here, including international ones. It’s really fun”, he says.

Tom Linder also regards Gothia Cup as a special event. The tournament taking place during the summer is one of many things he mentions as being a contributing factor for the team to participate.   
“It’s an enjoyable tournament which everyone should experience. We want the boys to have a great time and to get good practice”, says Tom Linder.