Tomas Brolin facts for kids
Brolin at the Swedish Sports Awards in 2013
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Per Tomas Brolin | ||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 29 November 1969 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Hudiksvall, Sweden | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m | ||||||||||||
| Playing position | Midfielder, forward | ||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||
| 1976–1983 | Näsvikens IK | ||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||
| 1984–1986 | Näsvikens IK | 36 | (10) | ||||||||||
| 1987–1989 | GIF Sundsvall | 55 | (13) | ||||||||||
| 1990 | IFK Norrköping | 9 | (7) | ||||||||||
| 1990–1995 | Parma | 133 | (20) | ||||||||||
| 1995–1997 | Leeds United | 19 | (4) | ||||||||||
| 1996 | → FC Zürich (loan) | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 1997 | → Parma (loan) | 11 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 1998 | Crystal Palace | 13 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 1998 | Hudiksvalls ABK | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||
| Total | 280 | (54) | |||||||||||
| National team‡ | |||||||||||||
| 1986–1987 | Sweden U18 | 9 | (3) | ||||||||||
| 1988–1992 | Sweden U21/Olympic | 16 | (6) | ||||||||||
| 1990–1995 | Sweden | 47 | (27) | ||||||||||
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Honours
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† Appearances (Goals). |
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Per Tomas Brolin (born 29 November 1969) is a Swedish former professional footballer. He played as a forward and midfielder.
Tomas Brolin had a very successful time with the Italian club Parma in the early 1990s. He helped them win several important trophies. These included the Coppa Italia in 1992, the Cup Winners' Cup in 1993, and the UEFA Cup in 1995. He also played for other clubs like Leeds United in England.
Brolin played for the Swedish national team from 1990 to 1995. He played in 47 games and scored 27 goals. He was a key player when Sweden finished third at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He also played in the 1990 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1992. Brolin was named Sweden's best footballer in 1990 and 1994, winning the Guldbollen award.
In November 1994, just before his 25th birthday, Brolin broke a bone in his foot. This injury kept him out of the game for five months. After coming back, he struggled to play as well as he did before. Because of ongoing problems with his fitness and weight, he decided to retire from football at the age of 28.
Contents
Club Football Career
Starting His Journey
Tomas Brolin began his football career at a young age. His first league match was for Näsvikens IK in 1984 when he was just 14 years old. He played 36 games for this club.
Later, GIF Sundsvall noticed his talent and signed him. Brolin joined their football academy in 1986. He made his first team debut for GIF Sundsvall in 1987. After three seasons there, he moved to IFK Norrköping. In 1990, he scored 7 goals in 9 games for them.
Playing for Parma
In 1990, Brolin joined the Italian club Parma. The club had just been promoted to Serie A, Italy's top league. He quickly became a strong player for Parma, working well with his teammate Alessandro Melli. Together, they scored 20 goals in their first season. Parma finished fifth, which meant they qualified for a European competition for the first time ever.
In the 1991–92 season, Brolin played in all 34 league matches. He scored four goals and helped Parma win the Coppa Italia (Italian Cup). He scored important goals in the cup, including one in the semi-final against Sampdoria. Parma beat Juventus in the final to win their first trophy.
In the 1992–93 season, Parma won the European Cup Winners' Cup. Brolin helped the team win the final against Royal Antwerp 3–1 at Wembley Stadium. Sometimes, he had to play in different positions because of rules about how many foreign players could be on the field.
The next season, Parma signed more star players like Gianfranco Zola. Brolin started playing in a deeper midfield role. Parma reached the final of the Cup Winners' Cup again. They played against Arsenal but lost 1–0, even though Brolin came close to scoring.
Injury Troubles
On 16 November 1994, Brolin broke his foot during a game for Sweden. At that time, Parma was at the top of the league. When he returned to play in April 1995, Parma was far behind the leaders. Brolin struggled to find his best form after the injury. In his first full start back, he was substituted, and in the last game of the season, he was sent off for the first time in his career.
Leaving Parma
After his injury, Brolin found it hard to get back to full fitness. Parma signed another forward, Hristo Stoichkov, which made it even harder for Brolin to play regularly. After five years, Brolin decided to leave Parma to find more playing time.
Time at Leeds United
Brolin moved to Leeds United in England on 7 November 1995. He signed a two-and-a-half-year contract. The manager, Howard Wilkinson, hoped Brolin would be a great partner for their top scorer, Tony Yeboah.
Brolin made his Premier League debut a day after signing. He scored his first goal for Leeds on 16 December. He scored two more goals in January, helping Leeds win against West Ham United. However, Brolin and manager Wilkinson had disagreements about Brolin's defensive effort. Brolin later said he played poorly on purpose to protest being played out of position.
Brolin's time at Leeds was difficult. He had to apologize for an April Fool's Day joke that caused confusion. He also had ankle surgery. His future at the club became uncertain. Leeds fans often remember him as one of the club's least successful players.
Loan to Zürich
In mid-1996, Leeds wanted to sell Brolin. He was fined for not showing up to pre-season training. On 20 August 1996, Brolin joined FC Zürich in Switzerland on loan. He played three league matches and one cup match for them. He wanted to stay longer to get fit, but Leeds called him back.
Loan Back to Parma
A move to another Italian club fell through because of his foot injury. On 24 December, Brolin paid some of his own money to go back to Parma on loan. He trained with Parma but did not play much. He made a few substitute appearances and one start. Parma finished second in the league, their best position ever. However, Parma decided not to keep him after the loan ended.
Leaving Leeds for Good
Brolin's contract with Parma ended on 16 June 1997. Leeds manager George Graham did not want him back in the first team. Brolin tried to find another loan move, but deals with Real Zaragoza and Hearts did not happen. He was fined by Leeds for missing training and for criticizing the manager. On 28 October 1997, Brolin's contract with Leeds was ended. He had played 19 league games and scored four goals for Leeds.
Playing for Crystal Palace
On 16 November 1997, Steve Coppell, the manager of Crystal Palace, offered Brolin a two-week trial. Brolin joined the club in January 1998. He played his first game for Crystal Palace on 10 January. He even scored a goal, but it was ruled offside. Crystal Palace lost the game, but Brolin was given a contract until the end of the season.
In his third game, Brolin played against his old club, Leeds United. He was still overweight but started the game. He had to leave the field early after a head injury but returned to try and help his team. Brolin played 12 more games for Palace, mostly as a striker. Crystal Palace was relegated from the Premier League. On 14 May 1998, Brolin was released from the club. He did not score any goals in his 15 games for Palace.
Retiring from Football
On 12 August 1998, Tomas Brolin announced he was retiring from professional football. His very last game was on 29 August 1998 for Hudiksvalls A.B.K. He played the last 15 minutes of that game as a goalkeeper!
International Football Career
Early Days and the 1990 World Cup
When Tomas Brolin was 20, he moved to IFK Norrköping. In his first league game, he scored three goals. This caught the attention of Sweden's national team coach, Olle Nordin. Sweden had qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1978.
Just 18 days later, on 25 April, Brolin played for Sweden against Wales. He scored two goals in six minutes, helping Sweden win 4–2. He scored two more goals in the next game against Finland. Brolin was then chosen to play for Sweden in the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. Sweden did not win any games, but Brolin scored against Brazil. After the World Cup, Parma signed him, and he won his first Guldbollen award as Sweden's best footballer.
Euro 1992 Success
At UEFA Euro 1992, Brolin was one of the top goal scorers with three goals. His goal against England was especially famous and helped him become even more well-known.
1994 World Cup Glory
Brolin went to the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States in the best shape of his career. Sweden was not expected to do very well, but they surprised everyone. They drew with Cameroon and then beat Russia 3–1. In their final group match, they drew 1–1 with Brazil.
Brolin scored three goals in the 1994 World Cup. Sweden finished third, winning the bronze medal. Brolin's great performances earned him a spot in the World Cup All-Star Team. In the quarter-final against Romania, he scored a very famous goal from a clever free-kick. He won his second Guldbollen award in 1994.
Euro 1996 Qualifiers
On 16 November 1994, Brolin broke his foot during a game to qualify for UEFA Euro 1996. He returned to play for Sweden in May 1995, scoring a penalty against Iceland. However, he struggled to help his team win.
In April 1996, the Swedish coach dropped Brolin from the team. Brolin said it was best for him to recover. Sweden did not qualify for Euro 1996. Brolin never played for his country again. He had played 47 games and scored 27 goals for Sweden.
Playing Style
Tomas Brolin was a very talented footballer. He was known for his amazing dribbling skills, great passing, and powerful shots. He could play in many different positions, including as an attacking midfielder, striker, or winger. He was smart on the field and worked very hard. Sadly, his career was cut short by injuries, which made him retire early.
Life After Football
After retiring from football, Tomas Brolin became a businessman. He returned to Sweden and for a while owned an Italian-Swedish restaurant called Undici, which means "11" in Italian (his jersey number at Parma). He also invested in real estate and a company that sold a special vacuum cleaner part. He even appeared in a music video by Dr. Alban.
In 2001, his son Sebastian was born. Brolin later married Annika Duckmark, a former Miss Sweden, but they divorced in 2006.
Since 2006, Brolin has been an active poker player. He has played in big tournaments like the World Series of Poker and the European Poker Tour.
Honours and Awards
Parma
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1992–93
- UEFA Cup: 1994–95
- UEFA Super Cup: 1993
- Coppa Italia: 1991–92
Leeds United
- Football League Cup runner-up: 1995–96
Sweden
- FIFA World Cup third place: 1994
Individual Awards
- Guldbollen (Sweden's best footballer): 1990, 1994
- UEFA Euro Golden Boot (top scorer): 1992
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1994
Images for kids
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Brolin at the Swedish Sports Awards in 2013
See also
In Spanish: Tomas Brolin para niños
