PHOTO: Lyndsay Radnedge/CenterLine Soccer
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Nearly 10 years ago, Mikael Stahre was leading an inspired AIK, referred to as “bandits” for their bellicose attitude on the field, to a league and cup title. Since then, the Swedish manager, who started his management career at the tender age of 14, has danced around the globe, unafraid to take on the adversity that comes with coaching abroad.
The aforementioned periods of time, however, didn’t always work in his favor.
For instance, his stint in Greece was cut short after seven games due to poor results, and while he managed to coach Chinese side Dalian Yifang F.C. for two seasons, competing for titles was never at stake. Fast forward to 2018, with the worst record in MLS and a divided locker room, Stahre finds himself outside of his native Sweden attempting to overcome a re-occurring obstacle: how can his methodology and tactics be as successful in a foreign league as they have proven to be in the Allsvenskan?
In Sweden, the 43-year-old has been applauded for his effective defensive style and his ability to rally locker rooms, two traits that have gone out the window during his tenure with the Quakes. After 18 games, the Black and Blue have allowed 39 goals, tied for second most in the Western Conference. As for the environment in the locker room, a source close to the club said that “the players who are regularly on the bench feel they have no possibilities, regardless of what they do.” However, Stahre, who admits that he and his staff have come short of the expectations, isn’t dazed by the turmoil.
“I’ve been in the professional environment since the year 2000 — head coach since 2007. Most of this has been quite successful, I’ve been in difficult [scenarios] also. Sometimes, I’ve been successful seasons with lots of frustration and broken locker rooms, even if you’re successful,” Stahre told Quakes Epicenter with a laugh. “Of course, this is an experience and it’s not just me, it’s also the rest of the coaching staff. We’re doing this (learning from the tough moments) together.
“Of course, we are not good enough at the moment,” Stahre added. For me, that’s the most important thing. We have technical and tactical things to solve, so we can win more games. Focusing on that is number one for me.
“But also I need to get the guys in a good mood so they can cooperate with each other and have a great atmosphere in the locker room. The locker room is still absolutely OK and good but, of course, there’s some frustration when you’re losing games.”
Stahre, who is not at risk of getting sacked, however, insists that his locker room is not “broken” and pledges continued commitment to his job amidst severe fan backlash.
“That the team is not broken,” Stahre said. “The locker room is absolutely not broken. We’re working hard every day to solve this and win games for the club, for the fans, for the ownership and for ourselves.”
“If someone wants me out, that’s absolutely up to them [to believe that]. If they want me out, what can I do? All I can do is to work hard for the club, and I do that every single day,” he added. “It’s quite normal when the team is struggling to blame the coach. And it’s quite normal for me. I’ve been in this situation [before], I’ve managed many teams so I know this business.”
