"He is dedicated and lives for football" - Kerala Blasters told what to expect from 'character' Mikael Stahre after managerial appointment
Kerala Blasters announced Mikael Stahre as their new head coach on Thursday, May 23. The Swede has penned a two-year contract with the Indian Super League (ISL) club that would see him remain at the helm until 2026.
Stahre, 48, replaces Ivan Vukomanovic, who the Blasters parted ways with last month. The Serbian took a team that finished second from bottom in the season before he arrived in 2021 to three consecutive playoffs, including a final in the 2021-22 campaign.
Vukomanovic also got the fans behind him like no other Kerala Blasters manager had done, as evidenced by the support he received after the walkout incident against Bengaluru FC in the playoffs last year. Nevertheless, he could not bring the elusive league title home, prompting the Blasters management to freshen things up with Stahre's appointment.
Understandably, there is skepticism among the Yellow Army faithful. Many doubt if Stahre can match Vukomanovic's charisma, while his recent track record is not encouraging. Uthai Thani were 14th of 16 teams in the Thai League 1 when he was sacked in April, winning just one of their 13 games since December 10.
On the other hand, Stahre boasts a wealth of experience, having notably moved into coaching in his teens. He was 32 when he took up his first senior manager job at Vasby United (a feeder club to AIK Fotboll at the time and now known as AFC Eskilstuna). He has since helmed AIK and IFK Göteborg, two of Sweden's Big Three clubs, while also having stints in Greece, China, the United States, Norway and Thailand.
Stahre's journeys abroad might not have been fruitful, but he maintains a good reputation in Sweden.
"[Stahre is perceived] as one of the most experienced and also I’d like to say one of the most popular coaches among the fans, among the pundits, among the supporters because of the person he is," says Aftonbladet journalist Michael Wagner, who has interviewed the Swede several times.
"But, on the other hand, he really hasn’t won any titles since winning the Swedish Cup with IFK Göteborg back in 2013. Since then, the way things ended up depended on which clubs he had the opportunity to coach. He has gone for the option of having clubs abroad that haven’t been competing for the titles – league titles or cups. But, he is perceived as a very experienced and good manager.”
Stahre enjoyed the most success as a manager during his time in charge of AIK between January 2009 and April 2010. In 2009, he led the Stockholm outfit to a league and cup double and won the Swedish Super Cup the following year.
He then guided IFK Göteborg to Swedish Cup glory in the 2012-13 season. His three-year spell in Gothenburg still left a lot to be desired as the club had invested a significant amount of money on star players in a bid to compete with Malmö FF, who have established themselves as one of the biggest teams in Scandinavia. The splurges earned them the moniker Real Göteborg (after Real Madrid), but Stahre only had a cup to show for it.
Worryingly for Kerala Blasters, Stahre has not won a trophy since then. He last got his hands on a piece of silverware four months before the ISL was launched in India. Wagner reckons that is down to the clubs the Swede has coached, especially abroad, not having realistic chances of winning titles.
"He hasn’t had the opportunities to choose the clubs in China, or Thailand, or the States, or Greece if you go back that far, or in Norway that have had a realistic chance to compete for titles," Wagner tells Sportskeeda. "On the other hand, Stahre has never been relegated, he has built solid teams. In some cases, he turned things that have been worse to better."
Like Vukomanovic, Stahre prefers a 4-4-2 setup but has also used the 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-3 formations. Wagner describes his playing style as 'aggressive' and 'intense', with emphasis on 'fast, forward runs'.
Wagner also cites Stahre's ability to develop young players as one of his biggest strengths. Sevilla and Sweden left-back Ludwig Augustinsson notably made his Allsvenskan debut under him at IFK Göteborg in 2013.
To give fans an idea of what Stahre is like as a coach, the journalist labels him a man-manager in the mold of Jurgen Klopp rather than an astute tactician like Pep Guardiola. This is echoed by Patrik Persson, a set-piece coach who was part of a Uthai Thani training camp in January.
"Historically speaking, he has been good at getting the most out of and giving prominence to strong characters that other coaches have not dared to bet on," Persson says. "He has also been brave in highlighting young talents who have performed and then become national players or professionals abroad."
Stahre has proven to be an interesting figure off the field too. In 2014, the manager was hit with a golf ball outside the stadium after IFK Göteborg's away loss to Mjällby AIF. Swedish newspaper Expressen attempted to get his reaction via a call that evening, resulting in quotes that have since become a hilarious classic in the sports media circles in the country.
Asked whether the blow hurt, Stahre spontaneously responded:
"Yes, what the hell do you think [happens] when a golf ball comes flying at 300 kilometres per hour right at your face? It's not like I'm cheering right away."
Wagner has had funny interactions with Stahre himself and has only good things to say about the new Kerala Blasters head coach's personality.
"I have had so many fun interviews with him, talking about funny things that happened to him in China, in the States," Wagner recalls. "He is a good storyteller and when you get to know him, he is a very open and friendly guy."
"He is a character. That’s how he is as a person off the field also. 90% of the time, I’d say, [he can be seen] with a happy face, always keeping the atmosphere at a good level even during difficult times for the team."
"He has a natural energy" - new Kerala Blasters head coach Mikael Stahre praised for his leadership
Having seen Stahre work up close in Thailand earlier this year, Persson, meanwhile, waxes lyrical about the coach's leadership skills.
"Mikael is the most skilled person I have seen at leading a group," Persson lauds. "He is good at making strategic decisions and seeing what gives effect. He has a natural energy and a voice that awakens and inspires. He is dedicated and lives for football."
But, can he strike a bond with the Kerala Blasters supporters like his predecessor did? Wagner certainly thinks so. Having served some of Sweden's most-followed clubs at Hammarby, AIK, and IFK Göteborg, Stahre is tipped to relish his time in Kochi.
"I don’t know the relationship between Vukomanovic and the fans, but I think they will like Stahre because Stahre was at Hammarby and had his main years at AIK and then at IFK Göteborg, and they are three of the biggest fanbase clubs in Sweden with very intense support from the supporters and that situation is a situation that Stahre loves. He loves to have that atmosphere," Wagner explains.
"As he said in the interviews why he chose to go to Kerala Blasters, he is really fond of having a team with an average of 27,000-30,000 spectators at home. He really embraces the kind of pressure that it gives him as a coach and the team because that is his natural habitat."
Whereas, Persson believes Stahre thrives when the stadium is packed.
"Mikael is his best self when the arena is filled with people and energy. Therefore, I think Kerala Blasters and Mikael are a good match."
Wagner is now keen to see how the latest chapter in Stahre's career unfolds.
"I think he will go to India with open arms and an open mind and he loves to see and hear the fans’ perspective on the club," he says. "I hope he can be as open, humorous and spontaneous as he mostly is. Then, I think they will love him."
"This is a very, very interesting coach for Kerala Blasters to have at this moment because he is a team builder, he is a manager that often the players really like because he is interested in the characters, he is interested in the personalities."
The Aftonbladet journalist, though, hopes the Kerala Blasters management provides the manager with the resources he needs to win silverware unlike some of the other clubs he has worked with in the past.