Meet Matilda Bergstrand: From Elite Player to OBOS Damallsvenskan Football Coach! ⚽️

"I want to prove that it’s possible."

Matilda Bergstand via https://norrahalland.se/

After being forced to end her playing career in Elitettan due to a diagnosis of rheumatoid

arthritis, Matilda Bergstrand found a new path in football. A short-term coaching

assignment at her childhood club, Rottne IF, turned out to be the beginning of something

bigger. Today, she’s the assistant coach at Växjö DFF in OBOS Damallsvenskan and part of

the Swedish F07 national team staff.

"It wasn’t a clear path from the beginning, but it turned out to be one of the best

decisions I’ve ever made," says Bergstrand.

Matilda was 15 years old when she decided to fully commit to football. But during her first

year in Elitettan, her body started to send signals – frequent illnesses, joint pain, and

eventually swelling in her knee. After an arthroscopy, she was told she had rheumatoid

arthritis.

" It hit me hard mentally. Football was my entire identity. Losing that part of myself was

devastating."

During that difficult period, her aunt asked if she could take over coaching the U15 girls

team at Rottne IF. That moment changed everything.

"I had been team captain and really enjoyed leadership. Coaching was a challenge, but I fell

in love with it immediately." From there, things moved quickly. Matilda took over the

women’s team at Rottne, then moved to Tölö IF in Halland – first as an individual coach, and

later as head coach. After a tough pregnancy and returning to her hometown of Växjö, a new

opportunity opened up.

"Växjö DFF called when my daughter Lea was six months old. They wanted me to come

home and work full-time in football. It was an easy decision."

In her first year, Växjö returned to OBOS Damallsvenskan – undefeated – setting a Swedish

record for most clean sheets in a season. Since then, the club has established itself in the top

division, and Matilda has grown into her role within a strong coaching team. In the fall of

2023, she also joined the national team staff for Sweden’s F07 squad.

Representing Sweden was a dream I had as a player. Now I get to live that dream as a

coach.

Who or what inspired you to become a coach?

It’s my inner drive. I want to be the best at what I do – whether it's football, parenting, or

my career. I also take inspiration from different people around me. Olof Unogård, who I

work closely with, has been important, and I admire coaches like Guardiola, Arteta, and

Emma Hayes. I try to pick the best pieces from each one.

And honestly? I’m fueled by people who say it can’t be done. I’m often met with questions

like, “Don’t you want to spend more time with your child?” or “Isn’t coaching a short-term

career – especially for women?” That only motivates me more. I want to prove that it’s

possible. That being a woman, a mother, and a coach isn’t a contradiction.

What qualities do you consider most crucial to being a successful coach?

Leadership. You can be as tactically skilled as you like, but if you don’t have a strong, clear,

and value-driven leadership style, I don’t think you’ll go far. For me, good leadership is about

creating safety, clarity, shared values, and understanding. You have to recognize that every

player and coach is an individual with different backgrounds and needs – and adapt your

approach accordingly.

What challenges do you usually face in your work as a coach, and how do you deal with

them?

Honestly, the biggest challenge is probably myself. I hold myself to high standards, which

drives me, but it can also be tough. Over the past few years, I’ve felt an even stronger need

to prove myself. As a woman, I sometimes hear things like, “You only got this job because

you’re a woman.”

But that only fuels me further. I want to show that I have this job because I’m good at it –

not because of my gender. I’m lucky to have amazing support in Växjö and with the national

team, where no one makes me doubt myself. But we still live in a reality where women have

to prove themselves a bit more. That’s why we need a wider pool of qualified female

coaches – not for the sake of quotas, but for fair competition and representation.

What is your goal as a coach?

Since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to be the best at whatever I do. That drive hasn’t

changed. Right now, I feel like I’ve found the role that suits me best – as an assistant coach. I

want to keep growing, supporting players and staff, and becoming the best version of myself

in that role. Where it takes me, we’ll see.

What is your vision for yourself and for women’s football in general?

I’m tired of the constant comparisons between men’s and women’s football. My vision –

both for myself and for women’s football – is that we stop feeling the need to justify our

existence or compare ourselves. Women’s football should be a self-sustaining ecosystem

with its own economic and structural power.

In many clubs, when finances become tight, people start questioning the women’s team

first. That needs to change. Women’s football is growing rapidly and has its own appeal, its

own attraction. That’s the future I want to be part of.

What needs to be done to bring out more female coaches at the elite level?

My own story is one answer. When I had to stop playing, my club gave me a new role as a

coach. We need to catch players like that early – those with leadership potential and a

strong drive – and help them stay in football, even when their playing careers end.

We also need education programs that can be combined with playing at the elite level.

Many players could transition directly into coaching after their careers if given the right

structure. Right now, the demands around in-person attendance make that hard. But if we

had flexible programs with summer or winter sessions, more women would take that step.

I’m sure of it.

The interview was created through the project Elite Coaching Pathway in collaboration with

EPOS, Sundström Safety and Akea.

 ⚽️ AWSN is airing OBOS Damallsvenskan games live! Check the schedule for local times!