Swedish manager Thelin to take charge of Aberdeen

ABERDEEN: Aberdeen have announced Swede Jimmy Thelin as their new manager with the Elfsborg boss to take up his new role in June.

The cinch Premiership club sacked Barry Robson in January after nine months in charge and, following a brief spell with Neil Warnock at the Pittodrie helm, installed Peter Leven as interim boss in March.

A statement on Aberdeen’s official website read: “Jimmy Thelin has been appointed as the 25th permanent manager of Aberdeen.“The Swede, together with assistants Christer Persson and Emir Bajrami, will leave their current roles at Allsvenska side Elfsborg this summer, taking up post at Pittodrie in early June.

“Current interim manager Peter Leven will continue to lead the first-team squad until the end of the campaign, thereafter, bolstering Jimmy’s team as an assistant first-team coach.”The Dons are currently ninth in the Scottish top flight, five points above the bottom two.

Thelin, 46, led Jonkopings Sodra to the Swedish top flight in 2015 in his first job as manager and in 2017 was appointed boss at Elfsborg, who he has twice guided to the Allsvenska runners-up spot.

He said: “I’m very honoured to be the new Aberdeen manager and to be coming to this great club and city.“I wanted to be sure I was making the right step in my career, particularly as this will be my first time managing outside of Sweden.

“At Elfsborg we work hard together to compete at the top level and it is our intention to achieve the same at Aberdeen.“I can promise the fans we will be striving to build and a develop a team that captures the hearts of the supporters and delivers success on the pitch.”