Oslo, Aug 14 (AP) The Chicago Stars have announced that Martin Sjögren, the former coach of Norway's women's national team, will take the helm as head coach for the National Women's Soccer League team.
Sjögren is set to begin his tenure with the Stars at the start of the 2026 season, after concluding his current role as the head coach of Hammarby in the Swedish Damallsvenskan, according to the team's announcement on Wednesday.
"This role as head coach of the Chicago Stars is a new challenge for me in a new country and league," Sjögren expressed in a social media video on Wednesday.
He added, "The NWSL is consistently intriguing to me. It's among the most competitive leagues globally, if not the foremost. The women's football landscape in the U.S. is expanding rapidly."
Sjögren managed Norway's women's team from 2016 to 2022, including leading the team to the quarterfinals in the 2019 Women's World Cup. Under his leadership, Norway participated in the Women's European Championships in 2017 and 2022.
Meanwhile, Sjögren's long-time assistant and confidant, Anders Jacobson, has been appointed as the interim coach for the remainder of this year.
Jacobson will join the Stars shortly, while the current interim coach, Ella Masar, will continue as an assistant coach.
"Our selection process was thorough, data-driven, and involved extensive discussions regarding our soccer identity, methods, and long-term goals," explained Stars general manager, Richard Feuz.
"We sought not only top-tier coaches but individuals with outstanding values, leaders who resonate with our vision of fostering a high-performance environment grounded in trust, unity, and a familial spirit."
The Stars parted ways with their coach, Lorne Donaldson, after only securing one victory in six games at the onset of the NWSL season.
Donaldson, instrumental in guiding the Jamaican national team to the 2023 Women's World Cup knockout stage, was in his second season with Chicago, taking the Stars to the playoffs with a 10-14-2 record in his first season.
Currently, the Stars stand at 1-9-5, placing them second-to-last in the NWSL standings. (AP) AM AM AM
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