Nils Nielsen

Last updated
Nils Nielsen
Nils Kromann Nielsen (16086846094).jpg
Nielsen at the 2015 Algarve Cup
Personal information
Full name Nils Herbert Kromann Nielsen
Date of birth (1971-11-03) 3 November 1971 (age 54)
Place of birth Greenland
Team information
Current team
 Japan Women (head coach)
Managerial career
YearsTeam
2012–2013 Denmark U-18
2013–2017 Denmark Women
2018 China U-20 Women (assistant)
2018–2022 Switzerland Women
2024– Japan Women

Nils Herbert Kromann Nielsen (born 3 November 1971) is a Greenlandic-Danish football manager. He is the head coach of the Japan women's national team.

Contents

Nielsen is best known for his tenure with the Denmark women's national football team from 2013 to 2017. [1] He led the Danes to a runners-up finish at the UEFA Women's Euro 2017. [2] [3] Despite departing the team shortly after, Nielsen received acclaim for his work and finished runner-up in the 2017 The Best FIFA Women's Coach award. He spent most of 2018 as the assistant manager of the China women's national under-20 football team, taking them to the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. [4] He was also manager of the Switzerland women's national football team from 2018 to 2022. [5]

On 12 December 2024, Nielsen was appointed as the new coach of the Japan women's national football team.

Career

Early career

After hopes of a playing career were ended through serious injury, Nielsen turned his attention to coaching. [6] At 20 years old, Nielsen received special dispensation from the Danish FA to take his UEFA A Licence. [7]

In the early years of his career, he held various academy coaching roles with FC Copenhagen, Aalborg BK, Odense Boldklub, Brøndby IF, and Akademisk Boldklub Gladsaxe. [8] He also worked with the Danish Football Federation’s U15 and U16 boys’ teams. [7] In 2011, Nielsen was appointed as the head coach of Denmark men’s national U18 team. [9]

Denmark Women

In 2013, Nielsen moved into women's football as the head coach of Denmark women's national team. [7] At UEFA Women's Euro 2017, he led the team to their first major tournament final after securing a 2–1 quarter-final victory over defending champions Germany. [10] Following a penalty shootout win over Austria in the semi-finals, Denmark advanced to the final. Despite a 4–2 defeat to the Netherlands at the De Grolsch Veste in Enschede, the runner-up finish remains the Danish women’s national team’s most successful result in a major competition. [6] Following this achievement, Nielsen was named the runner-up for the 2017 The Best FIFA Women's Coach award. [10]

China U20 Women

In early 2018, Nielsen joined Peter Bonde in China to serve as the assistant coach for the China women's national under-20 team, helping them prepare for the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in France. [11]

Switzerland Women

In December 2018, Nielsen was appointed head coach of the Switzerland women's national team. [12] He successfully guided the Swiss to UEFA Women's Euro 2022, though they were eliminated in the group stage after a 4–1 defeat to the Netherlands in their final group match. [13] In October 2022, he led Switzerland to qualification for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup after a 2–1 play-off victory over Wales. [14]

Manchester City Women

On 4 May 2023, Nielsen moved into an executive role, becoming the first Director of Football for Manchester City Women. [15] At the Women's Super League club, he was responsible for coach and player development, as well as player recruitment from the girls’ academy to the senior team. [16] During his tenure, Nielsen facilitated the recruitment of several international players and secured key contract renewals, most notably for Japanese midfielder Yui Hasegawa in early 2024. [17]

Japan Women

On December 12, 2024, Nielsen made history by becoming the first foreign head coach of the Japan women's national team (Nadeshiko Japan). [18] His tenure began with a 4–0 win against Australia at the 2025 SheBelieves Cup, [19] which Japan went on to win after a 2–1 final victory over the USA. [20]

In March 2026, Nielsen led Japan to their third AFC Women's Asian Cup title. After securing automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup by reaching the knockout stages, [21] his side advanced to the final following a 4–1 semi-final victory over South Korea. [22] On 21 March 2026, Nielsen guided Japan to a 1–0 win over hosts Australia in the final at Stadium Australia in Sydney. [23] This victory marked the first major continental trophy of Nielsen's managerial career.

Personal Life

Nielsen was born in Greenland, to Danish parents who worked as teachers. During his early years, Nielsen lived in a small village of only 25 inhabitants. After his parents separated when he was five years old, Nielsen moved back to mainland Denmark with his mother. [24]

Born with back problems, Nielsen was medically advised against playing football. He defied these warnings by undertaking muscular strength training to compensate for the condition and played at a high youth level. However, during a match, he fell into an advertising hoarding and broke a vertebra in his spine. [25] Although he narrowly avoided paraplegia, the injury ended his hopes of a professional playing career. [26] He subsequently turned to coaching, earning his UEFA A Licence at the age of 20, and studied Physiology at the University of Copenhagen.

Beyond football, Nielsen is a published author of a teenage fiction novel. Under the title Ud af skyggen (translated into English in 2026 as Out of the shadows), the novel explores themes of football, friendship, and gambling. [27] [28]

Honours

Denmark Women

Japan Women

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Træner: Nils Nielsen" (in Danish). Danish Football Association. Archived from the original on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  2. ↑ Andersen, Jens (29 July 2017). "Landstræner Nielsen: Tyskland er så gode at det er en ulempe for dem" (in Danish). Danmarks Radio. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  3. ↑ Sara Margren (22 August 2017). "Nils Nielsen stopper som landstræner". bold.dk. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  4. ↑ "关于组织U20女足国家队2018年第二期集训的通知" (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2018-08-11. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
  5. ↑ "Nils Nielsen named as next Head Coach of the Switzerland WNT". ignite x Soccerella. 19 September 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Know the coach: Nils Nielsen (JPN)". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. March 19, 2026. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 "Nils Nielsen: Who is City's new women's Director of Football?". mancity.com. Manchester City FC. May 4, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Træner: Nils Nielsen". dbu.dk (in Danish). Danish Football Association. Archived from the original on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  9. ↑ "Ny U18-landstræner for herrerne" [New U18 national coach for the men]. dbu.dk (in Danish). Danish Football Association. 20 December 2011. Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Nielsen: I was living a dream". FIFA.com. FIFA. 5 October 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  11. ↑ Okstrom, Oliver (10 January 2018). "Peter Bonde og Nils Nielsen bliver trænerdou i Kina" [Peter Bonde and Nils Nielsen become coaching duo in China]. Tipsbladet.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  12. ↑ "Nils Nielsen named as next head coach of the Switzerland WNT". ignitetalent.co.uk. Ignite Talent. 10 December 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  13. ↑ Naz, Maryam (17 July 2022). "Romée Leuchter puts Netherlands in last eight and eliminates Switzerland". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  14. ↑ Vincent, Gareth (11 October 2022). "Wales' World Cup dream ends in play-off final loss to Switzerland". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  15. ↑ "Nils Nielsen appointed Director of Football". mancity.com. Manchester City FC. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  16. ↑ Garry, Tom (18 May 2023). "Nils Nielsen interview: Why I traded the touchline for the boardroom at Manchester City". The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  17. ↑ "Nils Nielsen on the importance of key contract extensions". mancity.com. Manchester City FC. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  18. ↑ "Nils Nielsen appointed as Japan's first foreign head coach". FIFA.com. FIFA. 12 December 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  19. ↑ "Japan vs. Australia: 2025 SheBelieves Cup Match Report". ussoccer.com. U.S. Soccer Federation. 20 February 2025. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  20. ↑ "Nadeshiko Japan win SheBelieves Cup 2025 with victory over USA". jfa.jp. Japan Football Association. 26 February 2025. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  21. ↑ "Japan secure qualification for Brazil 2027". FIFA.com. FIFA. 15 March 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  22. ↑ "Japan power past Korea Republic to set up Australia showdown". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 18 March 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  23. ↑ "Joy for Japan, heartbreak for Australia". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 21 March 2026. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
  24. ↑ Laverty, Rich (2 August 2018). "Nils Nielsen talks the Denmark women's team and coaching the future in China". These Football Times. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  25. ↑ "Trump critic, author, coach: meet Japan's Nils Nielsen". Kyabram Free Press. AAP. 17 March 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  26. ↑ Wegmann, Michael (2022-04-10). "Frauen-Nati-Coach Nils Nielsen: Er ist der coolste Trainer der Schweiz". Blick . Retrieved 2022-09-06.
  27. ↑ "Who is Nils Nielsen, the Japan coach who dropped one of the moments of the Asian Cup?". football360.com.au. 19 March 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  28. ↑ Nielsen, Nils (2 February 2026). "Out of the shadows". bod.dk. BoD – Books on Demand. ISBN   978-8743072621 . Retrieved 20 March 2026.
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