One of the big unanswered questions surrounding Tottenham Hotspur Women coming off of last season is who the heck is going to manage them next. It’s a good question, and the club has kept their cards very close to their vest this summer. Not a lot leaked out concerning the managerial search after Spurs sacked Rehanne Skinner this past spring.
Now we know! Today, Tottenham announced the appointment of Robert Vilahamn as the club’s new head coach.
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Robert Vilahamn as our new Head Coach on a two-year contract
— Tottenham Hotspur Women (@SpursWomen) July 7, 2023
Vilahamn joins Spurs from Swedish side BK Hacken, where he lead the team to the Champions League, and the Swedish Cup final in each of his two seasons in charge. Hacken won the Swedish Cup this past season.
Now look — this is not a name that we recognize, so we’re just as curious as to anyone else as to who Vilahamn is and what it means for the club. But from a quick survey of social media, Hacken fans seem pretty upset that he’s leaving their club, which is a good sign! Tottenham’s press release about the appointment says that Hacken has a reputation for developing players, and the quick research I did on him suggests he plays a fun, attractive style of football.
Spurs Managing Director Andy Rodgers said this about the appointment in Spurs’ press release:
“Robert is an ambitious, dynamic and successful coach, and we are excited to welcome him to the Club ahead of the upcoming season. He has a track record of developing players to international level and competing for both domestic trophies and in the Champions League, demonstrating his ability to match our own ambitions and philosophy.”
Spurs Women had a miserable campaign this past season. They had some rotten injury luck but also severely underperformed their talent level and barely escaped relegation even with the addition of England international striker Beth England. That bad run in the spring was enough to get Rehanne Skinner, who was appointed after Spurs promoted to the WSL, sacked, and the club finished the season under interim boss Vicky Jepson.
Abbie (or I) will be following up either in this article or a second one with more info on Vilahamn once we know a little more. But for now, this sounds like it could be an exciting appointment!
