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Edward Henrik Larsson (; born 20 September 1971) is a Swedish professional football coach and former player who played 106 times for the Swedish national team. A striker, Larsson began his career with Högaborgs BK. In 1992, he moved to Helsingborg IF where in his first campaign he helped the club win promotion to Allsvenskan after 24 seasons. He moved to Feyenoord in November 1993, staying for four years before leaving in 1997 to join Scottish Premiership club Celtic and enjoying great success there. During his time in the Dutch Eredivisie, he won two with Feyenoord. He later played for Barcelona, earning the La Liga twice and the Champions League before returning to Helsingborg. He had a loan spell at Manchester United, with whom he won the English Premier League in 2006–07, and retired in 2009.
Larsson is often regarded as one of the greatest foreign imports in Scottish football, having been signed by Wim Jansen for Celtic in July 1997 for a fee of £650,000. In his first season at the club, he played a crucial role in Celtic winning their first league title in ten years. Larsson suffered a broken leg in a UEFA Cup tie against Lyon in 1999. He returned to score 53 goals in a 2000–01 season that saw him win the European Golden Shoe. Larsson won four league titles in his seven years at Celtic. He also helped the team reach the 2003 UEFA Cup final against FC Porto, scoring both goals in a 3–2 defeat in extra time. His 242 goals in 313 matches saw Celtic fans nickname him The King of Kings.
Larsson played for Sweden in three FIFA World Cups and three UEFA European Championships, winning a bronze medal at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and is a former captain of the national team. He ended his international career with 37 goals in 106 matches. He also won Guldbollen ( Guldbollen), the annual Award for best Swedish footballer twice, first in 1998 and again in 2004, while in 2003 he was named the Greatest Swedish Footballer of the Last 50 Years as part of the UEFA Jubilee Awards. He is also the all-time leading goalscorer in the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League.
In 2010, Larsson began his career as a manager at the Superettan club Landskrona BoIS, where he stayed for three seasons. He later managed Falkenbergs FF in Allsvenskan, and he took over at Helsingborg in 2015, where his son, Jordan Larsson, was one of his players. Helsingborg were relegated to Superettan in 2016 and Larsson left the club. Three years later he made a brief return in the same role at the club. He served Barcelona as assistant to Ronald Koeman from August 2020 until October 2021.
In four years playing at senior level with Högaborg, Larsson scored 23 goals in 74 matches. In 1992, second-division side Helsingborgs IF (the main club of his home city) signed Larsson.
The Södra was split into Spring and Autumn leagues, Henrik scored 15 goals in 14 games in the former and 17 goals in 13 games in the latter. After then failing to score in the three placement qualifier matches, he scored twice in a 9–1 aggregate play-off win against IFK Sundsvall that sealed promotion.
Larsson won his first major winner's medal on 12 May 1994, when he played in the Feyenoord side which defeated NEC 2–1 in the final of the KNVB Cup. The following season, Larsson won his second winner's medal in the same tournament when Feyenoord won 2–1 against FC Volendam. He did record a hat-trick in a 4–3 win against Werder Bremen in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1994–95.
In 1997, Larsson told manager Arie Haan that he wished to leave the club. A legal dispute then ensued over a clause in his contract that Larsson claimed would allow him to be sold on if a fee of £600,000 was offered. Larsson won his case and in July 1997, he signed for Scottish side Celtic.
On Larsson's Celtic debut, against Hibernian at Easter Road, he came on as a late substitute. He inadvertently passed the ball to Hibernian player Chic Charnley, who scored, resulting in a 2–1 defeat for Celtic. He scored an own goal in his first European game, although Celtic did go on to win 6–3 against Austrian side Tirol Innsbruck. He went on to score 19 goals in all competitions, and was Celtic's top scorer for the season. In November 1997, Larsson won his first medal for the club after a 3–0 win over Dundee United at Ibrox Stadium gave Celtic the Scottish League Cup. Larsson scored Celtic's second goal in the match. On the final day of the league season, he scored the opener with a powerful shot from 20 yards out in a 2–0 win against St Johnstone to clinch the championship for Celtic. It was the club's first league championship win since the double-winning 1987–88 season and stopped Old Firm rivals Rangers from breaking Celtic's record of nine titles in a row. He finished fourth in the voting for the SFWA Footballer of the Year in 1998.
Larsson's second season with the club saw a change in management with Jozef Vengloš taking over following Jansen's resignation. Playing in a more advanced striker's role, Larsson scored 38 goals to end the season as both Celtic and Scottish football's top goalscorer. During the season, Larsson also scored for the first time in an Old Firm match, with two goals in a 5–1 victory in November, and the equaliser in the 2–2 New Year's Day match at Ibrox. Throughout the season, Larsson forged a prolific partnership with diminutive Slovak playmaker Ľubomír Moravčík. He was also awarded the honours of SPFA Players' Player of the Year, SFWA Footballer of the Year and Guldbollen. In 1998–99, Celtic finished runners-up to rivals Rangers in both the newly established Scottish Premier League (SPL) and the Scottish Cup.
The 1999–2000 season saw another change in management for Celtic. Former Liverpool and England international winger John Barnes replaced Vengloš to become manager at the club. Larsson scored eight league goals in his nine games for the club. During Celtic's 1–0 defeat in a UEFA Cup tie against Lyon on 21 October 1999, Larsson suffered a career-threatening injury, breaking his leg in two places in a challenge with Serge Blanc. This resulted in him spending eight months on the sidelines, only returning on the last day of the 1999–2000 season. John Barnes cited Larsson's injury as being a significant factor in his sacking by Celtic after only months in the position. It was initially feared that Larsson had suffered a compound leg fracture, an injury which would normally result in an even longer absence―or possibly even end his career―but X-rays soon revealed that the injury was not as serious as originally feared. Larsson made a brief return in March and scored three goals in two under-21 matches, but a sustained injury to his left shin in a third match meant he missed the 2000 Scottish League Cup Final. By the time Larsson had completed his full rehabilitation, Barnes had been sacked and replaced by director of football Kenny Dalglish as interim manager. Larsson made his comeback with a substitute appearance against Dundee United at Celtic Park on the final day of the SPL season.
Rangers manager Dick Advocaat said "Larsson is one of the best strikers in Europe, maybe the world. If you watch Gabriel Batistuta, he is sometimes not seen for 90 minutes but he scores two goals. Larsson has even more, because, besides being a good player and goalscorer, he has a tremendous work rate."
Larsson's fifth season at Celtic yielded a second-consecutive SPL title for the club. It also marked the club's first foray into the UEFA Champions League group stage. Larsson scored his first Champions League goal with a penalty in Celtic's opening fixture in a 3–2 defeat to Juventus FC in Turin. He scored again for Celtic in their Champions League campaign with the only goal in a 1–0 victory over FC Porto, and again from the penalty spot against Juventus in a 4–3 victory at Celtic Park. Despite achieving a Scottish record of nine points in the group stage, Celtic failed to qualify for the latter stages and dropped into the UEFA Cup. The club were drawn against Valencia CF, with Larsson scoring the second-leg goal to take the tie into penalties which Celtic eventually lost. Larsson once again ended the season as SPL top goalscorer with 29 goals from 33 league appearances.
The 2002–03 season saw the club reach the 2003 UEFA Cup Final. After losing out on a place in the Champions League following an away goals defeat to FC Basel, Celtic again dropped into the UEFA Cup. In the first round, they were paired with Lithuanian side Sūduva, with Larsson scoring a hat-trick in the 8–1 first leg victory, as they progressed 10–1 on aggregate after adding a 2–0 away win. The second round saw former Rangers player-manager Graeme Souness's Blackburn Rovers side visit Celtic Park in a match dubbed "The Battle of Britain". Celtic went into the second leg at Ewood Park 1–0 up courtesy of a late Larsson goal. His winning goal (his 22nd European goal for Celtic) meant he became the all-time top scorer for a Scottish club in European competition. Larsson scored the opening goal in a 2–0 away win. The following rounds saw Celtic beat Celta Vigo 2–2 on away goals, and VfB Stuttgart 5–4 on aggregate. Larsson missed both ties with Stuttgart, following a broken jaw, after a collision with Gustave Bahoken in an SPL match against Livingston, but he returned from injury in time for Celtic's quarter-final clash with 2001 winners Liverpool. Larsson scored the opener in a 1–1 draw at Celtic Park. Celtic followed that up with a 2–0 victory at Anfield to win the tie 3–1 on aggregate,
Celtic met Portuguese side Boavista in the semi-final. Boavista took the advantage on away goals after a 1–1 draw in the first leg, in which Larsson scored the equaliser after missing a penalty. In the second leg, Larsson struck for Celtic after a one-two with John Hartson with ten minutes remaining. The goal sent Celtic through to their first European final since 1970. The final in Seville against Porto saw Larsson equalise twice with two headers, although Celtic eventually lost 3–2 after extra time. Larsson also finished runner-up to Porto's Derlei in the competition's goalscoring charts. Larsson described the pain of the defeat as being the worst moment of his career, including his broken leg in 1999. Celtic finished runners-up to Rangers on the last day of the SPL season, by only a single goal-difference. 2003 also saw Larsson voted as the Greatest Swedish Footballer of the Last 50 Years as part of the UEFA Jubilee Awards. He also finished the season again the top SPL goalscorer with 28 goals from 35 games.
Larsson was nominated for both the Ballon d'Or and UEFA Team of the Year in 2001, and again in 2003. He placed 14th (2001) and 12th (2003) for the Ballon d'Or.
He finished runner-up for the SFWA Footballer of the Year in 2003 as well.
He broke the record for European goals with the same British club (shared by Ian Rush and Peter Lorimer) after scoring his 31st European goal for Celtic in a Champions League qualifier against MTK Hungaria. Larsson scored his only Champions League goal of the season against Anderlecht in a 3–1 win at Celtic Park. He added to his European goal tally with a double in a 3–0 UEFA Cup third round victory over FK Teplice, and the equaliser in a first leg quarter-final tie at Celtic Park against Villarreal CF, after earlier having a goal disallowed for handball; the match ended 1–1. It was Larsson's final European goal for Celtic. After dropped out of the Champions League, Celtic reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals, eliminating FC Barcelona en route, before losing 3–1 on aggregate to Villarreal. In March 2004, Larsson equalled Bobby Lennox's post-war record of 167 league goals and went level with Stevie Chalmers' 231 goals for the club with strike in 2–1 win over Dundee.
Celtic defeated Rangers in all five Old Firm fixtures that season. Larsson's final goal against Rangers came in a 1–0 Scottish Cup win at Parkhead. His final competitive game at home for Celtic came in a league match against Dundee United on 16 May 2004, and he scored both goals as Celtic won 2–1. In his last competitive appearance for Celtic, he scored two goals to defeat Dunfermline Athletic on 22 May 2004 at Hampden and win the 2004 Scottish Cup Final.
Larsson was also voted Guldbollen for the second time for his performances throughout the 2003–04 season. He was also again a nominee for the Ballon d'Or but received no votes.
After leaving Celtic, Larsson returned to play in testimonial matches three times. In May 2005, he played in Jackie McNamara's testimonial against the Republic of Ireland. Larsson back to honour McNamara The Scotsman. Sport, 28 May 2005. In May 2008, Larsson left Sweden's national training camp early to take part in a match played in memory of Larsson's former teammate Phil O'Donnell, who had died in December 2007 while playing in a match for Motherwell. Larsson played as part of Celtic's 1998 championship-winning side against the Motherwell 1991 Scottish Cup-winning side. Larsson takes time for O'Donnell BBC Sport, 25 May 2008. On 9 August 2011, he played for the Celtic Legends against the Manchester United Legends for John Kennedy's testimonial He has since returned to play in a further three charity matches at Celtic Park. He played for a Celtic XI against a Stiliyan Petrov XI in 2013, for Henrik's Heroes against Lubo Moravcik's Legends in 2017, and for a Petrov XI against James Milner XI in 2018.
, Larsson has scored the third-most-goals in Celtic's history (only Jimmy McGrory and Bobby Lennox scored more), which includes fifteen hat-tricks. Larsson was also a consistent goalscorer in European competition. With 35 goals, he is the record goalscorer for Celtic in UEFA competitions. Celtic fans selected Larsson (the only player from outside Scotland) in the club's greatest-ever team in 2002 vote.
Larsson played a testimonial match on 25 May 2004 against Sevilla FC in front of a capacity crowd at Celtic Park. In all, he scored 242 goals for Celtic in 313 matches, and his performances earned him the nickname The King of Kings from fans.
In December 2005, Larsson announced that at the end of his contract, which ended in July, he would leave Barcelona and return to Sweden to end his career. He revealed that he had refused an offer by club president Joan Laporta to extend his contract to the end of the next season. On the announcement of his departure, Ronaldinho said:
In Larsson's final match for Barcelona, his substitute introduction was pivotal to win the 2006 Champions League final. Larsson assisted both of Barcelona's goals in a 2–1 win over Arsenal. Thierry Henry paid tribute to Larsson's contribution to Barcelona's win after the match, saying, "People always talk about Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o, Ludovic Giuly and everything, but I didn't see them today, I saw Henrik Larsson. He came on, he changed the game, that is what killed the game. Sometimes you talk about Ronaldinho and Eto'o and people like that; you need to talk about the proper footballer who made the difference, and that was Henrik Larsson tonight." Indeed, his ability to give Barcelona the cutting edge required to overcome Arsenal was noted by the international press. In 2005–06, Larsson scored ten goals as Barcelona won La Liga for a second consecutive year.
In his time at the Camp Nou, Larsson’s shirt was the third-most-popular at Barcelona’s club shop. Only Ronaldinho and Eto’o shirts outsold his. Larsson was again be shortlisted for UEFA Team of the Year in 2006 for his performances.
He registered two goals and two assists in three Royal League matches just before leaving on loan.
While United were eager to extend the loan deal, Larsson stated that he had made a promise to his family and his club to return on 12 March. This was confirmed on 20 February, when Larsson announced that he would not be extending his loan period. Despite this, Alex Ferguson praised the striker, who scored three goals in 13 matches in all competitions during his three-month stay, saying, "He's been fantastic for us, his professionalism, his attitude, everything he's done has been excellent." "We would love him to stay but, obviously, he has made his promise to his family and Helsingborg and I think we should respect that – but I would have done anything to keep him." Larsson scored Manchester United's only goal in their win against Lille OSC at Old Trafford in the Champions League. He made his final appearance for United on 10 March in an FA Cup sixth-round tie away to Middlesbrough, ending in a 2–2 draw.
Manchester United won the 2006–07 Premier League two months after Larsson had left the club, Larsson had not played the required quota of ten league games to qualify for a Premier League winners medal. Despite media reports to the contrary,
Larsson's next appearance at Old Trafford in fact came against United, the day after his loan with the club expired, as captain for the Europe XI team in the UEFA Celebration Match. Larsson received a standing ovation from the home fans upon being substituted for Liverpool player Robbie Fowler.
The 2008 Allsvenskan saw Larsson produce his best league goal-scoring tally since returning to Sweden, with his 14 goals helping Helsingborg to fourth place and qualification in 2009–10 for the rebranded UEFA Europa League, formerly the UEFA Cup.
In July 2009, Larsson scored three goals in the Europa League qualifying ties against Eastern European minnows FC Mika and FC Zestafoni. He broke his knee-cap during the first leg of the next qualifying round against FK Sarajevo on 30 July 2009, and was out for an estimated eight weeks. Some reports at the time suggested that this was the end of his playing career, with this injury also coming on top of the recent death of his younger brother, Robert. He returned to the first team on 16 September 2009, appearing as a substitute in a 3–1 defeat against IFK Göteborg in the Swedish Cup, and then on 24 September 2009 in his first start since returning from injury, he scored two goals (including the winner) against league rivals AIK Fotboll. He is Helsingborg's record goalscorer in UEFA competitions with 12 goals.
On 20 October 2009, Larsson announced his retirement from playing at the end of the 2009 Allsvenskan. The announcement followed a previous statement from the player declaring his intention to retire from international duty. Larsson had also stated his desire to move into coaching and expressed his intent to study for coaching qualifications in Scotland under the Scottish Football Association system. Larsson also discussed the possibility of taking up floorball on a full-time basis.
Larsson took to the pitch for the final time in Helsingborg's 2–0 Allsvenskan loss to Djurgården on 28 October 2009, and was given a standing ovation from the crowd. Celtic legend Larsson bows out on emotional night STV Sport, 29 October 2009 Henrik's crying game Evening Times, 29 October 2009
As of his retirement, he remains the Sweden player with the most goals scored (59) in UEFA competitions (Zlatan Ibrahimovic is next on 57).
In August 2012, Larsson came out of retirement for a brief spell at Swedish fifth division (Division 3) side Råå. He made one appearance, coming on as a substitute in a league match on 22 September 2012, a 1–1 draw against Höganäs. Larsson then registered as a player with Högaborg's senior recreational side and played games with them. Due to the many injuries, Larsson was included in the first-team squad that beat Tenhults IF with 4–2 on 19 June 2013. He came off the bench in the 85th minute, and played alongside his son, Jordan Larsson. At age 42, Larsson took part in a further league match for Högaborg on 26 October 2013, when he played the first 66 minutes in a 2–0 win over IF Haga. At age 44, Larsson took part in a 7–1 friendly win for Helsingborg over IFK Malmö, in which he scored in the 89th minute.
He scored one goal in four qualifying games as Sweden also failed to qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
He retired from international football for the second time on 17 July 2006. "It is time to quit now. It feels right. I'm done with the national team", the 34-year-old Larsson told TV station Canal Plus.
On 11 October 2009, after it was clear that Sweden had failed to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Larsson once again decided to retire from the national team.
At the age of 38 years and 20 days, Larsson became the oldest outfield player in the history of the Sweden national team with his last ever appearance against Denmark on 10 October 2009. Since then, Zlatan Ibrahimović has become Sweden's oldest outfield player.
Before the 2011 Superettan season, the managers of the other Superettan clubs had tipped Landskrona as the likely champion. But the season was about to become the club's worst in years. Instead of being in the top of the table, Landskrona was stuck at the bottom more than halfway into the season, with relegation looming. Some fans protested against both the board and Henrik Larsson, sarcastically suggesting that the club had used an impostor instead of the real Larsson. The crisis went so deep within the association that the board wanted Larsson himself to make a comeback as a player. Larsson played for 20 minutes with Landskrona's reserve team in a match against Mjällby AIF, but felt physically unprepared for playing in Superettan, even if the sporting director of Landskrona, Mats Aronsson, believed the opposite. Landskrona and Larsson avoided relegation and finished tenth largely because of the summer signing of goalkeeper Ivo Vazgeč who achieved the best save percentage in the league.
On 21 November 2011, Larsson signed a new one-year contract, making him manager for Landskrona during the 2012 Superettan as well. Landskrona performed better in 2012, but only managed to finish in sixth place instead of achieving the third-place finish which would have meant qualification for a promotion play-off spot. In November 2012, Larsson confirmed he had left his position and would consider any available posts elsewhere.
On 23 August 2019, Helsingborg announced that Larsson had decided to quit as head coach after being verbally assaulted on social media following the club's loss to third tier club Oskarshamns AIK in the qualification to Svenska Cupen group stage. Henrik Larsson avslutar sitt tränaruppdrag , hif.se, 23 August 2019
In September 2019 he began talks with English club Southend United about becoming their manager, but these collapsed when proposed assistant Tommy Johnson accepted another offer.
On 6 June 2009, before Sweden's 1–0 loss against Denmark, Larsson's younger brother Robert, who had a troubled personal life, was found dead in his flat in their hometown of Helsingborg. Henrik was not told until after the match had concluded. Henrik Larsson also has an elder half-brother.
Manchester United
Interview with Larsson on Fulltimedevils
2007–09
After leaving Manchester United in March 2007, Larsson resumed his career with Helsingborg. Larsson helped the club through the preliminary stages of the UEFA Cup, where Larsson scored twice against Estonian side Narva Trans and once against League of Ireland side Drogheda United. The first-round proper of the UEFA Cup that season saw a high-scoring tie between Helsingborg and SC Heerenveen, Larsson's side lost 5–3 in the Netherlands on 20 September 2007, with Larsson scoring twice. The return leg in Sweden on 4 October 2007 saw Helsingborg win 5–1, Larsson again scoring, to win the tie 8–6 on aggregate and qualify for the group stage. Helsingborg progressed from the group stage, with Larsson scoring against Panionios, Austria Wien and Bordeaux, and they qualified for the round of 32, where they lost 1–4 on aggregate to PSV Eindhoven in February 2008. Helsingborg could not match their league performances of the previous year, and finished in eight place in Allsvenskan in 2007. Helsingborg also failed to retain the Swedish Cup, losing 2–1 to Landskrona BoIS in the fourth round in June 2007.
Playing activity after retirement
Larsson participated in the Soccer Aid football match at Old Trafford on 6 June 2010 for the Rest of the World team in aid of UNICEF. Soccer Aid 2010: minute by minute report UNICEF UK, 7 June 2010 Larsson made a promise that at the end of his football career, he would play one season at his first club, Högaborg. When he retired at the end of the 2009 season, that promise was not fulfilled. In August 2010, however, Larsson played with Högaborg's veterans team and scored 16 goals in five matches.
International career
Larsson scored 37 goals in 106 matches for the Sweden national team. He scored his first international goal in his debut on 13 October 1993, during the FIFA World Cup qualifications stage, in a 3–2 win against Finland.
1994 FIFA World Cup
Sweden manager Tommy Svensson selected Larsson for his 22-man squad for the 1994 FIFA World Cup squad, alongside established forwards such as Tomas Brolin, Kennet Andersson and Martin Dahlin. Larsson began Sweden's first game of the tournament, against Cameroon, on the bench, but came on as a substitute with Sweden trailing 1–2. Larsson struck a fierce, long-range shot against the crossbar, with Dahlin reacting quickly to score the rebound to give their country a 2–2 draw. He again came on as a late substitute in the following game against Russia, and then played from the start in the final game of the group against Brazil. He was not used in the last 16 game against Saudi Arabia, but came on a substitute in the quarter-final tie against Romania. The match finished 2–2 after extra time, with Sweden winning on penalties, one of which was scored by Larsson. Larsson did not feature in Sweden's 1–0 defeat against Brazil in the semi-final, but did play in the third-place play-off against Bulgaria which Sweden won 4–0, including Larsson's first World Cup goal, latching onto a through-ball from Brolin before rounding Bulgarian goalkeeper Borislav Mihaylov and wrong-footing defender Trifon Ivanov. That win secured third-place at the 1994 FIFA World Cup for Sweden, their best showing in a tournament since finishing runner-up to Brazil in 1958.
Euro 1996 and 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
Larsson became a regular in the side after that, playing in six of his country's qualifiers for Euro 1996. He did not score in any of these matches and Sweden failed to qualify for the finals.
Euro 2000
Sweden finally succeeded in qualifying for Euro 2000, with Larsson ending up scoring three goals during these qualifying matches. He was selected for the Sweden squad despite having only just recovered from a broken leg sustained playing for Celtic. Euro 2000 was not a great success for Sweden, who went out at the first group stage, but Larsson scored against Italy in a 1–2 defeat.
2002 FIFA World Cup and first retirement
Sweden reappeared on the global stage two years later at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Larsson helped guide Sweden out of the group of death and into the knockout round with a 2–1 win over Nigeria in which he scored both goals. He then scored in the round of 16 match against Senegal, though Sweden ended up losing 1–2 in extra time to a golden goal and were eliminated. Larsson chose to retire from international football after the World Cup.
Euro 2004
Larsson's decision to retire from international football was met with dismay in Sweden and there was much clamoring for him to return to the team for their campaign at Euro 2004 in Portugal. Despite initially maintaining his decision to retire, he eventually agreed to return to the national side for Euro 2004. Playing up front alongside Zlatan Ibrahimović, Larsson scored three goals in four matches and lead Sweden to the quarter-finals, where they were defeated in a penalty shoot-out by the Netherlands. Larsson's diving header against Bulgaria was voted best goal of the tournament.
2006 FIFA World Cup and second retirement
Larsson also featured at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. He scored in the final minute of the match against England for Sweden to draw the match 2–2 in their final match in the group stages. The goal sealed Sweden's qualification for the second round of the tournament. In Sweden's last 16 game against hosts Germany, Larsson missed a penalty and Sweden went out with the score at 2–0 to Germany.
Euro 2008
Sweden boss Lars Lagerbäck managed to lure Larsson out of international retirement once more and on 13 May 2008, the Swedish Football Association officially declared that Larsson had agreed to make a comeback and play for Sweden once again at Euro 2008. Larsson assisted Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a goal against Greece in the first group stage game, but could not help Sweden advance to the quarter-finals.
2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying and final retirement
Following former team captain Freddie Ljungberg's decision to quit the national side after the tournament, Larsson was chosen to become the new captain in a friendly match against France on 20 August 2008, He scored his 37th goal for Sweden in that match, although France ended up winning 3–2. He played his 100th game for Sweden on 6 September 2008, in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Albania, which ended in a 0–0 draw.
Managerial career
Larsson made clear his intentions to take up coaching once his playing career came to an end, having also expressed an interest in returning to Celtic in a coaching capacity.
Landskrona BoIS
On 14 December 2009 Larsson was appointed manager at Landskrona BoIS, a Swedish second division football club, on a one-year contract. The news that Larsson would take over Landskrona was received with mixed feelings, as his former club Helsingborg traditionally were their main rivals. The 2010 Superettan, the first season for Larsson as a manager, started off positively for Landskrona. With an aggressively attacking 4–3–3 formation Larsson's club lined up victories and fought for the top positions and promotion to Allsvenskan, until the very end of the season. They finished in fifth place. The Landskrona BoIS board was satisfied with the results, and both Larsson and his assistant manager Hans Eklund renewed their contracts for another year. On 23 March 2011, Landskrona BoIS announced the recruitment of the Sweden national team qualified midfielder Marcus Lantz from Helsingborg, a solicitation that was largely thanks to Larsson. With the recruitment of Lantz, Henrik Larsson announced a major effort to make the club win Superettan and be promoted to Allsvenskan, from which they were relegated in 2005.
Falkenberg
On 4 December 2013, Larsson was appointed manager of Falkenbergs FF, signing a one-year rolling contact with the newly promoted club. After securing Falkenberg's position in Allsvenskan, it was announced on 10 November 2014 that he would not manage the club for the 2015 season.
Helsingborg
After leaving Falkenberg, Larsson was appointed manager of Helsingborg. In November 2016, Helsingborg were relegated to Superettan after losing a two-legged play-off against Halmstads BK. After the final whistle, a minor group of disappointed home fans attacked both Larsson and his son, Jordan. Following the end of the season, Larsson decided to leave the club.
Ängelholms FF
After turning down the opportunity to manage Scottish side Livingston, Division 1 club Ängelholms FF announced on 3 October 2018 that Larsson would join the staff as assistant to head coach Alexander Tengryd, whom Larsson had worked together with in Helsingborg. At the time of his appointment, Ängelholm were on 13 place and five matches in a row without a win with six matches left of the season. First match with Larsson in the staff was three days later against Utsiktens BK away. The match ended in a 1–0 win for Ängelholm. Ängelholm would only take two points in their last five matches, including losing 0–4 to Oskarshamns AIK and 0–3 to Tvååker, and dropped to 15th place which meant immediate relegation. Larsson, along with head coach Alexander Tengryd, left the club at the end of the season.
Return to Helsingborgs IF
On 16 June 2019, Helsingborg announced that Larsson had returned to the club as their new manager. HENRIK LARSSON NY HUVUDTRÄNARE I HIF , hif.se, 16 June 2019
Barcelona
On 21 August 2020, FC Barcelona announced that Larsson and Alfred Schreuder had joined new head coach Ronald Koeman‘s coaching staff until 30 June 2022. On 27 October 2021, the club confirmed Koeman had been relieved of his duties, which resulted in the departure of Larsson from FC Barcelona's coaching staff.
Floorball career
Larsson also played floorball at a competitive level in 1989. On 23 November 2008, he resumed his floorball career when he played his first Swedish Super League game for FC Helsingborg. In his second game for the club, he made two assists, and was voted man of the match.
Style of play
A well-rounded striker, Larsson was known for his speed, goalscoring ability, composure, and intelligence on the pitch, as exemplified by his offensive movement and positional sense, which enabled him to lose his markers, find spaces in the defence, and make attacking runs into the penalty area. Although he was not particularly tall for a striker, he possessed significant physical strength and excelled in the air; he was also gifted with excellent technical skills, and was capable of providing assists to teammates in addition to scoring goals himself, courtesy of his passing, creativity, and awareness. Although naturally right footed, he was a powerful and accurate finisher with either foot from both inside and outside the penalty area, as well as his head; furthermore, he was an accurate free-kick and penalty taker. In addition to his abilities as a footballer, he also stood out for his discipline, professionalism, and work-rate throughout his career.
Personal life
On 21 June 1996, Larsson married Magdalena Spjuth, whom he had met in a restaurant when he was 19 years old. She is the daughter of a politician and an education director at the local municipality. They have a son, professional footballer Jordan Larsson (born 1997 and named after basketball player Michael Jordan), who has represented Sweden at international level, and a daughter (born 2002), a Show jumping .
Career statistics
Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition Högaborg 1989 Division 3 Södra Götaland 1 1990 Division 3 Södra Götaland 7 1991 Division 3 Södra Götaland 15 Helsingborgs IF 1992 Division 1 Södra 34 1993 Allsvenskan 17 Feyenoord 1993–94 Eredivisie 6 1994–95 Eredivisie 16 1995–96 Eredivisie 13 1996–97 Eredivisie 8 Celtic 1997–98 Scottish Premier Division 19 1998–99 Scottish Premier League 38 1999–2000 Scottish Premier League 12 2000–01 Scottish Premier League 53 2001–02 Scottish Premier League 35 2002–03 Scottish Premier League 44 2003–04 Scottish Premier League 41 FC Barcelona 2004–05 La Liga 5 2005–06 La Liga 17 Helsingborg 2006 Allsvenskan 14 2007 Allsvenskan 18 2008 Allsvenskan 14 2009 Allsvenskan 10 Manchester United (loan) 2006–07 Premier League 3 Råå 2012 Division 3 Östra Götaland 0 Högaborg 2013 Division 2 Västra Götaland 0
International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and year Sweden U21 4 0 Sweden B 0 Sweden 1 5 0 1 0 1 2 2 9 3 0 8 2 2 0 1 0
+ List of international goals scored by Henrik Larsson
!scope="col" No.
!scope="col" Date
!scope="col" Venue
!scope="col" Opponent
!scope="col" Score
!scope="col" Result
!scope="col" Competition
!scope="col" class="unsortable" 1 Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden 2–1 3–2 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification 2 Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States 1–1 3–1 Friendly 3 Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, Wales 1–0 2–0 Friendly 4 Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden 2–0 3–1 Friendly 5 Rose Bowl, Pasadena, United States 3–0 4–0 1994 FIFA World Cup 6 Eyravallen, Örebro, Sweden 4–2 4–2 Friendly 7 Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden 5–1 5–1 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification 8 Stadion Lazur, Burgas, Bulgaria 1–0 1–0 UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying 9 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden 2–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying 10 Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden 2–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying 11 Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands 1–1 1–2 UEFA Euro 2000 12 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden 1–0 1–1 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification 13 National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta 2–0 3–0 Friendly 14 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden 1–0 6–0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification 15 2–0 16 3–0 17 6–0 18 Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden 1–0 3–0 Friendly 19 City Park, Skopje, Macedonia 1–0 2–1 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification 20 Ali Sami Yen Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey 1–1 2–1 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification 21 Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden 2–0 3–0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification 22 Kobe Wing Stadium, Kobe, Japan 1–1 2–1 2002 FIFA World Cup 23 2–1 24 Oita Stadium, Ōita, Japan 1–0 1–2 2002 FIFA World Cup 25 Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden 1–0 3–1 Friendly 26 Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal 2–0 5–0 UEFA Euro 2004 27 3–0 28 Estádio do Bessa, Porto, Portugal 1–1 2–2 UEFA Euro 2004 29 National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta 7–0 7–0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification 30 Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden 2–0 3–0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification 31 Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland 1–0 4–1 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification 32 3–0 33 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden 1–0 2–1 Friendly 34 Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden 2–1 3–1 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification 35 Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden 1–0 1–1 Friendly 36 RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, Germany 2–2 2–2 2006 FIFA World Cup 37 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden 1–0 2–3 Friendly
Managerial statistics
+Managerial record by team and tenure Landskrona BoIS 14 December 2009 8 November 2012
Falkenbergs FF 4 December 2013 10 November 2014
Helsingborgs IF 1 January 2015 23 November 2016
Honours
Feyenoord
See also
Notes
External links
Categories: 1971 Births, 1994 Fifa World Cup Players, 2002 Fifa World Cup Players, 2006 Fifa World Cup Players, Allsvenskan Players, Celtic F.c. Players, Eredivisie Players, Expatriate Men's Footballers In England, Expatriate Men's Footballers In Scotland, Expatriate Men's Footballers In Spain, Expatriate Men's Footballers In The Netherlands, Falkenbergs Ff Managers, Fc Barcelona Players, Feyenoord Players, Fifa Men's Century Club, Footballers From Helsingborg, Helsingborgs If Managers, Helsingborgs If Players, Högaborgs Bk Players, La Liga Players, Landskrona Bois Managers, Living People, Manchester United F.c. Players, Members Of The Order Of The British Empire, Men's Association Football Forwards, Premier League Players, Scottish Football Hall Of Fame Inductees, Scottish Football League Players, Scottish League Football Top Scorers, Scottish Premier League Players, Sweden Men's International Footballers, Swedish Expatriate Sportspeople In England, Swedish Expatriate Sportspeople In Scotland, Swedish Expatriate Sportspeople In Spain, Swedish Expatriate Sportspeople In The Netherlands, Swedish Floorball Players, Swedish Football Managers, Swedish Men's Footballers, Swedish People Of Cape Verdean Descent, Uefa Champions League–winning Players, Uefa Euro 2000 Players, Uefa Euro 2004 Players, Uefa Euro 2008 Players, Uefa Golden Players, Råå If Players
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