Djurgarden has dismissed head coach Willie Kirk after a disastrous spring in the Damallsvenskan. The club currently sits 5th in the Allsvenskan with 49 points, 13 wins, 10 draws and 7 losses, having scored 52 goals while conceding 32 (±20).

What happened?

After an impressive fourth place last season, Djurgarden's women's team has only collected eight points from eleven matches. The result places them second‑last in the table and they have scored just two goals in the last eight games. Sports director Jean Balawo wrote in a press release that "the results in the OBOS Damallsvenskan have not been good enough" and that a change is therefore necessary. Willie Kirk, who arrived from Linköping before the season, has led the side in a total of 15 competitive matches.

Why was Kirk fired?

Kirk enjoyed a strong start with a Swedish Cup semifinal, but the subsequent season's development has been the opposite. The team has lacked goal production and defensive stability, leading to a position near the bottom. Balawo stressed that the club's ambitions require better results and that the board therefore chose to move on without Kirk.

Who takes over?

In the afternoon Djurgarden presented an interim solution: the duo Anders Johansson and Mikael Widfeldt. Johansson previously coached Djurgarden's women's side in 2008‑2009 and the men's team from 2010‑2016, as well as serving as head coach for Sweden's F19 national team and as an assistant coach in Brazil's women's national team. Widfeldt has been an assistant coach for the women's team since 2023. "We have both been active at Djurgarden for several years and know each other very well in this squad," Widfeldt said on the club's website.

What does this mean for the future?

The new duo faces an immediate task: reverse the negative trend and rebuild the squad's confidence. With only a few weeks left before the next round, pressure is on them to score more goals and secure points. If they succeed, Djurgarden could reclaim a top‑five spot in the Damallsvenskan and relive the success that preceded the weak spring.