Niels Frederiksen officially named Lech's next coach

Frederiksen visited Poznań a few weeks ago to see the local derby between Lech and Warta (2:0). On Tuesday, he reappeared in the capital of Greater Poland to finalise all the formalities before taking over the first team in June. “Since January, we have been working with an international company which helps to recruit coaches. At first, we selected over 20 candidates, and then the list was narrowed down to a few names with whom we have started advanced negotiations. Our final choice was Niels Frederiksen and he has signed a two-year contract with the club,” explained Tomasz Rząsa, Lech’s Sporting Director.

“He is an experienced coach who, throughout his career up until now, had found long-term employment and provided stability. He worked with the U-21 Danish National Team for a few years, then went on to manage Brøndby IF and won the Championship title for the first time in 16 years. It’s one of the biggest clubs in Scandinavia and there’s always pressure to win titles. The situation is similar here, as Lech,” added Rząsa.

Frederiksen has worked with youth teams for over a dozen years. In 2009, he became the coach of Lyngby Boldklub, and then in 2013, he moved on to Esbjerg fB where he achieved a historic result in the European competition – Frederiksen and his team qualified for the group stage of the Europa League and then to the playoffs before being eliminated by Fiorentina. From 2015, the coach managed the U-21 Danish side with whom he competed at two U-21 European Championships and the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro (2016). In 2019, Frederiksen took over Brøndby IF and led them to a long-awaited Championship title in the season 2020/2021 – for the first time in 16 years. He has stayed at Brøndby IF until November 2022 (144 games).

“We had fruitful negotiations with the management of Lech Poznań during which I was explained what would be expected of me as a coach and what I can expect after coming here. I am joining a big club with a rich history and traditions and I feel honoured with the cooperation. I have three main tasks ahead of me. First and foremost, I am here, in Poznań, to win trophies and compete in Europe. I also want to contribute to the development of the club, the team, and individual players. I know Lech boasts the best academy in Poland, and my goal will be to properly introduce its players to the first team. Moreover, I am aware of the emotions and passion that Lech evokes in the region. I want fans to be proud and excited when watching our games,” explained Niels Frederiksen, Lech’s new coach.