Joakim Alexandersson (born 27 January 1976) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a defender.

Joakim Alexandersson
Personal information
Full name Joakim Alexandersson
Date of birth (1976-01-27) 27 January 1976 (age 48)[1]
Place of birth Borås, Sweden
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Dalstorps IF
1994–2006 IF Elfsborg
2006–2008 Aalesund 15 (0)
2007Skeid (loan) 6 (0)
2008 Mjällby AIF 3 (0)
2009–2010 Dalstorps IF
2011 Grimsås IF 20 (3)
2012–2013 Bollebygds IF 16 (3)
International career
1998 Sweden U21 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

A youth product of Dalstorps IF, Alexandersson spent the majority of his career with IF Elfsborg, with whom he made 175 Allsvenskan appearances, won the Svenska Cupen twice, played in the UEFA Cup, and was the club's player of the year in 1999. He spent two years in Norwegian football with Aalesund, with whom he gained promotion to and played in the 2007 Tippeligaen, and on loan to Skeid. He returned to Sweden for a brief spell in the Superettan with Mjällby AIF before five years playing and coaching in the regional leagues of Västergötland. He was capped once for Sweden at under-21 level.

Early life and IF Elfsborg career

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Alexandersson was born in Borås, Sweden, in 1976.[1] As a youngster he played football with Dalstorps IF, and he joined the main club in Borås, IF Elfsborg, as an 18-year-old in 1994.[2] He was a member of the squad that gained promotion from the second tier in 1996,[3] and in a nine-year spell, between 1997 and 2005, scored seven goals from 175 Allsvenskan appearances, 167 as a starter.[4] In January 1998, he won his only cap for Sweden under-21s, in a 1–1 friendly draw with Ethiopia.[5] The following year, he was chosen as IF Elfsborg's player of the year.[6]

He was on the winning side in two Svenska Cupen finals. Elfsborg beat AIK in 2001 in a lengthy penalty shoot-out[7] – Alexandersson took and scored with his side's fourth attempt; the match was eventually decided after 24 kicks[8] – and enjoyed a more comfortable victory over Assyriska FF in 2003.[9] The cup wins meant that Elfsborg qualified for the UEFA Cup, and Alexandersson made his debut in European competition in the 2001–02 UEFA Cup qualifying round second leg at home to Estonian club Narva Trans, a 5–0 win. He made no further appearances in that edition of the competition.[4]

In the 2004–05 UEFA Cup second qualifying round, goalless with three minutes left to play of the away leg against Glentoran, Alexandersson "volleyed in a free-kick from the right swung over by left-winger Andreas Klarström."[10] He also scored the winner in the home leg.[11] He started in the first leg of the 2004–05 UEFA Cup first round match, in which Elfsborg lost 2–0 away to Dinamo Zagreb; the second leg ended goalless.[4][12]

Football in Norway

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In January 2006, Alexandersson signed a three-year contract with Aalesund, newly relegated to the Norwegian First Division.[13] He played in ten matches as Aalesund were promoted as runners-up and a further five in the 2007 Tippeligaen before finishing that season back in the First Division with six appearances on loan to Skeid.[1] Ahead of the 2008 season, Alexandersson wanted regular football and Aalesund needed to free up space in the squad. Talk of a return to the First Division with Kongsvinger or Sandnes Ulf came to nothing, and in February 2008, he was released by mutual consent and returned to Swedish football.[14][15]

Later life and career

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After three appearances in the 2008 Superettan (second tier) for Mjällby AIF,[5] Alexandersson moved into the Västergötlands Fotbollförbund district leagues where he began to coach as well as play. After two seasons as player and assistant coach with Dalstorps IF,[16][17] he spent the 2011 campaign as player-coach with Grimsås IF,[18][19] and then returned to the Borås area where he took a job at a school in Sandared. He joined Bollebygds IF as player-coach,[20] and said ahead of the 2012 season that his priority would be coaching rather than playing.[19] He played 16 league matches over a two-year spell,[21] and his team were twice relegated.[22]

Alexandersson was appointed as head of youth at IF Elfsborg in November 2018,[23] and spent two years in the role.[24]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Joakim Alexandersson". NIFS.no. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Allsvenskan: Elfsborg". Aftenposten. 2000. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  3. ^ "20 år sedan idag IFE återvände till Allsvenskan" [20 years ago today IFE returned to the Allsvenskan] (in Swedish). IF Elfsborg. 19 October 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "Joakim Alexandersson: Club matches". worldfootball.net. HeimSpiel Medien. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Joakim Alexandersson" (in Swedish). Svenska Fotbollförbundet / The Swedish Football Association. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Historik" [History] (in Swedish). IF Elfsborg. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Elfsborg vann cupdrama" [Elfsborg won the cup drama] (in Swedish). Svenska Fotbollförbundet / The Swedish Football Association. 25 May 2001. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  8. ^ "IF Elfsborg – AIK 10–9 Svenska Cupen 2001-05-25". Statistikdatabas (in Swedish). Allmänna Idrottsklubben. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Lasse Nilsson sköt pokalen till Elfsborg" [Lasse Nilsson shot the cup to Elfsborg] (in Swedish). Svenska Fotbollförbundet / The Swedish Football Association. 1 November 2003. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  10. ^ Archer, Kenny (12 August 2004). "Elfsborg excel at Glentoran". UEFA. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Football: Euro dream all Oval for Roy's plucky Glens". The Mirror. London. 27 August 2004. p. 73. Retrieved 19 August 2021 – via Gale OneFile: News. Joakim Alexanderson effectively put the tie beyond the Irish League side's reach 12 minutes from time when he made it 2–1 on the night – and 3–1 on aggregate. Alexanderson, who broke Glentoran hearts at the Oval with the only goal of the first leg, met a free-kick with a half-volley and his effort flew into the back of the net.
  12. ^ "UEFA-Cupen – 2004/05". Born Yellow. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  13. ^ "Joakim Alexandersson lämnar Elfsborg" [Joakim Alexandersson leaves Elfsborg]. Sverige Radio (in Swedish). 25 January 2006. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012.
  14. ^ "Svenske på vei til KIL?" [Swede on his way to KIL?]. Glåmdalen (in Norwegian). Kongsvinger. 2 February 2008. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  15. ^ "Alexandersson forlater Aalesund" [Alexandersson leaves Aalesund]. Aftenposten (in Norwegian). Oslo. 22 February 2008. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  16. ^ Jullander, Erik (19 April 2009). "Nu är Dalstorp på frammarsch igen" [Now Dalstorp are on the rise again]. Borås Tidning (in Swedish). Fotboll 2009, pp. 12–13.
  17. ^ Dahl, Leif (19 June 2010). "Säker vinst för Dalstorp" [Safe win for Dalstorp]. Ulricehamns Tidning (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  18. ^ Stavrekas, Labrini (31 May 2011). "Grimsås segersvit bruten" [Grimsås' winning streak broken]. Ulricehamns Tidning (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  19. ^ a b Falk, Christer (20 March 2012). "Bollebygds IF laddar" [Bollebygds IF are charging]. AnnonsMarkna'n (in Swedish). p. 6.
  20. ^ "Vi skall ha kul och utvecklas!" [We'll have fun and develop!] (in Swedish). Bollebygds IF. 27 December 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  21. ^ "Joakim Alexandersson". Lagstatistik. Henrik Lukkarila. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  22. ^ "Lagstatistik" [Team statistics]. Bollebygds IF (in Swedish). Svenskalag.se. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  23. ^ "Elfsborg anställer trotjänare" [Elfsborg employ faithful servants]. Borås Tidning (in Swedish). 1 November 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  24. ^ "Välkommen Jakob Franzén" [Welcome Jakob Franzén] (in Swedish). IF Elfsborg. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
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