Anna Pohjanen

Anna Karin Severina Pohjanen (born 25 January 1974) is a Swedish former football midfielder who played in the Damallsvenskan for Sunnanå SK and Älvsjö AIK. She won 51 caps for the Sweden women's national football team, scoring eight goals, and appeared at the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Anna Pohjanen
Personal information
Full name Anna Karin Severina Pohjanen[1]
Date of birth (1974-01-25) 25 January 1974
Place of birth Umeå, Sweden
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Sunnanå SK
1998–2001 Älvsjö AIK
International career‡
Sweden[2] 51 (8)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 6 July 2013
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 6 July 2013

Pohjanen retired from football aged 27 to start a new career as a pop singer. She released her debut album "Better Things To Do" in December 2001, then went on tour in 2002.[3]

She then moved into television punditry and worked for Sveriges Television on their football coverage. Pohjanen also founded a sport management company and is an advisor to several leading women's footballers in Sweden. Sveriges Television removed her from her role as a pundit in 2007, amid concerns of a potential conflict of interest.[4]

Football career

Ahead of the 1998 season, Älvsjö AIK beat competition from other clubs to sign Pohjanen from Sunnanå SK, where she had spent her entire career to that point.[5] In her first season Älvsjö secured their fourth successive Damallsvenskan title, gaining Pohjanen her first winner's medal.[6] She won her second in 1999, when Älvsjö retained their title again.[7]

After the 2000 season, Pohjanen considered retiring from football to concentrate on her music. But she accepted a new contract from Älvsjö which allowed her to miss training for her recording sessions.[8] She stopped playing altogether after 2001.[9]

Pohjanen later worked as an advisor to women's football players and founded a sports management firm with lawyer and former Älvsjö teammate Lotta Fridh. She was careful not to have any involvement in transfers as she was not a FIFA-registered agent.[10]

Music career
Better Things To Do
Studio album by
Anna Pohjanen
Released15 December 2001
Recorded2001
GenrePop
Length44:49
LabelLabel This
ProducerCalle Löfmarck, Olle Skog

Singer-songwriter Pohjanen released debut album "Better Things To Do" in December 2001 on Label This, a subsidiary of Bonnier Amigo Music Group (BAMG). It contained lyrics in English, underpinned by guitar-based soft rock. The album received a mixed critical reception; with Norrköpings Tidningar praising "competent", "worthy" pop in the PJ Harvey mould.[11] Svenska Dagbladet's review was less complementary, suggesting that none of the songs got off the ground.[12] The album failed to chart.

Personal life

In 1999 Pohjanen was in a relationship with professional National Hockey League (NHL) player Mats Lindgren.[13]

References
  1. "Anna Pohjanen". Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  2. "Damlandslagsspelare 1973–2012". Swedish Football Association. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  3. "Anna Pohjanen" (in Swedish). Sveriges Radio. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  4. Svärdkrona, Zendry (14 March 2007). "Stoppas av SVT" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  5. "Pohjanen klar för Älvsjö" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. 5 December 1997. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  6. Holm, Stefan (2 November 1998). "Älvsjös guldjubel" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  7. "Skellefteås Olympier" (in Swedish). Kalles Hemsida. Archived from the original on 27 August 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  8. Ahlberg, Ingela (18 April 2001). "Mer musik än fotboll för Anna Pohjanen" (in Swedish). Kristianstadsbladet. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  9. Gustafsson, Sofie (27 June 2005). "Herrfotbollen granskas för okritiskt i medierna" (in Swedish). Expressen. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  10. "Anna Pohjanens roll i spelarövergångar" (in Swedish). Damfotboll.com. 7 December 2004. Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  11. Klinga, Roland (2 January 2002). "Anna Pohjanen" (in Swedish). Norrköpings Tidningar. Archived from the original on 6 July 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  12. Backman, Dan (14 December 2001). "Anna Pohjanen – Better things to do". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  13. Carlsson, Maria (5 September 1999). "Strejkande NHL-stjärna – AIK:s klipp" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Retrieved 6 July 2013.

Anna Pohjanen – FIFA competition record (archived)


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