Manchester City have appointed former Denmark and Switzerland head coach Nils Nielsen as their director of football.
FAWSL Full-Time were informed of the news via an official club press release from Manchester City this afternoon.
Nielsen arrives at The City Football Academy after spending four years leading the Swiss national team. The nation participated at the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 in England. Nielsen most-famously guided Denmark to the UEFA Women’s EURO final in 2017 where they were defeated by eventual tournament winners The Netherlands.
It has been reported that Nielsen will take charge of coach and player development across the women’s first team setup at Manchester City, while he will also lead on player recruitment across the entirety of the women and girls’ pathway.
Nielsen will work under Manchester City’s managing director Gavin Makel. Head coach Gareth Taylor and girls’ academy technical director Jayne Ludlow will report to Nielsen.
After joining Manchester City, Nielsen said “I am very happy to be here at Manchester City. Moving away from coaching and into a directorial role, it is ultimately about making a difference and working closely with people across the whole set-up.
“I’ve always been incredibly passionate about the development side of the game – that has driven me throughout my career. Manchester City want to be pioneering, and that makes this the perfect club for me to be at.
“You don’t get it much better than here – you have everything you need to be the best you can be, and I know there are exciting plans to come.
“This is a Club that will continue to grow, and that makes me very excited for what lies ahead in the future.”
Former Manchester City goalkeeper Karen Bardsley will work alongside Nielsen once she has completed her current development programme with the Club.
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