Swedish Media 'Responsible' for Tomasson Sacking, Claims Christiansen

Jon Dahl Tomasson

Malmo FF midfielder Anders Christiansen criticizes Swedish media's role in Jon Dahl Tomasson's sacking as national team coach.

Christiansen speaks out on Tomasson's dismissal, points finger at media influence...

Malmo FF midfielder Anders Christiansen believes Swedish media was largely responsible for Jon Dahl Tomasson's dismissal as Swedish national team coach. Christiansen stated that media played a huge part in getting Tomasson sacked, citing intense scrutiny as a factor.

Tomasson's Departure

Jon Dahl Tomasson was let go as head coach of the Swedish men's national football team in October 2025, following a disappointing performance in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. His sacking marked the end of his tenure, with Christiansen suggesting media pressure contributed to the decision.

The decision to sack Jon Dahl Tomasson was made after Sweden's poor performance in the World Cup qualifiers, which included a 1-0 home loss to Kosovo, leaving them at the bottom of their group. This disappointing run ultimately led to Tomasson's dismissal in October 2025.

Anders Christiansen has always been a supporter of Tomasson, having worked with him as an assistant coach with the Danish national team and later as his captain at Malmo FF. Christiansen has fond memories of their time together, and their close relationship has continued to this day. In an interview with Aftonbladet, Christiansen praised Tomasson, saying that his sacking highlights the significant influence of Swedish media.

Christiansen believes that media scrutiny played a huge part in Tomasson's sacking, demonstrating the power of the media in Swedish football. He thinks that the intense pressure from the media contributed to the decision to dismiss Tomasson, who had previously coached Malmo FF from 2020-21.

“This was probably the best proof of how much power the media has. Even if he had stayed and Sweden had won the two games in November, the negativity would have remained. It was only a matter of time before it would become official. Then it became easier to sack him when they couldn't win against Kosovo at home.”

“I'll have to be a little careful what I answer. But the external pressure that was on him in the TV studios, in the media, in the conversations... they were constantly trying to find the negative angle and asked the players what they thought about everything.”

“If he had won the matches, he wouldn't have been fired, but the media helped turn the Swedish people against him, as we saw after Kosovo. I won't say that it was 100 percent the media that got him fired, but I think it was an extremely big factor.”

𝗠𝗗-𝟭 📸 pic.twitter.com/ob98eSH7Tp

— Svensk Fotboll (@svenskfotboll) November 17, 2025

Graham Potter took the helm as Sweden's national team coach, replacing Jon Dahl Tomasson, who was sacked after a disappointing start to the World Cup qualifiers. Potter's debut campaign got off to a rocky start, with a loss to Switzerland and a draw against Slovenia. However, Sweden still has a glimmer of hope, facing Ukraine in the playoffs come March, which could secure their spot in the 2026 World Cup.