Sundhage to be new Sweden coach

Posted Sunday, September 02, 2012 by YAHOO Sport

Pia Sundhage is to take over as coach of the Swedish women's national side, moving over from the United States who she guided to Olympic gold in London.

The 52-year-old announced that she was leaving the US job she had filled for five years late Saturday after her team trounced Costa Rica 8-0 in a friendly in Rochester, New York state.

Shortly afterwards in Stockholm the Swedish football federation announced that she would take over as national coach on December 1, replacing Thomas Dennerby, who stood down from the post last month after the Olympics.

"We are enormously happy to reveal that Pia Sundhage will be our new national coach," federation president Karl-Erik Nilsson said.

Sundhage, who won 146 caps for her country between 1975 and 1996, said: "It is the realisation of a dream for me to become the national coach of my own country."

First up for Sundhage will be next years European championships which Sweden is hosting, althugh she is expected to stay with the US team for at least the next two matches of their victory tour, a pair of friendlies against Australia on September 16 in Carson, California, and September 19 in Commerce City, Colorado.

The Americans then host two matches against two-time women's World Cup champions Germany on October 20 and October 23.