Filip Helander

This article is about the Swedish footballer. For the Hungarian footballer, see Filip Holender.

Filip Helander
Helander with Sweden in 2019
Personal information
Full name Filip Viktor Helander
Date of birth (1993-04-22) 22 April 1993 (age 31)
Place of birth Malmö, Sweden
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Omonia
Number 4
Youth career
Kvarnby IK
Husie IF
2007–2011 Malmö FF
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2015 Malmö FF 72 (1)
2015–2016 Verona 24 (2)
2016–2019 Bologna 60 (1)
2019–2023 Rangers 36 (3)
2023–2024 OB 22 (1)
2024– Omonia 4 (0)
International career‡
2010 Sweden U17 2 (0)
2011–2012 Sweden U19 2 (0)
2012–2015 Sweden U21 19 (0)
2017– Sweden 23 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Sweden
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Winner 2015 Czech Republic
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 29 May 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16:42, 20 November 2023 (UTC)

Filip Viktor Helander (born 22 April 1993) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Cypriot club AC Omonia and for the Sweden national team.

Club career

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Malmö

[edit]

Helander made his Allsvenskan debut in a match against Syrianska on 17 October 2011.[2] Helander played the first matches beside Pontus Jansson in defence before being replaced by Daniel Andersson after the second round of matches. On 17 July 2012, Helander signed a first team contract with Malmö until the end of the 2015 season.[3] When Andersson played less and less after the summer break Helander established himself in the starting lineup and finished the season as a regular starter in the defence. Helander played a total of 12 league matches for Malmö during the 2012 season.[citation needed]

The league title winning 2013 season proved to be the real breakthrough season for Helander as he played 18 matches for the club.[citation needed] He was injured in the early stages of the season and was replaced in the starting line-up by Erik Johansson but later reclaimed this spot in the second part of the season.[citation needed] For the 2014 season Helander played regularly throughout the entire season as the club defended their league title and qualified for the group stage of the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League.[citation needed] He also scored his first league goal for Malmö in 2014 on 23 August in a 3–0 home win against IFK Norrköping.[4] For his performances in the league Helander was nominated for the award of Allsvenskan defender of the year.[5] He was also nominated for Swedish defender of the year at Fotbollsgalan.[6]

Hellas Verona

[edit]

On 22 July 2015, Helander signed for Hellas Verona in the Italian Serie A.[citation needed] On 23 September, he made his debut against Internazionale in a 1–0 defeat at the San Siro.[citation needed] In the next game against Lazio at home he again was in the starting line up and in the 33rd minute he scored his first Serie A goal.[citation needed] Lazio went on to win the game 2–1.[citation needed]

Bologna

[edit]

On 31 August 2016, Helander joined Bologna on a season-long loan deal, with an obligation to sign outright at the end of season. As part of the deal, Nicolò Cherubin moved to Verona.[7] On 12 June 2017, Helander joined Bologna on a definitive basis.[8]

The following season, his second with the Rossoblù, Helander found more space in the rotation under coach Roberto Donadoni, playing 29 games.[citation needed] His club season ended early in April 2018 because of an injury, but without risking the World Cup in which he participated as a reserve.

Rangers

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Helander was announced as a new signing for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership on 13 July 2019.[9] Helander's cost was £3.5 million.[10][failed verification] He made his debut in a Scottish League Cup tie against East Fife, scoring a goal as Rangers came out 3–0 victors.[11]

On 11 March 2021, Helander scored the equaliser for Rangers in a 1–1 draw away to Slavia Prague in their Europa League Round of 16 first leg match.[12]

On 29 August 2021, Helander scored the only goal of the game for Rangers against Celtic in the first Old Firm derby of the 2021–22 season.[13] On 15 September 2021, Rangers manager Steven Gerrard announced that Helander would be out for the foreseeable future after having undergone surgery on a knee injury sustained in a 2–1 win over St Johnstone four days prior.[14]

Rangers confirmed on 23 May 2023 that Helander would leave the club at the end of the 2022–23 season.[15]

OB

[edit]

On 31 August 2023, Helander joined Danish Superliga side OB on a one-year deal.[16] Made his debut in a 3-0 defeat to Silkeborg IF on 18 September 2023.

He left OB at the end of the season.[17]

AC Omonia

[edit]

On 4 July 2024 his signing by cypriot club AC Omonia was announced.

International career

[edit]

Helander was called up to the senior Sweden squad to face Moldova in October 2015.[18]

He was part of Sweden's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[19]

In May 2021, he was named in Sweden's squad for the postponed UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.[20]

Career statistics

[edit]
Helander in 2019

Club

[edit]
As of 17 April 2022[21]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Malmö FF 2011 Allsvenskan 1 0 0 0 — 0 0 1 0
2012 Allsvenskan 12 0 0 0 — — 12 0
2013 Allsvenskan 18 0 3 0 — 2[a] 0 23 0
2014 Allsvenskan 28 1 4 1 — 10[b] 0 42 2
2015 Allsvenskan 12 0 4 1 — 0 0 16 1
Total 71 1 11 2 — 12 0 94 3
Hellas Verona 2015–16 Serie A 24 2 2 0 — — 26 2
2016–17 Serie B 0 0 2 0 — — 2 0
Total 24 2 4 0 — — 28 2
Bologna 2016–17 Serie A 11 1 0 0 — — 11 1
2017–18 Serie A 29 0 0 0 — — 29 0
2018–19 Serie A 20 0 3 0 — — 23 0
Total 60 1 3 0 — — 63 1
Rangers 2019–20 Scottish Premiership 8 1 0 0 4 1 6[a] 0 18 2
2020–21 Scottish Premiership 22 1 3 0 0 0 6[a] 2 31 3
2021–22 Scottish Premiership 6 1 2 1 0 0 3[c] 0 11 2
Total 36 3 5 1 4 1 15 2 60 7
Career total 191 7 23 3 4 1 27 2 245 13
  1. ^ a b c Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  2. ^ Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  3. ^ One appearance in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League

International

[edit]
As of match played on 19 November 2023[22]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Sweden 2017 3 0
2018 3 0
2019 5 0
2020 2 0
2021 5 0
2022 1 0
2023 4 0
Total 23 0

Honours

[edit]

Malmö FF

Rangers

Sweden U21

Individual

References

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  1. ^ "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia – List of Players" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 4 June 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  2. ^ "En debut att minnas för Helander" [A debut to remember for Helander]. Sydsvenskan (in Swedish). 17 October 2011. Archived from the original on 21 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  3. ^ "Filip Helander tecknar A-lagskontrakt" [Filip Helander signs A-team contract] (in Swedish). Malmö FF. 17 July 2012. Archived from the original on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  4. ^ "Malmö FF 3–0 IFK Norrköping" (in Swedish). Swedish Football Association. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  5. ^ "Här är vinnarna i Allsvenskans stora pris" [Here are the Winners of Allsvenskan Stora Pris] (in Swedish). Allsvenskan. 6 November 2014. Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  6. ^ "Nomineringarna till Fotbollsgalan 2014" [Nominations for the Football Gala 2014]. Fogis.se (in Swedish). Swedish Football Association. 20 October 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  7. ^ "Helander signs for Bologna, Cherubin moves to Verona". Bologna FC. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  8. ^ "Ufficiale: Cherubin è gialloblù, Helander al Bologna" [Official: Cherubin is Gialloblu, Helander at Bologna] (Press release) (in Italian). Hellas Verona FC. 12 June 2017. Archived from the original on 31 October 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  9. ^ "Rangers sign Filip Helander". Rangers FC. 13 July 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  10. ^ "Helander uppges läkarundersökas idag - hyllas av Gattuso: "Gillar spelaren"" [Helander is given medical examination today - hailed by Gattuso: "Likes the player"] (in Swedish). Fotbollskanalen. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  11. ^ "East Fife 0–3 Rangers". Rangers FC. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  12. ^ "Rangers recovered from an early setback to earn a creditable away draw to Slavia Prague in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie". BBC. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  13. ^ "Filip Helander heads winner for Covid-19 depleted Rangers against Celtic". The Guardian. 30 August 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  14. ^ "Filip Helander: Rangers boss Steven Gerrard says defender out for 'foreseeable future' after surgery". Sky Sports. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  15. ^ "Rangers: Ryan Kent, Allan McGregor and Alfredo Morelos to leave Ibrox". BBC Sport. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  16. ^ Filip Helander er ny forsvarsspiller på Fyn, ob.dk, 31 August 2023
  17. ^ OB-legende lægger støvlerne på hylden, tv2fyn.dk, 18 June 2024
  18. ^ "Sweden 2–0 Moldova". BBC Sport. 12 October 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  19. ^ Watson, Jack (9 June 2018). "Sweden World Cup squad guide: Full fixtures, group, ones to watch, odds and more". The Independent. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  20. ^ "Filip Helander gets Euro 2020 reward as Rangers star joins ex-Celtic defender in Sweden squad". Glasgow Live. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  21. ^ "Filip Helander". Soccerway. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  22. ^ "Filip Helander". EU-Football.info. 30 June 2018.
  23. ^ "Rangers top-flight champions for first time since 2011 after Celtic drop points". BBC Sport. 7 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  24. ^ "Rangers 2-0 Hearts". BBC Sport. 21 May 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  25. ^ "Fraser Forster the hero as 10-man Celtic earn final victory over Rangers". The Guardian. 8 December 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  26. ^ "The official Under-21 Team of the Tournament". UEFA. 1 July 2015.
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