Leif Gunnar Smerud

Leif Gunnar Smerud (born 24 January 1977) is a Norwegian professional football manager, former player and psychologist. He has held the position of head coach of the Norwegian under-21 side since 2014. In June 2022 he brought the team to the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

Leif Gunnar Smerud
Smerud in 2023
Personal information
Full name Leif Gunnar Smerud
Date of birth (1977-01-24) 24 January 1977
Place of birth Stavanger, Norway
Team information
Current team
 Norway U21 (head coach)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–2003 Vidar ? (?)
2003–2004 Lillestrøm ? (?)
2004–2006 Mandalskameratene ? (?)
2006–2007 Lyn ? (?)
Managerial career
2007 Mandalskameratene
2011–2013 Hønefoss
2014– Norway U21
2020 Norway U18 (caretaker)
2020 Norway (caretaker)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Background

Leif Gunnar Smerud has a Cand.Psych degree from the University of Copenhagen, and is a licensed clinical psychologist. He also studied at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. He holds a UEFA Pro license, and has been working as Deputy Technical Director in the Norwegian Football Federation.

Club career

Playing Career

Smerud started playing for Våganes, but soon went to Vidar F.K., where he made his first team debut at the age of 15. He made the national team U15 in 1992, and played at the 1995 UEFA European Under-18 Championship for the U21 team.

Helped by former coach legend Kjell Schou-Andreassen, he left his youth club Vidar after two promotions and two relegations in four years, for Lillestrøm SK in 1997. He played several positions during his career there. After Lillestrøm, he went on to play for Viking FK, where Benny Lennartson and Bjarne Berntsen identified him as a talent for coaching, and gave him the position as head coach for the Jr-elite team in 2002, whilst playing. After Viking he went to FK Mandalskameratene and FC Lyn Oslo, before retiring at the age of 28.

Managerial career

Smerud's first head coach position came for Hønefoss BK in 2011 in OBOS-ligaen. He helped the team to be promoted in his first year, an accomplishment for which he was awarded the Young Coach of the Year award in Norway. He led Hønefoss in Eliteserien in 2012 and 2013, before starting his work as U21-National Team coach in 2014. He has also won the bronze medal as assistant coach for the Norway women's national football team, in the UEFA Women's Euro 2009. He was the interim manager for the same team in 2016. He made headlines in Norway when he became the manager of the Norway national football team in the Nations League, in November 2020. When the regular coaching staff was quarantined, he was asked to gather and lead the team to a win in the decisive game against Austria. The team became national heroes, despite a 1–1 draw.

Norway U21

After failing to qualify for a U21 Euros, Smerud managed to succeed in qualifying the Norway U21 team, with players like Erik Botheim and Jørgen Strand Larsen, born 2000, to the Euro in June 2022. After 7 games, Norway had to win all the last 3 games, Croatia (home), Finland (away) and Azerbaijan (home) to win the group. In the last game Erik Botheims goal in the 77th minute was decisive, and sent Norway to only their third Euro in history. Only two other coaches have qualified Norway, Nils Johan Semb (1998) and Tor Ole Skullerud (2013).

Managerial statistics
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record
P W D L Win % Ref.
Mandalskameratene 15 June 2007 27 August 2007 10 0 3 7 000.00
Hønefoss 1 January 2011 31 December 2013 97 33 32 32 034.02
Norway U21 27 February 2014 Present 68 30 9 29 044.12
Norway U18 1 January 2020 23 July 2020 3 1 0 2 033.33
Norway 16 November 2020 18 November 2020 1 0 1 0 000.00
Total 179 64 45 70 035.75

References


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