Rikard Grönborg jumps at the helm of the champion team.
Rikard Grönborg steps behind Tappara’s bench. PDO
Tappara’s new head coach is Swedish Rikard Grönborg. The club announced the matter on Thursday. The contract is for three years.
Iltalehti reported on Grönborg’s contract with Tappara already last October.
The 54-year-old top coach has worked for the last four seasons in the Swiss league’s major club Zurich Lions. Pesti was left with one silver medal.
Grönborg got a boot from Zurich in December, even though the team was third in the league. The club said that the firings were due to the fact that the coach had signed a contract with another team for the next season.
Before his gig in Switzerland, Grönborg will be remembered as the coach of the Swedish national team. He guided Tre Kronor in the seasons 2016–2019 and achieved two World Championship golds.
Hiring a foreign coach is a bold and exceptional decision from Tappara. All SM league teams have had Finnish managers since 2009.
Grönborg personally knows the board members of Tappara’s background company Tamhockey Oy.
Tappara’s coaching team will be completed next season Pasi Park, Juha Juujärvi and goalkeeper coach Aki Näykki. He will continue as a physical trainer Konsta Karjalainen.