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Jacob Friis
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Jacob Fischer Friis (born 11 December 1976) is a Danish professional football manager and former player who is serving as the head coach of the Finland national team.
Key Information
Playing career
[edit]Friis was team captain of the AaB reserve team playing in the fourth tier Denmark Series before retiring due to injury in 2002–03.[3] Beside AaB, he also played for two years for Aalborg Chang (1999–2001).[4]
Managerial career
[edit]Friis started his career as a coach in connection with a job as an assistant coach for AaB's seventh-tier Series 3 team.[5] He then continued as an assistant coach for AaB's reserves, playing in the fourth-tier Denmark Series, where he remained until the summer of 2006.[3]
In the summer of 2006, Friis travelled to Mexico, where he was to teach English at Instituto CEFI and coach their football team.[3] However, the job as a football coach was not satisfactory for Friis,[3] and instead an opportunity arose for Friis to be part of the coaching staff around Monterrey's university team, Tigres UANL.[3]
AaB
[edit]When Allan Kuhn resigned as a result of a finding a new coaching job at Malmö FF, Friis became the new assistant coach at AaB in January 2016 under head coach Lars Søndergaard. He had already been promised a promotion to the assistant coaching position from the summer of 2016, but these plans were advanced with the premature change of head coach.[6]
Søndergaard was dismissed in December 2016.[7] Morten Wieghorst signed with AaB as their new head coach in early-January 2017,[8] and Friis was appointed his main assistant with Thomas Augustinussen as second assistant.[9] He signed an ongoing contract extension at the end of March 2018.[9]
In the fall of 2018, AaB won just one match out of 12 possible,[10] and Wieghorst was subsequently fired on 26 November 2018.[10][11][12] As his interim, Friis was appointed head coach for the three remaining matches in the Danish Superliga during the fall.[13] Friis' first match in charge resulted in a 4–1 win over Esbjerg fB on 1 December 2018.[14] Despite AaB losing the next match 4–2 at home to AC Horsens on 9 December,[15] Friis was still signed on a permanent deal for the remained of the 2018–19 season.[15]
Friis stepped back from the position as head coach of AaB on 29 October 2020, for personal reasons related to his daughter fighting leukaemia.[16] Assistant Peter Feher took over as caretaker manager with Rasmus Würtz continuing as assistant.[16]
Viborg
[edit]On 3 February 2022, Friis was appointed head coach of Superliga club Viborg, leaving his job as coach of the Denmark women's U19 national team.[17]
Augsburg
[edit]On 8 November 2023, Friis left Viborg to become new assistant manager of Jess Thorup at FC Augsburg in the German Bundesliga.[18]
Finland national team
[edit]On 20 January 2025, the Football Association of Finland announced that Friis was named the new head coach of the Finland national team on a three-year contract with an option for the possible UEFA Euro 2028 final tournament.[19]
Education
[edit]In August 2015, Friis acquired the UEFA Pro Licence, also known as the 'P licence'; the highest coaching education. His final assignment was entitled Afslutningspil fra mellemrum - Mod etableret forsvar (Finishing from the red zone - against established defense).[1]
Personal life
[edit]Friis was born in Aalborg, Denmark, and grew up in Aalborg Øst where he attended Mellervangsskolen.[2] While managing AaB he lived in Vodskov northeast of Aalborg with his wife, Merle, and three children.[2][20]
Career statistics
[edit]Managerial
[edit]- As of match played 12 October 2025
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| AaB |  |
10 December 2018 | 29 October 2020 | 64 | 27 | 13 | 24 | 101 | 77 | +24 | 42.19 |
| Viborg | |
3 February 2022 | 8 November 2023 | 76 | 34 | 19 | 23 | 109 | 93 | +16 | 44.74 |
| Finland |  |
20 January 2025 | present | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 14 | −6 | 37.50 |
| Total | 148 | 64 | 33 | 51 | 218 | 184 | +34 | 43.24 | |||
References
[edit]- ^ a b Fischer Friis, Jacob (2015). "Afslutningspil fra mellemrum - Mod etableret forsvar" (PDF) (in Danish). Danish Football Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 November 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ a b c Gammelgaard, Camilla (20 January 2019). "Aalborg er fornøjeligheder, hygge og sport". aalborg:nu (in Danish). Archived from the original on 15 November 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "AaB-træner tager på mexicansk eventyr". Nordjyske Medier (in Danish). 26 July 2006. Archived from the original on 14 December 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- ^ "BLÅ BOG: Den nu tidligere AaB-træner Jacob Friis". JydskeVestkysten (in Danish). 29 October 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- ^ "Friis fortsætter som cheftræner i AaB". aabsport.dk (in Danish). Aalborg Boldspilklub. 10 December 2018. Archived from the original on 14 December 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ Frederiksen, Søren (11 January 2016). "Jacob Friis ny assistenttræner i AaB". bold.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ Top, Morten (15 December 2016). "Officelt: Cheftræner Lars Søndergaard fyret i AaB". DR (in Danish). Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ Ritzau (2 January 2017). "AaB ansætter Morten Wieghorst som cheftræner". Fyens Stiftstidende (in Danish). Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ a b Vikkelsø Andersen, Steven (28 March 2018). "AaB forlænger med assistenttræner". TV 2 Nord (in Danish). Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ a b Asferg, Mikkel (26 November 2018). "AaB fyrer Morten Wieghorst". TV 2 Sport (in Danish). Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ Moshage, Bo (26 November 2018). "AaB fyrer Morten Wieghorst". Politiken (in Danish). Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ Hukiær, Jens (26 November 2018). "Så skete det: Wieghorst fyret i AaB". Nordjyske Medier (in Danish). Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ Svenningsen, Mette (30 November 2018). "AaB møder Esbjerg: Friis' første kamp i spidsen for AaB". TV 2 Nord (in Danish). Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ Ritzau (30 November 2018). "VIDEO Ny AaB-træner debuterer med knusende sejr i Esbjerg". DR (in Danish). Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ a b Schmidt, Martin (10 December 2018). "AaB fastansætter Jacob Friis". bold.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Jacob Friis stopper som cheftræner i AaB af personlige årsager". DR (in Danish). 29 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
- ^ "Jacob Friis bliver cheftræner i Viborg FF". DBU (in Danish). 3 February 2022. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
- ^ "Officielt: Viborg har solgt Jacob Friis". bold.dk (in Danish). 8 November 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
- ^ Jacob Friis on Huuhkajien uusi päävalmentaja, Football Association of Finland, 20 January 2025
- ^ Andersen, Thomas N. (29 October 2020). "- Havde intet at tilbyde min familie". Ekstra-Bladet (in Danish). Retrieved 15 November 2022.