Jonas Thern

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Jonas Thern

Personal information
Full name	Jonas Magnus Thern
Date of birth	(1967-03-20) 20 March 1967 (age 57)
Place of birth	Falköping, Sweden
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder, sweeper
Youth career
1982–1985	IFK Värnamo
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1985–1987	Malmö FF	41	(6)
1987	FC Zürich	5	(0)
1988–1989	Malmö FF	35	(5)
1989–1992	Benfica	100	(10)
1992–1994	Napoli	48	(1)
1994–1997	Roma	59	(3)
1997–1999	Rangers	23	(5)
Total		308	(31)
International career
1984–1985	Sweden U19	10	(2)
1986–1988	Sweden U21/O	15	(3)
1987–1997	Sweden	75	(6)
Managerial career
2000–2001	IFK Värnamo
2002–2003	Halmstads BK
2010	IFK Värnamo
2017	Landskrona BoIS (assistant)
2019–2024	IFK Värnamo
Medal record  Sweden FIFA World Cup 1994
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jonas Magnus Thern (born 20 March 1967) is a Swedish football manager who manages Allsvenskan club IFK Värnamo. He is also a former professional player who played as a midfielder. Starting off his career with Malmö FF in 1985, he went on to represent FC Zürich, Benfica, Napoli, Roma, and Rangers before retiring in 1999. A full international between 1987 and 1997, he won 75 caps for the Sweden national team and captained the Sweden side that finished third at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He also represented his country at the 1988 Summer Olympics, 1990 FIFA World Cup, as well as UEFA Euro 1992. He was the recipient of the 1989 Guldbollen as Sweden's best footballer of the year.

Born in Falköping and raised in Värnamo, Thern started his professional career in 1985 when he joined Malmö FF, where he stayed for four years, winning two Allsvenskan titles in 1986 and 1988.

In 1989, Thern won the Guldbollen as Sweden's Footballer of the Year. That same year, he left for Benfica as part of a successful group of Scandinavian players that played there at the same time. It consisted of Danish international Michael Manniche (1983–1987), as well as the Swedish "armada" of Mats Magnusson (1987–1992), Thern (1989–1992), Glenn Strömberg (1982–84) and Stefan Schwarz (1990–94). Benfica were also coached by a Swede, Sven-Göran Eriksson (1982–1984 and 1989–1992).

Thern then played in Italy for Napoli and Roma. In 1997, he joined Rangers in Scotland, a move that lasted merely two years but nonetheless accompanied by silverware, a league title in 1999 – his final year in professional football – as frequent injuries forced him to retire early.

For Sweden, he played in the 1990 FIFA World Cup and Euro 1992,^[1] and then won the bronze medal in the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States.^[2] Thern also competed for Sweden at the 1988 Summer Olympics.^[3] Thern was the Sweden captain for seven years, between 1990 and 1997.

After he retired as a player he became head coach for IFK Värnamo between 2000 and 2001 and Halmstads BK 2001–2003.

In 2021, he led IFK Värnamo to promotion to Allsvenskan for the first time ever in the club's history.^[4]

Jonas has a son, Simon, who is also a footballer. His daughter, Alicia, is an equestrian.

Appearances and goals by national team and year

International goals

Scores and results list Sweden's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	12 January 1988	Estadio Municipal de Maspalomas, Maspalomas, Spain	East Germany	2–1	4–1	Friendly
2.				4–1
3.	15 January 1988	Estadio Municipal de Maspalomas, Maspalomas, Spain	Finland	1–0	1–0	Friendly
4.	16 August 1989	Malmö Stadion, Malmö, Sweden	France	1–0	2–4	Friendly
5.	27 May 1990	Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden	Finland	6–0	6–0	Friendly
6.	4 September 1991	Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden	Yugoslavia	4–2	4–3	Friendly

Malmö

• Swedish Champion: 1986, 1988
• Allsvenskan: 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989
• Svenska Cupen: 1985–86, 1987–88]

Benfica

• Primeira Divisão: 1990–91
• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 1989
• European Cup runner-up: 1989–90

Rangers

• Scottish Premier League: 1998–99

• FIFA World Cup third place: 1994

• Guldbollen: 1989

• Jonas Thern at Soccerbase