Interim Aberdeen boss Peter Leven confirmed he will give Jimmy Thelin the lowdown on the squad before the new manager arrives in the summer.
Aberdeen have agreed a deal for Elfsborg head coach Thelin to become their new manager on a three-year contract.
The 46-year-old Swede will continue at Allsvenskan runners-up Elfsborg until the Swedish summer break before moving to Pittodrie in early June.
Leven will remain in interim charge for the rest of the season then become an assistant first-team coach under Thelin.
For the rest of the campaign Leven will regularly relay valuable information to Thelin to help him begin his Pittodrie career with a bang.
Aberdeen players were informed prior to training on Tuesday morning that Thelin would be the next new manager and would arrive in June.
The club officially announced the appointment at 1pm later that day, coinciding with a press conference by Elfsborg on their managerial situation.
Leven then had a 25 minute telephone call with Thelin on Tuesday evening.
It will be the first of many conversations with Thelin before he arrives in the Granite City.
Leven said: “I had a brief chat with Jimmy on the phone, letting him know if he needs anything just to let me know.
“Whether that’s about games, conversations about players, whatever.
“He said we’d be in regular contact.
“I got his number and we arranged a chat.
“We spoke for a good 20, 25 minutes.
“He’s definitely excited. It’s a new challenge for him.
“I asked him if his family was going to come over with him.
“He’s going to come over first and then get them settled in.”
‘We’ve got to respect Elfsborg’
Thelin, who was contracted to Elfsbrorg until December 2026, will bring his assistants Emir Bajrami and Christer Persson to Pittodrie.
Asked if he will help implement anything for Thelin before he arrives in June, Leven said: “I don’t think so.
“We’ve got to respect Elfsborg
“He’s still in a job there.
“I think there’ll be dialogue but we’ll take it week by week.”
We look forward to welcoming you to Aberdeen Jimmy 🇸🇪#StandFree 🔴 pic.twitter.com/pmsYZJhx5D
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) April 16, 2024
Players relieved to receive clarity on managerial situation
Under Thelin’s guidance Elfsborg finished runners-up in the Swedish top flight last season, only losing out on the title by goal difference.
The bid to appoint a new permanent manager took 10 weeks following the dismissal of Barry Robson on January 31.
Leven said finally having clarity on the managerial situation brought relief to the players.
He said: “We told the boys before training on Tuesday before it came out that Jimmy had signed and was bringing Emir and Christer with him.
“It’s good to get that clarity.
“You could see a bit of relief in the clarity for them. It’s really good news.
“I think for the players, knowing the new manager is there and watching is a good thing.”
‘They have to show how good they are to the new coaching team’
Thelin will be closely monitoring Aberdeen’s semi-final clash against Celtic on Saturday.
The new manager is set to start at Pittodrie on June 3 ahead of what will inevitably be another busy summer transfer window of ins and outs at the club.
Leven reckon the onus is now on players to prove their worth to Thelin and his management team – starting at Hampden.
He said: “They’ve got something to prove now.
“The new manager is going to come in and they have to show how good they are to the new coaching team.”
Thelin appointment unifies the club
Leven will oversee the five post-split bottom six Premiership games before the end of the campaign and Thelin’s June arrival.
The 40-year-old will also lead the bid to end the club’s 34-year Scottish Cup wait, dating back to 1990.
He hopes the confirmation of Thelin’s imminent arrival will be a timely boost ahead of the semi-final clash with Celtic.
Leven said: “It’s good for the club, to get us all together again.
“Hopefully it lifts the boys and helps give them that little bit extra with the semi-final coming up this weekend.
“I hope the timing is ideal and we get a good result on Saturday.
“It is another chance to get to a cup final.
“Two cup finals this season would be amazing but again we are playing a team on form right now and so it is going to be difficult
“The players needed it (Thelin confirmation) and the fans needed it to happen.
“I’m delighted for the club to get it over the line.”
Conversation