Latest news with #Askou
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Askou appointment predictably unpredictable
It's becoming the Motherwell way to taken an alternative approach to things. Much like the recruitment process for Michael Wimmer, the Fir Park club have gone down an unfamiliar route, bucking the trend of Hearts, Dundee and Kilmarnock, to bring in their new manager. Advertisement Arguably Jens Berthel Askou has more of a pedigree than his predecessor. He's won trophies and promotions, including a domestic double in the Faroe Islands. There's also names like IFK Goteborg and FC Copenhagen on his CV. He talks of being hungry for success, but success in Scotland may look quite different. With a budget that a fan-owned club can offer, a league and cup double parade going along Windmillhill Street seems fanciful. However, being bold in chasing ambition is something in line with the Motherwell way of thinking right now. A young and dynamic board led by chairman Kyrk MacMillan, who previously was a CEO with a Danish fashion firm, are attempting to forge their own path and do things their own way. But Askou has a lot to do, and quickly, when he arrives next week. The bulky squad left for him report for pre-season training on Wednesday, along with new recruits presumably eyed up by Wimmer. He also has to face losing his star asset, Lennon Miller, whose value and profile will only have gone up since starring for Scotland on Monday. Askou's appointment was predictably unpredictable. Knowing Scottish football, what happens next will most likely be the same.
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
'Can't wait': Scottish football club goes foreign against as ex-Norwich defender lands top job
Motherwell have appointed a new manager. | SNS Group Former defender replaces Wimmer at Fir Park Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Motherwell have looked overseas again in their second managerial appointment of the year as they announced the arrival of Danish boss Jens Berthel Askou. The former Norwich defender joins from his role as FC Copenhagen assistant manager, subject to a work permit. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Askou replaces Michael Wimmer, who stepped down for family reasons after three months in charge to take up a position in his native Germany. Motherwell have appointed a new manager. | SNS Group The 42-year-old previously led Danish sides Vendsyssel and Horsens to promotion, FB Torshavn of the Faroe Islands to a league and cup double and was most recently manager of IFK Gothenburg. Askou left the Swedish side a year ago to join Sparta Prague as assistant manager and was quickly hired by Copenhagen after a change of manager at the Czech club in January. He helped them to a Danish league and cup double. 'This is a really proud moment for me,' he told Motherwell's official website. 'It's a huge honour to be selected to become the manager of Motherwell Football Club. Having spoken extensively with members of the club board, it was clear from the outset that our ideas, ambitions and morals align. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We are all ambitious people and we're all hungry for success. I can't wait to arrive in Scotland and begin planning for the season ahead. There is a lot of work to be done, but it's highly exciting.' 'Rigorous' process Askou's playing career was predominantly based in Denmark but he also had a spell in Turkey and had two years at Norwich under former Well midfielder Paul Lambert. 'This has been a more rigorous process to recruit our new manager due to the incredible number of applications for the role,' chairman Kyrk Macmillan said. 'We had a high number of impressive applicants, but we were really drawn to Jens. His track record of working with big clubs, delivering success and developing young players matches up with all our philosophies here at Motherwell Football Club. 'He has handed 26 teenagers debuts in five-and-a-half seasons, which I think is evidence of Jens implementing his ideas and morals. The data and numbers impressed us, but more importantly, after speaking with Jens a number of times, he is a really ambitious character and a leader who was extremely keen to get the role here at our club.
STV News
2 days ago
- Sport
- STV News
Motherwell appoint Jens Berthel Askou as new manager
Motherwell have appointed Jens Berthel Askou as their new manager. The Dane replaces Michael Wimmer who quit at the end of last season for personal reasons. Askou, who most recently worked as assistant boss at Copenhagen and Sparta Prague, has previously managed IFK Gothenburg in Sweden, Horsens in Denmark, who he guided to top flight promotion and HB Torshavn in the Faroe Islands where he won a league and cup double as was named manager of the season. The 42-year-old also spent time in the UK as a player with short spells at Norwich City and Millwall. The Fir Park club announced the appointment on Thursday. Askou, who will formally begin his duties as manager next week, subject to the approval of a work permit, said: 'This is a really proud moment for me. 'It's a huge honour to be selected to become the manager of Motherwell Football Club. 'Having spoken extensively with members of the club board, it was clear from the outset that our ideas, ambitions and morals align. 'We are all ambitious people, and we're all hungry for success. I can't wait to arrive in Scotland and begin planning for the season ahead. 'There is a lot of work to be done, but it's highly exciting.' Motherwell chairman Kyrk MacMillan said:'This has been a more rigorous process to recruit our new manager due to the incredible number of applications for the role. 'We had a high number of impressive applicants, but we were really drawn to Jens. His track record of working with big clubs, delivering success and developing young players matches up with all our philosophies here at Motherwell Football Club. 'He has handed 26 teenagers debuts in five-and-a-half seasons, which I think is evidence of Jens implementing his ideas and morals. 'The data and numbers impressed us, but more importantly, after speaking with Jens a number of times, he is a really ambitious character and a leader who was extremely keen to get the role here at our club. 'We expect the UK work permit to be received in the coming days, and then he can commence his work on day one of pre-season.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Askou is new Motherwell manager
Motherwell have appointed Jens Berthel Askou as their new manager. The 42-year-old Dane was most recently assistant manager at FC Copenhagen and has had spells in charge in his homeland, Sweden and the Faroe Islands. Advertisement "Having spoken extensively with members of the club board, it was clear from the outset that our ideas, ambitions and morals align," said Askou. "We are all ambitious people, and we're all hungry for success. I can't wait to arrive in Scotland and begin planning for the season ahead. There is a lot of work to be done, but it's highly exciting." With the move subject to the approval of a work permit, Motherwell say they hope Askou can start next week. He replaces Michael Wimmer, who left Fir Park in late May to join German third-tier side Jahn Regensburg. Wimmer won five and drew three of his 12 matches as Motherwell finished seventh in the Scottish Premiership. Advertisement Askou has won promotion to the Danish top flight with both Vendsyssel and Horsens. In between those jobs he won a league and cup double in the Faroe Islands with HB Torshavn. In June 2023, he took over at Gothenburg for a year before joining Sparta Prague as an assistant coach. In January, he took up a similar post at FC Copenhagen working under manager Jacob Neestrup. "We had a high number of impressive applicants, but we were really drawn to Jens," said Motherwell chairman Kyrk Macmillan. "His track record of working with big clubs, delivering success and developing young players matches up with all our philosophies. Advertisement "He has handed 26 teenagers debuts in five-and-a-half seasons, which I think is evidence of Jens implementing his ideas and morals. "The data and numbers impressed us, but more importantly, after speaking with Jens a number of times, he is a really ambitious character and a leader who was extremely keen to get the role here at our club." More to follow.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Motherwell appoint Jens Berthel Askou as their new manager as shocked fans ask ‘who?'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MOTHERWELL have sprung a major surprise by appointing Jens Berthel Askou as the club's new boss. The FC Copenhagen assistant boss, 42, will formally begin his duties as manager next week, subject to the approval of a work permit. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Jens Berthel Askou has landed one of Scotland's plum jobs Credit: Alamy 3 It's a big change at Fir Park Credit: Kenny Ramsay 3 Berthel Askou had some major surprise Credit: Alamy The Lanarkshire side went with a left-field appointment - only for Michael Wimmer to walk out on the club after just 12 games - and have done so again. We told you how Central Coast Mariners boss Mark Jackson was a name in the frame, with former Rangers star Charlie Adam also linked with the post. But Askou said: 'This is a really proud moment for me. 'It's a huge honour to be selected to become the manager of Motherwell Football Club. "Having spoken extensively with members of the club board, it was clear from the outset that our ideas, ambitions and morals align. 'We are all ambitious people, and we're all hungry for success. I can't wait to arrive in Scotland and begin planning for the season ahead. There is a lot of work to be done, but it's highly exciting.' Before joining Danish second-tier club Vendsyssel, Askou served as a player-assistant manager at both Skive and Thisted. He later took on the role of manager at Vendsyssel, where he got the club promoted to the Danish top-flight, before relocating to the Faroe Islands in 2019 to manage HB Tórshavn. During his first season with HB Tórshavn, Askou celebrated more managerial silverware, securing both the Faroese league title and the league cup, achieving a remarkable double. His impressive performance earned him the title of Manager of the Season in the Faroe Islands. Michael Wimmer set to QUIT Motherwell for new job after just TWELVE games as Scottish Premiership side left stunned After Tórshavn, Askou joined Danish club AC Horsens in 2021. Over the course of two seasons, he successfully guided the team back to Denmark's top division, his second promotion as a manager. In 2023, he made the transition to Sweden, taking the helm at IFK Göteborg in the Allsvenskan. Shortly after his arrival, he earned two Manager of the Month awards before he moved on to pastures new the following summer. Askou took on the role of assistant manager at Czech club Sparta Praha, where he spent six months and played a key role in leading the team to the league phase of the Champions League. In January 2025, he joined FC København as assistant manager, where he reached the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League but also secured the domestic double by winning both the league and the cup. Chairman Kyrk Macmillan said: 'This has been a more rigorous process to recruit our new manager due to the incredible number of applications for the role." 'We had a high number of impressive applicants, but we were really drawn to Jens. "His track record of working with big clubs, delivering success and developing young players matches up with all our philosophies here at Motherwell Football Club. "He has handed 26 teenagers debuts in five-and-a-half seasons, which I think is evidence of Jens implementing his ideas and morals. 'The data and numbers impressed us, but more importantly, after speaking with Jens a number of times, he is a really ambitious character and a leader who was extremely keen to get the role here at our club. 'We expect the UK work permit to be received in the coming days, and then he can commence his work on Day 1 of pre-season.' Shocked fans took to social media to express their surprise, with one saying simply: "Who?" Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
