Elena Sadiku (born 6 November 1993) is a Swedish football manager and former player who is the head coach of Damallsvenskan club BK Häcken.
.jpg) Sadiku with Eskilstuna United in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 6 November 1993 | ||
| Place of birth | Bocholt, Germany | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1] | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | BK Häcken FF (head coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| LdB Malmö | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2009–2011 | LdB Malmö | 13 | (1) |
| 2012–2013 | Kristianstad | 28 | (1) |
| 2014–2016 | Eskilstuna United | 16 | (5) |
| 2017 | Hammarby | 6 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 2011–2012 | Sweden U19 | 14 | (2) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2018–2019 | Beijing BG Phoenix (assistant) | ||
| 2019–2021 | Rosengård (assistant) | ||
| 2021 | Fortuna Hjørring | ||
| 2021–2022 | Eskilstuna United | ||
| 2023–2024 | Everton U21 | ||
| 2024–2025 | Celtic Women | ||
| 2025– | BK Häcken FF | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Playing career
editSadiku began her career at LdB Malmö (now FC Rosengård). Originally playing as a striker, she transitioned into a box-to-box midfielder.[2] By 2011, she played for the Sweden women's national under-19 football team, earning 14 caps and scoring 2 goals.[3] She continued her club career in the Damallsvenskan, transferring to Kristianstads DFF in 2012 and subsequently to Eskilstuna United in 2014.[2]
In July 2014, Sadiku sustained a severe knee injury that involved the tearing of her ACL, MCL, LCL, and meniscus, which sidelined her for a year.[4] In July 2015, she returned to play and scored a hat-trick in Eskilstuna’s 5–1 victory against AIK,[5] but a few days later, she tore the same ACL and LCL again during training.[4] Following these injuries, Sadiku suffered from depression during her prolonged rehabilitation.[6]
In 2017, Sadiku joined Hammarby IF.[7] She played her final game in a match against Djurgårdens IF, where she tore her ACL for the third time.[8] The injury was compounded by a severe infection following a keyhole surgery, requiring seven operations in two weeks and presenting a risk of leg amputation.[6] This life-threatening complication led to her decision to retire from playing at age 24.[9]
Coaching career
editFollowing her retirement as a player, Sadiku took up a coaching position at Hammarby IF’s Academy.[10] In February 2018, she was invited by Kim Björkegren to join him at Chinese Women's Super League (CWSL) club Beijing BG Phoenix as an assistant coach and fitness trainer.[11]
After a season in China, she returned to FC Rosengård, where she became head coach of the U-19 academy. In July 2020, she became joint head coach of FC Rosengård 1917 (the club's "B" team) alongside Renée Slegers.[12] The pair led the team to the 2020 Division 2 Södra Götaland title, securing promotion to Division 1.[13] Sadiku then stepped up into an assistant coach role for Rosengård’s first-team, where she worked under Jonas Eidevall.
In January 2021, Sadiku was appointed as head coach of Danish side Fortuna Hjørring.[14] In the 2020/21 season, she led the club to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Women's Champions League (UWCL). Ten months later, Sadiku returned to Eskilstuna United where she became joint head coach alongside Fredrik Benhardsson.[15] On 7 April 2023, Sadiku was appointed as Women's Academy Head Coach at Everton.[16]
On 12 January 2024, Sadiku became the first female head coach of Celtic FC Women.[17] Under her leadership, Celtic won their first Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL1) title on goal difference over rivals Rangers.[18] As a result, the club earned a spot in the 2024/25 Champions League qualifiers, where they became the first Scottish side to reach the group stages.[19]
On 22 December 2025, Sadiku was appointed as head coach of Damallsvenskan side BK Häcken FF.[20] On 1 May 2026, she guided the club to victory in the inaugural UEFA Women's Europa Cup, after beating Hammarby IF in the two-legged final 4–2 on aggregate.[21]
Personal life
editSadiku was born on 6 November 1993 in the north-west German city of Bocholt to Kosovor-Albanian parents,[2] before spending six months with her family in Kosovo during the Kosovo War.[4]. The experience of fleeing the war and living as refugees led to their struggles with post-traumatic stress.[4]
At the age of seven, her family relocated to Sweden, where she began playing football in the garden with her brother. The sport turned into a passion for Sadiku and helped her find a sense of safety during her childhood.[4]
Honours
editReferences
edit- ↑ Elena Sadiku at WorldFootball.net
- 1 2 3 Donnelly, Joe (9 August 2024). "Elena Sadiku on making SWPL history & setting new standards at Celtic". The Herald. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- ↑ "Elena Sadiku" (in Swedish). Svenska Fotbollförbundet. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "How war and sepsis couldn't stop Celtic manager Elena Sadiku's rise". The Times. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- ↑ "Succé i comebacken för Elena Sadiku" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- 1 2 Murray, Ewan (5 October 2024). "Celtic's Elena Sadiku: 'That infection made me question everything. I was scared of losing my life'". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- ↑ Liljedahl, Carl-Johan (9 December 2016). "Sadiku till Hammarby" (in Swedish). Kristianstadbladet. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
- ↑ "Menisken av – kan ha spelat sin sista match" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- ↑ "Slutar – efter tolv operationer" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- ↑ "Elena Sadiku - Management". Celtic F.C. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- ↑ "Tidigare Hammarbyspelaren flyttar till Kina" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ↑ "För fler egna produkter i Sveriges bästa lag!" (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 16 June 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- ↑ "Dam B klara seriesegrare – division 1 nästa" (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 18 September 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- ↑ "Elena Sadiku - Management". Celtic F.C. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- ↑ "Elena Sadiku återvänder till Eskilstuna som tränare". www.aftonbladet.se (in Swedish). 4 October 2021.
- ↑ "Sadiku Appointed WSL Academy Coach". Everton F.C. 7 April 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- ↑ "Sadiku becomes Celtic's first female head coach". BBC Sport. 12 January 2024.
- ↑ "Celtic leave it late to spark SWPL title bedlam". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
- ↑ "Sadiku 'proud but disappointed' on Champions League debut". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- ↑ "BK Häcken presenterar ny huvudtränare" [BK Häcken presents new head coach] (in Swedish). BK Häcken. 23 December 2025.
- ↑ "Häcken vs Hammarby - UEFA Women's Europa Cup 2025/26". UEFA. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
External links
edit- Elena Sadiku at the Swedish Football Association (in Swedish)
- Elena Sadiku at Soccerway