Filip Helander

Filip Viktor Helander (born 22 April 1993) is a Swedish footballer who plays as a centre back for Scottish Premiership side Rangers and the Swedish national team.

Filip Helander

Helander with Sweden in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Filip Viktor Helander
Date of birth	22 April 1993
Place of birth	Malmö, Sweden
Height	1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)[1]
Position(s)	Centre back
Club information
Current team	Rangers
Number	5
Youth career
	Kvarnby IK
	Husie IF
2007–2011	Malmö FF
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011–2015	Malmö FF	72	(1)
2015–2016	Verona	24	(2)
2016–2019	Bologna	60	(1)
2019–	Rangers	23	(2)
National team^‡
2010	Sweden U17	2	(0)
2011–2012	Sweden U19	2	(0)
2012–2015	Sweden U21	19	(0)
2017–	Sweden	13	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:50, 27 January 2021 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17 November 2020

Club career

Malmö

Helander made his Allsvenskan debut in a match against Syrianska on 17 October 2011.[2] Helander played the first matches beside Pontus Jansson in defence before being replaced by Daniel Andersson after the second round of matches. On 17 July 2012, Helander signed a first team contract with Malmö until the end of the 2015 season.[3] When Andersson played less and less after the summer break Helander established himself in the starting lineup and finished the season as a regular starter in the defence. Helander played a total of 12 league matches for Malmö during the 2012 season.

The league title winning 2013 season proved to be the real breakthrough season for Helander as he played 18 matches for the club. He was injured in the early stages of the season and was replaced in the starting line-up by Erik Johansson but later reclaimed this spot in the second part of the season. For the 2014 season Helander played regularly throughout the entire season as the club defended their league title and qualified for the group stage of the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League. He also scored his first league goal for Malmö in 2014 on 23 August in a 3–0 home win against IFK Norrköping.[4] For his performances in the league Helander was nominated for the award of Allsvenskan defender of the year.[5] He was also nominated for Swedish defender of the year at Fotbollsgalan.[6]

Hellas Verona

On 22 July 2015, Helander signed for Hellas Verona in the Italian Serie A. On 23 September, he made his debut against Internazionale in a 1–0 defeat at the San Siro. In the next game against Lazio at home he again was in the starting line up and in the 33rd minute he scored his first Serie A goal. Lazio went on to win the game 2–1.

Bologna

On 31 August 2016, Helander joined Bologna on a season-long loan deal, with an obligation to sign outright at the end of season. As part of the deal, Nicolò Cherubin moved to Verona.[7] On 12 June 2017, Helander joined Bologna on a definitive basis.[8]

The following season, his second with the Rossoblù, Helander found more space in the rotation under coach Roberto Donadoni, playing 29 games. His club season ended early in April 2018 because of an injury, but without risking the World Cup in which he participated as a reserve.

Rangers

Helander was announced as a new signing for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership on 13 July 2019.[9] Helander's cost was £3.5 million.[10] He made his debut in a Scottish League Cup tie against East Fife, scoring a goal as Rangers came out 3-0 victors[11]

International career

Helander was called up to the senior Sweden squad to face Moldova in October 2015.[12]

In May 2018 he was named in Sweden's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[13]

Career statistics

Helander in 2019

Club

As of 27 January 2021.[14]

Club	Season	Division	League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Malmö FF	2011	Allsvenskan	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	2012	Allsvenskan	12	0	0	0	0	0	—		12	0
	2013	Allsvenskan	18	0	3	0	0	0	2	0	23	0
	2014	Allsvenskan	28	1	4	1	0	0	10	0	42	2
	2015	Allsvenskan	12	0	4	1	0	0	0	0	16	1
	Total		71	1	11	2	0	0	12	0	94	3
Hellas Verona	2015–16	Serie A	24	2	2	0	0	0	—		26	2
	2016–17	Serie B	0	0	2	0	0	0	—		2	0
	Total		24	2	4	0	0	0	0	0	28	2
Bologna	2016–17	Serie A	11	1	0	0	0	0	—		11	1
	2017–18	Serie A	29	0	0	0	0	0	—		29	0
	2018–19	Serie A	20	0	3	0	0	0	—		23	0
	Total		60	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	63	1
Rangers	2019–20	Scottish Premiership	8	1	0	0	4	1	6	0	18	2
	2020–21	Scottish Premiership	15	1	0	0	0	0	3	1	18	2
	Total		23	2	0	0	4	1	9	1	36	4
Career total			178	6	18	2	4	1	21	1	221	10

International

As of 8 September 2020[15]

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Sweden	2017	3	0
	2018	3	0
	2019	5	0
	2020	1	0
Total		12	0

Honours

Club

Malmö FF

• Allsvenskan: 2013, 2014
• Svenska Supercupen: 2014

International

Sweden U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2015

Individual

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship – Team of the Tournament: 2015[16]

References

1. "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia – List of Players" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
2. "En debut att minnas för Helander" [A debut to remember for Helander]. Sydsvenskan (in Swedish). 17 October 2011. Archived from the original on 21 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
3. "Filip Helander tecknar A-lagskontrakt" [Filip Helander signs A-team contract] (in Swedish). Malmö FF. 17 July 2012. Archived from the original on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
4. "Malmö FF 3–0 IFK Norrköping" (in Swedish). Swedish Football Association. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
5. "Här är vinnarna i Allsvenskans stora pris" [Here are the Winners of Allsvenskan Stora Pris] (in Swedish). Allsvenskan. 6 November 2014. Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
6. "Nomineringarna till Fotbollsgalan 2014" [Nominations for the Football Gala 2014]. Fogis.se (in Swedish). Swedish Football Association. 20 October 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
7. "Helander signs for Bologna, Cherubin moves to Verona". Bologna FC. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
8. "Ufficiale: Cherubin è gialloblù, Helander al Bologna" [Offfcial: Cherubin is Gialloblu, Helander at Bologna] (Press release) (in Italian). Hellas Verona FC. 12 June 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
9. "Rangers sign Filip Helander". Rangers FC. 13 July 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
10. "Helander uppges läkarundersökas idag - hyllas av Gattuso: "Gillar spelaren"" [Helander is given medical examination today - hailed by Gattuso: "Likes the player"] (in Swedish). Fotbollskanalen. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
11. "East Fife 0-3 Rangers". Rangers FC. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
12. "Sweden 2–0 Moldova". BBC Sport. 12 October 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
13. "Revealed: Every World Cup 2018 squad - 23-man & preliminary lists & when will they be announced?". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
14. "Filip Helander". Soccerway. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
15. "Filip Helander". EU-Football.info. 30 June 2018.
16. "The official Under-21 Team of the Tournament". UEFA. 1 July 2015.

External links

• Filip Helander at SvFF (in Swedish)
• Filip Helander at Soccerway