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 (1993-04-22) 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
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Malmö FF 2011 Allsvenskan 1000000010
2012 Allsvenskan 1200000—120
2013 Allsvenskan 180300020230
2014 Allsvenskan 2814100100422
2015 Allsvenskan 120410000161
Total 71111200120943
Hellas Verona 2015–16 Serie A 2422000—262
2016–17 Serie B 002000—20
Total 242400000282
Bologna 2016–17 Serie A 1110000—111
2017–18 Serie A 2900000—290
2018–19 Serie A 2003000—230
Total 601300000631
Rangers 2019–20 Scottish Premiership 81004160182
2020–21 Scottish Premiership 151000031182
Total 232004191364
Career total 17861824121122110

International
As of 8 September 2020[15]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Sweden 201730
201830
201950
202010
Total120

Honours

Club

Malmö FF

International

Sweden U21

Individual

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.
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