Andreas Andersson (footballer, born 1974)


Andreas Claes Andersson is a Swedish former footballer who played as a striker. Andersson played professionally in Sweden, Italy, and England, and was the 1996 Allsvenskan top scorer with IFK Göteborg. He scored 8 goals in 43 international matches for the Sweden national team, and represented them at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Club career

Early career

Andreas Andersson was signed by the Division 2 club Tidaholms G&IF before the 1994 season from the Division 5 club Hova IF. He scored 6 goals in 9 games for Tidaholm before being signed by the Allsvenskan outfit Degerfors IF during the same year. He spent a season and a half at Degerfors, scoring 16 Allsvenskan goals in 40 games.

IFK Göteborg

Prior to the 1996 Allsvenskan season, Andersson signed for the reigning Allsvenskan champions IFK Göteborg. During his first season with Göteborg, Andersson finished as the Allsvenskan top scorer with 19 goals as IFK Göteborg won the league. In the 1996–97 UEFA Champions League, Andersson scored against A.C. Milan in a 2–4 group stage loss at San Siro. During the 1997 season, Andersson scored 13 goals in 13 games during the first half of the season, before leaving the club during the summer.

A.C. Milan

Andersson was signed by Milan ahead of the 1997–98 Serie A season. He scored his only Serie A goal for Milan in a 1–0 win against Empoli F.C. on 5 October 1997.

Newcastle United

Andersson signed for Newcastle United in the English Premier League in January 1998. He played in the 1998 FA Cup Final, which Newcastle lost to Arsenal.

AIK

Andersson returned to Sweden in the summer of 1999, as AIK's most expensive signing ever ahead of their 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League campaign. He scored two goals against Arsenal during that Champions League season in a 2–3 group stage loss at Råsunda Stadium in Solna, Sweden.
Injury problems caused him to retire on 1 August 2005, with Andersson looking to remain in football as a coach.

International career

Andersson made his debut for the Sweden national team on 25 February 1996 in a friendly game against Australia in Brisbane, in which he scored 2 goals.

UEFA Euro 2000

He scored his first competitive international goal in a 2–1 win against England in a UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying match, which ultimately helped Sweden qualify for Euro 2000. However, an injury to his cruciate ligament caused him to miss the tournament.

2002 FIFA World Cup

On 5 September 2001 Andersson scored the decisive goal against Turkey in Istanbul in a 2-1 victory, which meant that Sweden qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup the following summer. Andersson was used as a substitute in the tournament and nearly scored against Argentina, but his shot hit the cross bar. He played in all four games as Sweden was eliminated by Senegal in the second round.

UEFA Euro 2004 and retirement

His last ever international appearance came in a UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying game against San Marino on 7 June 2003, before another knee injury ruled Andersson out of playing for Sweden at Euro 2004.
In total Andersson won 43 caps for Sweden, scoring 8 goals.

Career statistics

Club

International

International goals

Honours

IFK Göteborg

• Allsvenskan: 1996

AIK

• Superettan: 2005

Individual

• Allsvenskan top scorer: 1996