Eirik Horneland Emerges as Top Candidate for Aberdeen Manager Role

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Former Saint-Etienne coach Eirik Horneland has emerged as the leading candidate for the managerial position at Aberdeen. The 50-year-old has caught the attention of the club’s hierarchy following final stage interviews. He is currently considered the number one target for the role.

Managerial Search and Current Standings

Aberdeen’s sporting director, Lutz Pfannenstiel, has overseen an extensive process to find a new head coach. This search intensified following the sacking of Jimmy Thelin in early January. Peter Leven has been acting as interim manager, achieving one victory in four league matches and managing to advance in the Scottish Cup against Raith Rovers.

As of now, Aberdeen sits seventh in the Scottish Premiership, eight points adrift of the top six teams but with a game in hand over Falkirk, the team directly above them.

Horneland’s Background

Career Start: Horneland began as an assistant manager at Haugesund, where he also played.
Norway U19: He coached the national U19 team before returning to Haugesund, where he gained recognition for his work over three years.
Rosenborg Tenure: Horneland became the manager of Rosenborg in 2019, leading the team to third place in the league and a spot in the Europa League group stage.
Brann Success: After a brief stint as an assistant at Brann, he took on the head coach position, securing promotion back to the top flight in his first season and breaking league records for points and goals.
Saint-Etienne Role: His most recent position was with Saint-Etienne, from which he departed by mutual consent last month.

Next Steps for Aberdeen

The final decision on the new manager is expected this week, with Horneland competing against candidates such as Stephen Robinson from St Mirren, Uwe Rosler of VfL Bochum, and Markus Gisdol. Aberdeen fans will be eager to see who will lead the club forward in the upcoming fixtures.