Thelin 'accepts' Aberdeen sacking after winless run

· BBC Sport

Aberdeen have parted with Scottish Cup-winning manager Jimmy Thelin with the team eighth in the Scottish Premiership and on a five-match winless run.

The Swede, 47, said he would "accept this decision" and "take my share of responsibility".

His departure comes eight months after he led the Pittodrie side to their first Scottish Cup win in 35 years, beating holders Celtic on penalties.

Saturday's 1-0 Scottish Premiership loss at Falkirk was the Dons' second straight defeat and followed a draw with Dundee United and losses to Celtic and Conference League opponents Sparta Prague.

First-team coach Peter Leven takes charge on an interim basis, starting with Tuesday's trip to Rangers.

Assistant manager Christer Persson is also leaving Pittodrie.

Thelin said: "Today my time as manager at Aberdeen comes to an end. It is with great respect for this historic club that I accept this decision.

"Results ultimately decide the tenure of this profession, and as such I take my share of responsibility.

"I believe wholly in the work that was done; however, football doesn't always allow time for belief to become results. I would like to thank the players for their commitment and effort during my time as their coach, and the staff who worked every day with loyalty and pride.

"I would also like to thank the supporters. Your passion for your team never waivers, even in disappointment.

"Aberdeen will forever be a part of my journey, and it has been an honour to lead this great club and share that memorable day together at Hampden. I leave wishing success to everyone involved both on and off the pitch."

Aberdeen said "results and performances have fallen below the required standard and have not been commensurate with the level of investment made in the first-team squad and football operation".

Chairman Dave Cormack said: "In wishing Jimmy and Christer the very best for the future I want to thank them for delivering our first Scottish Cup win in 35 years last May.

"These memories will last a lifetime, and Jimmy will be forever etched into Aberdeen's history for delivering such a special day for our supporters, as only one of six Aberdeen managers to win the Scottish Cup in our storied 122-year history.

"However, after significant investment in recent windows, we have not kicked on in the way we hoped or expected following that success.

"We have tried to give the situation as much time as possible, but recent performances have been significantly below the standards we expect, and we believe it is now right to take a different direction."

Thelin had come under pressure earlier in the season, with Aberdeen having taken just one point from their opening six league games and been knocked out of the Premier Sports Cup by Motherwell.

However, an upturn in domestic form gave the former Elfsborg head coach more time.

Aberdeen, who also host Rangers next Sunday, finished second bottom of the Conference League league phase with just two points.

Thelin won eight of a possible 30 games across all competitions since the Scottish Cup final and said after Saturday's loss: "I won't talk much about the game, but more about ourselves. The desire, there's too many individual decisions.

"Football is more than technique and systems. It's how you act on the football pitch. It's about responsibility. We've been here before, we've bounced back, but now we're back some steps again.

"Even if you don't have the perfect game, it should always feel like we give the fans everything, and right now we aren't doing that. That's not good enough.

"I'm the manager, I'm responsible, but sometimes the players have to look in the mirror and know what football is about. We have to drop our egos and play much better as a team."

Peter Leven will take temporary charge of Aberdeen againSNS

Thelin joined Aberdeen in the summer of 2024 and made an impressive impact, winning 14 and drawing one of his opening 15 games in charge.

However, a 6-0 loss to Celtic in last season's League Cup semi-final heralded a downturn in league form and Aberdeen's Premiership season never really recovered from their humbling at Hampden.

In the Scottish Cup final, Aberdeen forced extra time after trailing at the break and won through in the shootout to seal a Europa League qualifying berth.

Defeat over two legs against Romanian side FCSB consigned the Dons to the Conference League, where they picked up draws against AEK Larnaca and Noah. A 6-0 loss at AEK Athens and 3-0 defeat by Sparta Prague illustrated the defensive problems Aberdeen had in Europe this season.

The club are now looking for their fifth manager since Derek McInnes' eight-year reign ended in 2021, with Cormack having been chairman for the past four appointments.

Thelin lasted two games longer than predecessor Barry Robson, despite having a slightly lower win rate.

Leven, who will be assisted by Craig Hinchliffe and sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel, previously oversaw the first team following Robson's sacking in early 2024 and after interim boss Neil Warnock's short tenure later that year. Leven won six of his 12 games in charge that season.

Aberdeen say Pfannenstiel "will also lead the process to appoint the club's next permanent manager".

'Thelin's rollercoaster reign ends'

ByTyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Jimmy Thelin's 18-month spell in charge of Aberdeen can be described as a real football rollercoaster - one which reached the ultimate high, last season's Scottish Cup glory, but which also plunged to some real lows.

The appointment of the Swede in the summer of 2024 was widely welcomed as a move showing the club were thinking out of the box. He arrived in Scotland with a big managerial reputation back in his homeland but he's just not been able to succeed in the Scottish Premiership.

It is hard to put your finger on exactly why - he has certainly been backed financially, more than any other Aberdeen manager.

Despite that, his teams have consistently failed to deliver – a fifth-placed Premiership finish last season and their current position of eighth bearing testament to that.

He brought in a lot of players – a few, the likes of Peter Ambrose and Kusini Yengi, have seen barely any game time, while a lot of the others have, so far, failed to impress. The football that has been served up has also been a tough watch.

While fans and boards of directors can accept losing if there is a clear sign of progress, they won't accept it if there is little, or no, evidence that the team is heading in the right direction. That was the point the Red Army, and the Pittodrie powerbrokers, were at.

Has all of the above been down to coaching, tactics or recruitment? Possibly a bit of everything. The only surprise is perhaps that it has taken so long for the change to be made.

There have been a number of points during this campaign where I have walked away from post-match interviews with Thelin thinking he was a beaten man and his time was up, but he managed to soldier on – until now.

I will remember him as being a thoroughly nice man – but being nice doesn't win you football matches. Maybe he was too nice, who knows.

It will be fascinating to see the route the club now go down as they seek to bring in their 26th permanent manager. That process will be led by recently appointed sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel. The German's arrival was accompanied by a lot of talk about his global network of contacts.

Given that, will the Dons go international again – or can the solution to their managerial conundrum be found much closer to home? We will find out over the coming weeks.