The Columbus Crew announced Wednesday that Henrik Rydström has been named the ninth full-time head coach in Club history. Rydström – who most recently led the renowned Malmö FF of Allsvenskan, Sweden’s top football division – comes to the Black & Gold with 10 years of coaching experienceafter playing professionally for 24 years.

Rydström is joined by assistant coach Theodor Olsson and First Team analyst Mak Pakhei. Crew goalkeeper coach Phil Boerger and head of video & data analysis Marc O’Neill will continue in their roles with the Club.

“Henrik has proven his leadership ability throughout an established coaching and playing career, and we collectively share a vision for how we can continue to advance and evolve the Club’s dynamic style of play,” said General Manager Issa Tall. “During the head coaching search, we prioritized candidates’ personalities and care for their club as a whole, in addition to their coaching accolades.”

“I’m excited to coach the Crew and thank the Haslam, Johnson and Edwards families, Issa, Marc and the entire team for the opportunity to join the Club. After every meeting with Crew leadership, the feeling continued to grow that this Club is special and something that you want to be part of,” said Rydström.

“As a coach, you love the Crew’s playing style and how the players enjoy it, the focus on hard work and the Club’s passionate supporters. Our goal is to continue to build upon the team’s impressive success and attacking style while combining the desire to win with challenging ourselves every day to improve and to create joy for the team and supporters.”

Hired as Malmö FF’s head coach in December 2022, Rydström compiled a 39-9-12 record in Allsvenskan competition during his two full seasons with the club. His squad averaged more than two points per match in 2023 (2.13 per game) and 2024 (2.17 per game) and amassed 20 league wins during his first campaign.

Rydström, who played professionally in his native Sweden for nearly a quarter century, is a Kalmar youth product and midfielder by trade. From 1994-2013, he competed in 551 league games and scored 23 goals with Kalmar while his 802 matches across all competitions are an active record for the club.