Urawa Red Diamonds have announced the appointment of Swedish top-flight winning head coach Per-Mathias Hogmo as their new head coach for the 2024 season.
Hogmo, who won the Allsvenskan in the 2022 season with BK Hacken and took them to this season’s UEFA Europa League group stages, will be succeeding Maciej Skorza, who stepped down from his role following the conclusion of Urawa’s J.League 1 and AFC Champions League campaigns this season.
Skorza has called time to his tenure at Urawa after just one season due to family reasons, with his final assignment with the Reds being the upcoming Club World Cup, with Urawa being the representative of the AFC.
Other than Hacken, Hogmo’s CV also included teams within the Scandinavian region, namely fellow Swedish side Djugardens, Norwegian duo Tromso and Rosenborg, as well as the Norway national team.
As for Skorza, his swansong in charge of Urawa will be in Saudi Arabia, with Urawa taking on reigning CONCACAF Champions Cup winners Club Leon of Mexico at the Prince Abdullah al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah.
Should Urawa win their match against Leon, a mouthwatering tie in the semifinal against UEFA Champions League winners Manchester City of England await the Reds.
Other than Urawa, Leon, and Man City, also partaking in this year’s Club World Cup are New Zealand’s Auckland City, Al-Ahly of Egypt, Fluminense of Brazil, and hosts Al-Ittihad, champions of last season’s Saudi Pro League.
The Club World Cup will be the farewell stage for not only Skorza, but also Guinean midfielder Jose Kante, who announced his retirement at the end of this season. The tournament will also saw history as Skorza has named Thailand international Ekanit Panya in his squad – with the Muangthong United loanee set to become the first Southeast Asian to play in the Club World Cup.