Columbus Crew has appointed Henrik Rydstrom as their new head coach, bringing valuable championship experience to a team currently undergoing changes.
Rydstrom was announced as the replacement for Wilfried Nancy, the former MLS Coach of the Year, who left the team on Dec. 3 to take over at Scotland’s Celtic FC.
The 49-year-old Swede takes over a club that is also losing its legendary captain, Darlington Nagbe. Nagbe, a four-time MLS Cup champion, announced his retirement following the 2025 season.
Rydstrom’s recent success includes coaching Malmo FF, where he led the team to back-to-back Swedish league titles in 2023 and 2024, along with the 2023-24 Swedish Cup.
Before this, he managed IK Sirius from 2019 to 2020 and Kalmar FF from 2021 to 2022 in Sweden, following a 24-year career as a professional player.
“Henrik has shown strong leadership throughout his coaching and playing career, and we share a vision to improve the club’s vibrant playing style,” said Crew general manager Issa Tall.
“When searching for a head coach, we focused on their personalities and commitment to the club, along with their coaching success. Henrik embodies these qualities, and we are excited to start the 2026 season with a goal of consistently competing for championships in Columbus.”
Rydstrom will be joined by assistant coach Theodor Olsson and first-team analyst Mak Pakhei. Phil Boerger will continue as goalkeeper coach, and Marc O’Neill will remain the head of video and data analysis for the Crew.
“After every meeting with the Crew leadership, I felt increasingly that this club is unique and something I want to be a part of,” Rydstrom said.
“As a coach, I admire the Crew’s playing style and how much the players enjoy it. The focus on hard work and the commitment from supporters is inspiring. Our aim is to build on the team’s strong performance and attacking style while striving to win and improving daily for the joy of the team and fans.”
Columbus will kick off the Rydstrom era in the 2026 MLS season opener on Feb. 21 against the Portland Timbers at home.
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