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Thomas Frank (football manager)

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Thomas Frank
Personal information
Full name Thomas Frank[1]
Date of birth (1973-10-09) 9 October 1973 (age 51)
Place of birth Frederiksværk, Denmark[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Brentford (head coach)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Frederiksværk BK
Managerial career
2008–2011 Denmark U16
2008–2012 Denmark U17
2012–2013 Denmark U19
2013–2016 Brøndby IF
2018– Brentford
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Thomas Frank (born 9 October 1973) is a Danish professional football coach and former amateur player, who is head coach of Premier League club Brentford.

After 18 years in youth coaching, which included spells as manager of multiple Danish national youth teams, Frank became a senior manager with Brøndby IF in 2013. After his departure in 2016, he moved to English club Brentford as assistant head coach and was promoted into the role of head coach in October 2018. At the end of the 2020–21 season, Frank became only the second Brentford head coach or manager to achieve promotion to the top-flight of English football.

Managerial career

Denmark

After a short playing career in amateur football as a midfielder,[3] Frank began his coaching career with the U8 and U12 teams at Frederiksværk BK.[4] He moved on to Hvidovre IF in 1998, B93 in 2005 and Lyngby in 2006.[4][5] In July 2008, Frank was appointed manager of the Denmark national U16 and U17 teams.[4][6] In 2011, he led the U17 team to the European U17 Championship finals for the first time in eight years (advancing to the semi-finals before losing 2–0 to Germany) and to its first U17 World Cup,[7][8][9] in which the team was eliminated in the group stage.[10] Frank was promoted to the Denmark U19 manager's job in July 2012,[11] but he failed to qualify for the 2013 European U19 Championship.[12] During his time working for the DBU, Frank also acted as manager during an unofficial U18 match in 2010 and presided over one U20 match in 2012, covering for Morten Wieghorst.[13] He also served as assistant for the U18, U17, U16 and women's U17 teams on an ad-hoc basis.[13]

Brøndby IF

Frank was named as manager of Danish Superliga club Brøndby IF on 10 June 2013, his first position in senior football.[14] He achieved 4th- and 3rd-place finishes respectively in the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons, high enough to qualify for the Europa League qualification stages,[15] but failed to lead the club into the group stage in either season.[16][17] Frank resigned on 9 March 2016 after receiving criticism from chairman Jan Bech Andersen, under a pseudonym, on an online supporters' forum.[18][19]

Brentford

Assistant role and appointment as head coach (2016–2019)

On 9 December 2016, Frank moved to England to join Championship club Brentford as assistant head coach alongside Richard O'Kelly.[20] He signed a 2+1⁄2-year contract.[21] In addition to being a "bridge between the players and the coaching staff",[22] co-director of football Rasmus Ankersen revealed that Frank would also "look after the players between the B team and the first team and make sure there is a pathway for them and take care of their development".[23] In February 2018, he signed a new contract, which would run until the end of the 2019–20 season.[24]

On 16 October 2018, after the departure of head coach Dean Smith, it was announced that Frank had been promoted into the role.[25] He took over a club rocked by the recent death of technical director Robert Rowan and endured a tough start to his tenure, winning just one of his first 10 games,[26] before stabilising the team's form after a change to a 3–4–3 formation.[22] Seven points from a possible nine in January 2019 saw him nominated for the Championship Manager of the Month award.[27] He guided Brentford to the fifth round of the FA Cup and an 11th-place finish in the Championship at the end of the 2018–19 season.[26]

Promotion to the Premier League (2019–2021)

After an uneven start to the 2019–20 season and switching back to a 4–3–3 formation,[28][29] 10 points from five matches in October 2019 saw Frank nominated for the Championship Manager of the Month award.[30] With Brentford in the play-off places,[31] Frank and his assistant Brian Riemer signed new 3+1⁄2-year contracts in January 2020.[26][32] After the season restart,[33] an unbeaten June won Frank the Championship Manager of the Month award and he oversaw Brentford's run to the 2020 Championship play-off final,[34] which Brentford lost 2–1 to West London rivals Fulham.[35]

Frank reached 100 matches as Brentford manager in late October 2020; at the time he had the highest winning percentage of any Brentford manager with a tenure of 100 matches or more.[36] In the midst of a 21-match unbeaten run in league matches,[37] five wins in December 2020 won Frank the Championship Manager of the Month award.[38] Following a run to the club's first ever appearance in the semi-finals of the EFL Cup, Frank managed Brentford to a second-successive third-place Championship finish during the 2020–21 regular season.[39] The team went one better than the previous season during the play-offs, winning promotion to the Premier League after a 2–0 victory over Swansea City in the 2021 Championship play-off final.[39] The promotion made him the second Brentford head coach to win promotion to the top-tier,[40] after Harry Curtis won the Second Division championship in 1934–35.[41] During the 2020–21 season, Frank was named the 2020 DBU Coach of the Year and was nominated for the 2021 London Football Awards Manager of the Year award.[42][43]

Premier League (2021–present)

Halfway through the 2021–22 season – with Brentford placed 14th in the Premier League table, 9 points clear of the relegation zone – Frank and his assistant Brian Riemer signed 3+1⁄2-year contract extensions on 21 January 2022.[44][45] In March 2022, Frank was nominated for a second successive DBU Coach of the Year award.[46] An unbeaten April 2022 saw Frank nominated for the Premier League Manager of the Month award and the following month,[47] he was nominated for the Premier League Manager of the Season award.[48] He oversaw a final Premier League placing of 13th.[49] With 10% less possession per match compared to the previous season in the Championship, Frank and the coaching staff adjusted the team's style of play, emphasising scoring from dead-ball situations and counter attacks.[50] F.C. Copenhagen's recent "stats against the top teams in Europe" was an inspiration defensively.[50]

In October 2022, Frank achieved the feat of having won more of his first 200 matches than any Brentford head coach or manager to also reach 200.[49] Frank's assistant Brian Riemer left his role on 2 December 2022 and was replaced three days later by Claus Nørgaard,[51] who had previously worked as Frank's assistant at the DBU and Brøndby IF.[52] On Christmas Eve 2022, Frank signed a new 4+1⁄2-year contract.[49] Unbeaten form around the turn of the year saw Frank nominated for the November/December 2022 and January 2023 Premier League Manager of the Month awards.[53][54] In March 2023, Frank won the 2022 DBU Coach of the Year award.[42] Brentford went into the final day of the season in contention to finish in the final European place, but despite a 1–0 victory over Manchester City (completing a season double over the league champions), results elsewhere saw the club finish 9th.[55]

Personal life

Frank was awarded a BA in Physical Education by the Copenhagen Institute of Sports Medicine in 1999 and studied sport psychology and coaching-based leadership at the same institution between 2002 and 2005.[4] He also worked at a kindergarten and later taught at Ishøj Business College in 2004.[4][56] Prior to moving to London in December 2016, Frank lived in Hvidovre.[21] He is married and has three children.[4][56]

Managerial statistics

As of match played 2 September 2023[13][57]
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record
P W D L Win %
Denmark U16 1 July 2008 2011 25 10 3 12 040.00
Denmark U17 1 July 2008 July 2012 66 38 14 14 057.58
Denmark U19 July 2012 June 2013 15 10 1 4 066.67
Brøndby IF 10 June 2013 9 March 2016 103 46 29 28 044.66
Brentford 16 October 2018 Present 237 105 61 71 044.30
Total 446 209 107 130 046.86

Honours

Denmark U17

Brentford

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Manager Details: Thomas Frank". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Frederiksværk" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  3. ^ Bees Live | Which player would Thomas Frank compare himself to? (Interview). brentfordfc.com. 20 September 2019. Event occurs at 3:01. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "U19-landstræner". 12 May 2013. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  5. ^ "10 things to know about Thomas Frank". Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  6. ^ "Thomas Frank ny U17-landstræner". Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  7. ^ "Denmark". UEFA.com. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  8. ^ "Frank aiming to write further history". FIFA.com. 13 June 2011. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  9. ^ "Under-17 2011 – Denmark-Germany". UEFA.com. 15 May 2011. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  10. ^ "FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011 – Groups". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  11. ^ "Trænerrokade på U-landsholdene". Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  12. ^ "U19-drenge misser EM efter nederlag". Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  13. ^ a b c d "Landsholdsdatabasen". DBU (in Danish). Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  14. ^ "Thomas Frank ny cheftræner i Brøndby". Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  15. ^ "Brondby Recent History". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  16. ^ "UEFA Europa League 2014/15 – History – Brøndby". UEFA.com. Archived from the original on 3 August 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  17. ^ "UEFA Europa League 2015/16 – History – Brøndby". UEFA.com. Archived from the original on 22 August 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  18. ^ "Brondby coach Thomas Frank quits after chairman's online forum criticism". The Guardian. 9 March 2016. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  19. ^ "Thomas Frank færdig i Brøndby". Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  20. ^ "Danish Coach Thomas Frank joins Brentford to work alongside Dean Smith and Richard O'Kelly". Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  21. ^ a b "Thomas Frank". DBU (in Danish). Archived from the original on 13 August 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  22. ^ a b "Romaine Sawyers: "I'm going to keep being me"". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  23. ^ Street, Tim (12 December 2016). "Brentford director of football reveals new coach's duties". getwestlondon. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  24. ^ "Dean Smith, Richard O'Kelly, and Thomas Frank sign contract extensions". Brentford FC. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  25. ^ "Thomas Frank appointed new Brentford FC Head Coach". Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  26. ^ a b c "Thomas Frank signs new contract". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  27. ^ "Sky Bet Championship: January Manager of the Month Nominations". www.efl.com. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  28. ^ "Brentford league performance history: League Championship table after close of play on 01 October 2019". www.11v11.com. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  29. ^ "Brentford philosophy could still lead to the Premier League". FootballCritic. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  30. ^ "Thomas Frank misses out on Manager of the Month award". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  31. ^ "Brentford 3–2 Middlesbrough: Ollie Watkins scores late on to give Bees win". BBC Sport. 8 February 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  32. ^ "Brian Riemer signs new contract". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  33. ^ "The journey continues as the Sky Bet Championship schedule and TV selections confirmed". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  34. ^ "Thomas Frank named Sky Bet Championship Manager of the Month for June". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  35. ^ "Championship play-off final: Brentford 1–2 Fulham (AET)". BBC Sport. 4 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  36. ^ @BrentfordFC (25 October 2020). "Not the way we wanted to mark it but Thomas hits 100 games with the highest win percentage of any Bees manager to reach the landmark" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  37. ^ "Barnsley end Bees' 21-match unbeaten run". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  38. ^ "Thomas Frank wins Manager of the Month prize". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  39. ^ a b c "Frank's key Bees wins". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  40. ^ Brentford F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  41. ^ "Remembering The Guvnor: Harry Curtis". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  42. ^ a b c "Frank wins Danish Coach of the Year 2022". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  43. ^ "Thomas, Ivan, and Bryan shortlisted for London Football Awards". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  44. ^ Harris, Jay. "Thomas Frank signs new Brentford contract, will run until summer 2025". The Athletic. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  45. ^ "Thomas and Brian sign new contracts". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  46. ^ "Thomas misses out on Danish coaching prize". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  47. ^ "Thomas misses out on Barclays Manager of the Month award". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  48. ^ "Thomas Frank misses out on Premier League Manager of the Season award". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  49. ^ a b c d "Frank signs new contract". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  50. ^ a b Marshall, Sam. "Kevin O'Connor: Adaptability the key to Brentford's success". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  51. ^ "Riemer joins Anderlecht". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  52. ^ "Claus Nørgaard appointed". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  53. ^ "Frank and Mee nominated for Premier League awards". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  54. ^ "Frank and Raya nominated for Premier League awards". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  55. ^ "Brentford miss out on Europe despite beating Man City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  56. ^ a b Dickinson, Matt. "Thomas Frank: Going for a pint at the local with top flight's most 'ordinary' boss". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  57. ^ Thomas Frank management career statistics at Soccerbase
  58. ^ "U-17 Syrenka Cup (Poland)". RSSSF. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  59. ^ "Thomas Frank and Ollie Watkins win at London Football Awards". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
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