Tomas Brolin

Per Tomas Brolin (born 29 November 1969) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a forward or as a midfielder.

He also represented Näsvikens IK, GIF Sundsvall, IFK Norrköping, Leeds, FC Zürich, Crystal Palace and Hudiksvall ABK during a career that spanned between 1984 and 1998.

Brolin's first league match in an adult league competition was for Näsvikens IK in 1984 at the age of 14 against Kilafors, and he went on to make 36 appearances for the fourth division club.

GIF Sundsvall, spotted Brolin and offered him a contract in which he could continue his education while developing his career.

In 1986 Brolin enrolled at Fotbollsgymnasiet, the football academy in Sundsvall.

He was subsequently signed by GIF Sundsvall, making his first team debut in 1987 against IF Elfsborg.

At club level, he had a successful period with A.C. Parma during the early 1990s, winning the 1992 Coppa Italia, the 1993 Cup Winners' Cup, the 1993 UEFA Super Cup, and the 1995 UEFA Cup.

A full international between 1990 and 1995, Brolin won 47 caps and scored 27 goals for the Sweden national team and helped them finish third at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

He was also a member of the Sweden squads that competed at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 1992, and 1992 Summer Olympics.

He was the 1990 and 1994 recipient of Guldbollen as Sweden's best footballer of the year.

After three seasons at Sundsvall, Brolin moved to IFK Norrköping where he scored 7 goals in 9 games during the 1990 Allsvenskan spring season.

Brolin was signed by Italian club Parma in 1990, just after the club had been promoted back to Serie A.

He quickly formed an effective partnership at Parma with Alessandro Melli: The two together scored 20 goals, 13 from Melli and 7 from Brolin.

Parma finished in joint fifth-place in their first season back in Serie A. It was the first time that the team qualified for Europe in their history.

In 1991–92, Brolin played in all 34 of Parma's Serie A matches, scoring four goals.

Parma finished in sixth place and lifted the Coppa Italia.

Brolin scored two vital goals in the Coppa Italia run: one in a 1–1 draw with Fiorentina and the second in the 1–0 victory over Sampdoria in the semi-final.

Parma beat Juventus 2–1 on aggregate in the final to lift their first trophy in the club's history.

In 1992–93, after Parma won the European Cup Winners' Cup, the club purchased the Colombian Faustino Asprilla and the Argentine Sergio Berti.

The addition of the two foreign players, however, meant the positions of Parma's three other non-Italian players – Cláudio Taffarel, Georges Grün and Brolin – were not guaranteed, as the club could only field three stranieri, or foreign players, in a match.

Before Asprilla's arrival, Brolin had been playing up-front with fellow forward Alessandro Melli.

Parma's coach, however, benched Brolin in favour of Asprilla for most of the season.

When Asprilla played, Brolin's number 11 was handed to Asprilla with Brolin playing either in the number 8 or 9 jersey.

Brolin did help the club lift the European Cup Winners' Cup by defeating Royal Antwerp 3–1 in the final at Wembley Stadium.

The following season, the club signed duo Gianfranco Zola and Massimo Crippa for a total of £9 million from cash strapped Napoli, putting Brolin's place in the team even more in the balance.

Coach Scala, having seen the benefit of playing Brolin in midfield during the previous season, decided to play Brolin in a deeper position than his first three seasons at the club.

He was handed Melli's number 7 jersey and played in a three-man midfield with Gabriele Pin on the right, Crippa on the left and Asprilla and Zola leading the attack.

When the team was a goal down or in need of extra firepower up front, striker Melli came on as a substitute in place of Pin and Zola dropped into midfield, a tactic that was deployed by the coach during the 1993–94 season.

The club reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup having beaten Ajax and Benfica on the road to Copenhagen, where they played Arsenal in the final.

Despite Brolin coming close to scoring in the first 15 minutes and even hitting the post, Parma lost 1–0.

13 days before his 25th birthday in November 1994 he broke a bone in his foot leading to 5 months out of first team football.

After returning from that injury he was unable to deliver the height of performance he had pre-injury.

After struggles with form, injury and weight he retired as a footballer at the age of 28.

On 16 November 1994 at the Råsunda Stadion in Stockholm, Brolin had broken his foot in a qualifier for UEFA Euro 1996.

At the time of his injury, Parma were two points clear at the top of the 1994–95 Serie A league table.

By the time he returned on 23 April 1995, however, Parma were eight points behind leaders and eventual champions Juventus.

With Gianfranco Zola missing, Brolin was given his first full start after his injury on 7 May 1995, a week after he resumed playing for Sweden.

His first start in nearly six months came against Genoa, and Parma needed a victory to keep the pressure on runaway leaders Juventus.

Brolin lasted 62 minutes before he was substituted for Stefano Fiore as Parma drew 0–0 and slipped seven points behind in the title race.

Brolin struggled the rest of the season to find his form and fitness, but nonetheless continued to make appearances.