Arsenal Women’s Renee & Blackstenius won trophies together at Linköping & share the same Birthday!

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·21 January 2025

Arsenal Women’s Renee & Blackstenius won trophies together at Linköping & share the same Birthday!

Arsenal Women’s newly-confirmed head coach, Renée Slegers, and Arsenal’s Swedish international striker, Stina Blackstenius, played together with Linköping FC in Sweden from 2013 to 2016. They won the Swedish Cup twice and the Damallsvenskan title once as teammates at Linköping.Now in the year 2025 Renée Slegers is Stina Blackstenius’ manager at The Arsenal.

Renee & Stina Linkoping (Arsenal Women FC Fans Forum)

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Stina Blackstenius began her professional career at Linköping FC in 2013 at the age of 17, signing a three-year contract with the Swedish top-flight club. Renee Slegers also played for Linköping between 2013-2016, joining at the age of 24, but a knee injury cut her career short and she eventually retired from the game in 2018, when she moved onto coaching.

Renee worked as assistant head coach, under Jonas Eidevall, at FC Rosengård then became head coach when Eidevall moved to Arsenal. Slegers led the team to successive Damallsvenskan titles in 2021 and 2022. She left the post in April 2023 and joined Arsenal Women in September 2023, as Eidevall’s assistant head coach. Slegers took over as interim head coach of Arsenal in October 2024 following Jonas Eidevall’s resignation.

Renee’s tenure as interim coach was remarkably successful, with the team going unbeaten across 11 matches, winning 10 and drawing one. Under Slegers’ guidance, Arsenal scored 31 goals while conceding only five, demonstrating both attacking flair and defensive solidity.

Slegers’ success at Arsenal coincided with Blackstenius’s time at the club. Blackstenius had joined Arsenal in January 2022 on a free transfer. The Swedish forward proved to be a valuable asset for the Gunners, scoring crucial goals in various competitions. Notably, she netted the winning goal in the 2023-24 Conti Cup final against Chelsea, securing a 1-0 victory for Arsenal.

On January 17, 2025, Arsenal officially appointed Slegers as the permanent head coach, signing her to a contract through the 2025-26 season. This decision came after Slegers’ impressive interim period, during which she had transformed a struggling team into a cohesive and successful unit, brimming with confidence and a deep desire to win.

The paths of Slegers and Blackstenius, from their Linköping connections to their current roles at Arsenal, highlight the interconnected nature of women’s football. The pair even share the same Birthday, 5th February (albeit Renee was born in 1989 and Stina 1996).

Some big coincidences with these two huh Gooners?! I like interesting facts..

Michelle M

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