Swedish international star Tomas Brolin made his name in
Serie A after a transfer to newly-promoted Parma in 1990.
Having started out at Nasvikens, Brolin moved to Sundsvall
and Norrkoping before his big break came when afforded an opportunity to move
to Italy shortly after the hugely successful World Cup was held in the
football-mad country.
Blonde-haired Brolin could play as an attacking midfielder or
striker and his partnership with fellow 20-year-old Alessandro Melli fired
Parma to fifth spot in their opening season in tandem, thus qualifying for
European competition for the first time in the club’s history.
It was a magical five years in the Emilia-Romagna region of
northern Italy, during which the Swede won the Coppa Italia in 1992, the Cup
Winners’ Cup and UEFA Super Cup the following year, plus a UEFA Cup in 1995.
Brolin also made a mark at international level during that golden period,
scoring three goals during Euro ’92, as he led the nation to the semi-finals of
the tournament on home soil.
He repeated the feat at the USA World Cup of 1994, hitting
three goals in seven matches as the Scandinavians reached the last four and
later claimed third place after the traditional play-off between the losing semi-finalists.
Unfortunately, a broken foot in November 1994 when playing
for the national team largely curtailed his season at club level, costing him
five months on the sidelines. Parma held top spot in Serie A at the time of the
injury, but were eight points adrift of eventual champions Juventus by the time
Brolin returned.
Once the comeback commenced, the Hudiksvall-born goalscorer
was still classed as a major part of the set-up at Parma. However, he didn’t
quite look the same player on the resumption of his career and the Italian club
made the decision to secure the signing of Bulgarian Hristo Stoichkov during
the summer of 1995. It was a bitter blow for Brolin, as he quickly realised
that the chances of regular first-team football would be severely limited.
Parma gave short shrift to their out-of-favour playmaker as
the season got underway, giving him little time on the field due to a perceived
loss of form. Brolin didn’t stick around for long under those conditions and
moved to English Premier League side Leeds United in November 1995.
The switch was met with much fanfare, but descended quickly
into mutual disdain between player and fans due to numerous poor performances
and well-documented weight problems. The slight Brolin of old had long gone, to
be replaced by a shadow of the player he once was. The fans were massively frustrated
at their new addition, especially considering Leeds shelled out £4.3 million
for the once-feared forward.
By the latter part of the season, Brolin’s ankle had become
a serious issue and he underwent surgery in an effort to correct the problem.
Despite an impressive international record of 47 appearances and 26 goals for
Sweden, August 1995 signalled the end of Brolin’s international career after a
dispute with coach Tommy Svensson, amid the added disappointment of failing to
make it to the Euro ’96 finals. For a man that once came in fourth for the
European Footballer of the Year award in 1994, it was a spectacular fall from
the heights he’d reached previously.
Loan spells at FC Zurich, former club Parma and Crystal
Palace followed, but Brolin simply couldn’t recapture the form that he’d
frequently displayed in the past. After two seasons away from Elland Road, a
permanent move back to his homeland materialised in the shape of a free
transfer to Hudiksvall. He made a solitary appearance in the colours of his
hometown team before retiring from the game aged just 29.
Brolin will always be remembered for that stunning goal in
Euro ’92 that helped send England crashing out of the tournament, as well as
his superb form during that glittering first stint with Parma. However, he’ll
also be known as a footballer who lost his magic almost as quickly as it came
and could have achieved much more in the game had it not been for debilitating injury.
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