Football fans across Finland have been Googling the name Jacob Friis since Sunday evening, after reports emerged that the previously low-profile Dane has been appointed manager of the Finnish national football team.
The 48-year-old will take over from Markku Kanerva, who was sacked as manager in November after eight years at the helm.
Friis is a relatively unknown quantity as a coach of an international football team. His most recent role was as assistant coach of German top flight side FC Augsburg.
"We are giving Jacob this unique opportunity to become Finland's head coach. It is what he wants, so he should go for it by all means," Augsburg sporting director Michael Ströll told German football magazine Kicker.
Prior to his role with Augsburg, Friis managed Danish Superliga club Viborg as well as a short spell as head coach of the Denmark national under-19 women's team.
Friis becomes the second Dane to manage Finland's national team, following in the footsteps of his compatriot Richard Möller Nielsen, who was in charge from 1996 to 1999.
During Möller Nielsen's tenure — often considered a "golden age" of Finnish footballing talent with players such as Jari Litmanen and Sami Hyypiä in their prime — Finland narrowly missed out on the play-off round to qualify for the 1998 World Cup finals in France.
Friis' first task will be to prepare for Finland's campaign to qualify for the 2026 World Cup finals, an effort which kicks off in March with games against Malta and Lithuania.
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