Filip Helander

This article is about the Swedish footballer. For the Hungarian footballer, see Filip Holender.

Filip Viktor Helander (born 22 April 1993) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Cypriot club AC Omonia and for the Sweden national team.

Filip Helander

Helander with Sweden in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Filip Viktor Helander[1]
Date of birth	(1993-04-22) 22 April 1993 (age 32)
Place of birth	Malmö, Sweden
Height	1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)[2]
Position(s)	Centre-back
Team information
Current team	Omonia
Number	4
Youth career
	Kvarnby IK
	Husie IF
2007–2011	Malmö FF
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011–2015	Malmö FF	72	(1)
2015–2016	Verona	24	(2)
2016–2019	Bologna	60	(1)
2019–2023	Rangers	36	(3)
2023–2024	OB	22	(1)
2024–	Omonia	13	(2)
International career‡
2010	Sweden U17	2	(0)
2011–2012	Sweden U19	2	(0)
2012–2015	Sweden U21	19	(0)
2017–	Sweden	23	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Sweden UEFA European Under-21 Championship Winner 2015
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 30 March 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 16:42, 20 November 2023 (UTC)

Club career

Malmö

Helander made his Allsvenskan debut in a match against Syrianska on 17 October 2011.^[3] Helander played the first matches beside Pontus Jansson in defence before being replaced by Daniel Andersson after the second round of matches. On 17 July 2012, Helander signed a first team contract with Malmö until the end of the 2015 season.^[4] When Andersson played less and less after the summer break Helander established himself in the starting lineup and finished the season as a regular starter in the defence. Helander played a total of 12 league matches for Malmö during the 2012 season.^{[citation needed]}

The league title winning 2013 season proved to be the real breakthrough season for Helander as he played 18 matches for the club.^{[citation needed]} He was injured in the early stages of the season and was replaced in the starting line-up by Erik Johansson but later reclaimed this spot in the second part of the season.^{[citation needed]} For the 2014 season Helander played regularly throughout the entire season as the club defended their league title and qualified for the group stage of the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League.^{[citation needed]} He also scored his first league goal for Malmö in 2014 on 23 August in a 3–0 home win against IFK Norrköping.^[5] For his performances in the league Helander was nominated for the award of Allsvenskan defender of the year.^[6] He was also nominated for Swedish defender of the year at Fotbollsgalan.^[7]

Hellas Verona

On 22 July 2015, Helander signed for Hellas Verona in the Italian Serie A.^{[citation needed]} On 23 September, he made his debut against Internazionale in a 1–0 defeat at the San Siro.^{[citation needed]} In the next game against Lazio at home he again was in the starting line up and in the 33rd minute he scored his first Serie A goal.^{[citation needed]} Lazio went on to win the game 2–1.^{[citation needed]}

Bologna

On 31 August 2016, Helander joined Bologna on a season-long loan deal, with an obligation to sign outright at the end of season. As part of the deal, Nicolò Cherubin moved to Verona.^[8] On 12 June 2017, Helander joined Bologna on a definitive basis.^[9]

The following season, his second with the Rossoblù, Helander found more space in the rotation under coach Roberto Donadoni, playing 29 games.^{[citation needed]} His club season ended early in April 2018 because of an injury, but without risking the World Cup in which he participated as a reserve.

Rangers

Helander was announced as a new signing for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership on 13 July 2019.^[10] Helander's cost was £3.5 million.^{[11][failed verification]} He made his debut in a Scottish League Cup tie against East Fife, scoring a goal as Rangers came out 3–0 victors.^[12]

On 11 March 2021, Helander scored the equaliser for Rangers in a 1–1 draw away to Slavia Prague in their Europa League Round of 16 first leg match.^[13]

On 29 August 2021, Helander scored the only goal of the game for Rangers against Celtic in the first Old Firm derby of the 2021–22 season.^[14] On 15 September 2021, Rangers manager Steven Gerrard announced that Helander would be out for the foreseeable future after having undergone surgery on a knee injury sustained in a 2–1 win over St Johnstone four days prior.^[15]

Rangers confirmed on 23 May 2023 that Helander would leave the club at the end of the 2022–23 season.^[16]

OB

On 31 August 2023, Helander joined Danish Superliga side OB on a one-year deal.^[17] Made his debut in a 3-0 defeat to Silkeborg IF on 18 September 2023.

He left OB at the end of the season.^[18]

AC Omonia

On 4 July 2024 his signing by cypriot club AC Omonia was announced.

International career

Helander was called up to the senior Sweden squad to face Moldova in October 2015.^[19]

He was part of Sweden's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.^[20]

In May 2021, he was named in Sweden's squad for the postponed UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.^[21]

Career statistics

Helander in 2019

Club

As of 17 April 2022^[22]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Malmö FF	2011	Allsvenskan	1	0	0	0	—		0	0	1	0
	2012	Allsvenskan	12	0	0	0	—		—		12	0
	2013	Allsvenskan	18	0	3	0	—		2[a]	0	23	0
	2014	Allsvenskan	28	1	4	1	—		10[b]	0	42	2
	2015	Allsvenskan	12	0	4	1	—		0	0	16	1
	Total		71	1	11	2	—		12	0	94	3
Hellas Verona	2015–16	Serie A	24	2	2	0	—		—		26	2
	2016–17	Serie B	0	0	2	0	—		—		2	0
	Total		24	2	4	0	—		—		28	2
Bologna	2016–17	Serie A	11	1	0	0	—		—		11	1
	2017–18	Serie A	29	0	0	0	—		—		29	0
	2018–19	Serie A	20	0	3	0	—		—		23	0
	Total		60	1	3	0	—		—		63	1
Rangers	2019–20	Scottish Premiership	8	1	0	0	4	1	6[a]	0	18	2
	2020–21	Scottish Premiership	22	1	3	0	0	0	6[a]	2	31	3
	2021–22	Scottish Premiership	6	1	2	1	0	0	3[c]	0	11	2
	Total		36	3	5	1	4	1	15	2	60	7
Career total			191	7	23	3	4	1	27	2	245	13

1. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
2. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
3. One appearance in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League

International

As of match played on 19 November 2023^[23]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Sweden	2017	3	0
	2018	3	0
	2019	5	0
	2020	2	0
	2021	5	0
	2022	1	0
	2023	4	0
Total		23	0

Honours

Malmö FF

• Allsvenskan: 2013, 2014
• Svenska Supercupen: 2014

Rangers

• Scottish Premiership: 2020–21^[24]
• Scottish Cup: 2021–22^[25]
• Scottish League Cup runner-up: 2019–20^[26]

Sweden U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2015

Individual

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship – Team of the Tournament: 2015^[27]