Norwich City have officially confirmed the appointment of FC Nordsjaelland’s Johannes Hoff Thorup as their new head coach.
The Danish coach has signed a three-year deal to succeed David Wagner in the Canaries hotseat after the two clubs agreed a compensation package reported to be worth over £500k.
Wagner was sacked hours after City’s dismal 4-0 play-off semi final defeat to Leeds United, but would have left his post irrespective of how the Championship campaign concluded as Norwich sought to turn the page.
Thorup becomes City’s 43rd head coach/manager and is the first selected by sporting director Ben Knapper, who identified the 35-year-old as his preferred candidate to lead his new era at the club.
Speaking about his appointment, the Dane told official club channels: “I’m excited, I hope that the supporters are excited as well. I hope that we can create something together, it’s so important that they are proud of the team.
“I feel the connection with the people, the club and the city. Everyone I have met with so far is so humble, nice and easy-going.
“I have my ideas and I have my principles in the way that we are going to play, but I am also here to listen to some of the good stuff that has already been done. I have to make sure that I am very clear that this is something that we do together and everyone has to have that feeling.”
Knapper expressed his delight at securing the services of highly-rated Thorup, as he seeks to implement his City vision alongside the Dane.
“We’re delighted to welcome Johannes to Norwich City,” he said. “After a thorough and robust process, Johannes stood out amongst an incredible shortlist of candidates.
“Through all of our interactions, it was clear that Johannes aligns perfectly with our vision and values. He is a proven developer, with a clear and demonstrable playing style.
“We believe that Johannes will be the perfect fit for the next stage of our new and exciting journey.”
Norwich also held talks with former Reims boss Will Still and Pascal Jansen, most recently at AZ Alkmaar, with the pair travelling to Norfolk for face-to-face conversations. Thorup was always the first choice, however, and City began talks with him and his camp months ago.
Talks escalated following the conclusion of the Superliga campaign last Sunday, with a deal thrashed out in the days that followed. Norwich obtained a work permit for Thorup during the interview process.
Thorup has been in charge at Nordsjaelland for 16 months after stepping into the role of first-team boss to succeed Flemming Pedersen in January 2023. In his 69 matches in charge, he recorded 35 wins, 18 draws and only 16 defeats.
Nordsjaelland scored 138 goals and took 123 points during his tenure, with a win rate of over 50pc.
Thorup has won plaudits for his progressive, possession-based and offensive style of play and integration of youth players, something which is a pre-requisite of Nordsjaelland’s ownership group ‘Right to Dream’.
Thorup has brought former FC Midtjylland manager Glen Riddersholm with him as his assistant, and is City’s second youngest managerial appointment since 1969, behind Alex Neil.
He had a short playing career, during which he had spells with Frederiksen and Akademisk before focusing on coaching early on.
He progressed through the ranks coaching various youth teams at Nordsjaelland after joining them in 2015, becoming assistant head coach six years later and earning the top job in 2023.
