Niklas Sandberg (Swedish footballer)

Niklas Sandberg

Personal information
Full name	Niklas Magnus Sandberg
Date of birth	(1978-09-03) 3 September 1978
Place of birth	Stockholm, Sweden
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Centre Back
Youth career
1985–1989	Haningepojkarna
1990–1994	Västerhaninge IF
1996	AIK
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1995	Västerhaninge IF	13	(0)
1996–1997	AIK	2	(0)
1998–1999	IK Sirius	48	(3)
2000	Helsingborgs IF	5	(0)
2001–2003	FC Café Opera	83	(5)
2004–2007	AIK	82	(2)
2007–2008	CFR Cluj	10	(1)
2008–2009	Stabæk	9	(0)
2009	FK Haugesund	22	(1)
2010	SAFFC	12	(1)
2011–2013	IK Brage	70	(3)
International career‡
2007	Sweden	2	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23 November 2013 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22 November 2011

Niklas Sandberg (born 3 September 1978) is a retired Swedish centre-back who last played for Swedish Superettan club Brage.

He started his career in the Swedish top flight in AIK in 1996 but only played two games during two years. After a spell at Helsingborg he returned to Stockholm in 2001 to play at FC Café Opera. He played there for three years and then returned to AIK in 2004. In May 2007 he was traded to Romanian first league side CFR Cluj, becoming the first Swedish footballer ever to play in Liga 1.

Sandberg is tall and powerfully built, and thus physically strong and tough to beat in the air. He reads the game well and is a decent passer. Thus, he can also play as a defensive midfielder.

In December 2009, Niklas Sandberg approached Singapore's S League champions, SAFFC on his own accord and eventually signed for them. SAFFC has qualified for the 2010 AFC Champions League Group Stages and this would make Sandberg a player who has played in both UEFA and AFC Champions League in his entire career thus far.

Career highlights

Sandberg was capped twice by Sweden (2007). He played for Swedish AIK Stockholm from 1996 to 1998, and 2004 to 2007. Played in 1997 Uefa Cup Winners Cup quarter-final against FC Barcelona. Won Romania League title (2007–08) and Norway League title (2008) with CFR 1907 Cluj and Stabaek.

External links

• Niklas Sandberg at Soccerway
• Niklas Sandberg at the Swedish Football Association (in Swedish) (archived)
• Niklas Sandberg Interview