Kristoffer Olsson – FC Krasnodar’s midfield maestro
It has been 10 years since a 16-year-old Swede named Kristoffer Olsson moved to Arsenal as a component of their Hale End youth academy featuring with Hector Bellerin, Jon Toral and Chuba Akpom. He was a leading player for a Swedish U21 side that included Robin Quaison, Simon Gustafson, Victor Lindelof, Simon Tibbling and Arber Zeneli and would win the 2015 U21 European Championships. He had returned to Scandinavia with Midtylland and AIK before being offered a lucrative contract with Krasnodar. He has developed into a high-level deep-lying playmaker in the Russian Premier League while starting nine of Sweden’s European Championship Qualifiers.
In a match against Spain, he executed an elaborate turn and dribble to leave two Spanish midfielders floundering as he learned the move from former Swedish footballer, Johan Roxstrom as a youngster when the duo had a training session with Olsson’s father. In another match against Spain, Olsson had a duel with Dani Ceballos who fouled the 25-year-old and allegedly told the midfielder to stop playing like he was Lionel Messi. These are just instances of the elusive and press resistant midfielder that Olsson has developed into with an ability to orchestrate play in the deeper areas, push into the opposition half and work intuitive connections in the final third to create goalscoring opportunities.
As a youngster, Olsson had the dribbling ability and tools to become a progressive deep-lying midfielder, but his decision-making ability could prove to be lacking at times. He could drive the ball into congested areas to lose possession or be too cautious with his passing. In an U21 match against England at U21 European Championships in 2017, he was cautious with his distribution and rarely looked to break lines as he completed 88% of his passes but they were mostly sideways. His defensive positioning in the game was resolute and sound as at Krasnodar, he has become a creative force and can manage the pace and tempo of the game.
He will normally drop into the six-space to receive possession, constantly turning his head to scan the pitch searing for options as if he has immediate pressure, he will work one-touch passes back to his centre-backs before moving into space to receive possession and turn to thread balls through the opposition defensive shape. At times, the speed and tempo in the Russian Premier League may drop to a leisurely pace, especially after the restart of the league due to the COVID-19 pandemic but this does not stop Olsson from finding line-breaking solutions. At times he will even hold the ball and drive into congested zones to attract markers before releasing the ball to a teammate in space as he is deployed as a box-to-box midfielder with responsibilities in build-up as well as in the final third.
He thrives in possession as he has become skilled at pass and move sequences, holding the ball and attracting markers to release the ball to a teammate and make timely movements to drag markers out of position before dropping into space to receive the ball in space. He also has the ability to be creative in all areas of the pitch as he can participate in wide build-up interchanges, receiving the ball and picking his head up to create opportunities for teammates. He can twist and turn out of tackles as with his constant scanning, he can play passes on the half-turn, angling his body and swivelling past markers to play slide-rule passes for teammates to make runs in behind.
The fact that he only has a measly three assists this season is testament to the flaws of the assist metric as he tends to prove influential in the creation of goals. A 4-0 triumph over Akhmat Grozny was proof of the influence Olsson has over Krasnodar’s attacking efforts as for the opener, he received a pass in the opposition half to slalom past two markers and drive into the box through a glut of defenders to chip a pass onto the head of a teammate which bobbled into the path of another teammate to score. Olsson will routinely look to make slaloming runs in the final third to open up spaces and create opportunities for teammates while suddenly speeding up games to catch the opposition off guard. For the third goal, he made an interception to a lay-off a pass for a teammate who spread the ball to the far side for a runner to apply a calm finish to extend Krasnodar’s lead.
In the final third, Olsson perception of space, nonchalant flicks and lay-offs as well as his keen sense for penetrative passes truly come to life as he has the ability to control the tempo, cleverly adjusting it to the needs of his team. He can connect play as he looks for spaces in the final third or he can receive the ball and utilize a turn of pace to drive at an opponent before working an outside of the boot pass or shifting the ball to his weaker left foot to create an opportunity for a teammate.
Against CSKA Moscow, he was in the final third and dropped deeper to demand possession before his team switched the ball to the far side as he made another movement into the ball-near half-space before his side switched the ball again. He then dropped into the central pockets to receive possession and skip away from a marker to play a one-two in the wide areas before working a pass to a deeper central player as his side switched the ball again while Olsson moved into the centre. As the winger was cutting inside and drawing markers, Olsson then moved into space in the pockets and gestured his teammate for a pass which he received to flick-on the ball for an attacker who allowed the ball to run across him before it was cleared by an opponent. In the same game, CSKA cleared a pass that was recovered by the Krasnodar defence for Olsson to work a pass for his fullback who drove inside and played a vertical pass to the winger to play a pass for Olsson in space who worked a through ball for the striker against the run of play.
Olsson can play as an attacking midfielder, interior, inverted winger with an overlapping fullback as well as in his favoured role as a deep-lying playmaker. The nuance with which he controls and manages the pace of the game while adding creative intent with his penetrative passes have made him one of the more entertaining players to watch in the Russian Premier League. Since departing Arsenal, Olsson has received more tactical training in the hallowed halls of Midtylland in Denmark as well as playing as a playmaker in a well-drilled 3-5-2 system at AIK which utilized two central midfielders while also playing in a 4-4-2 at international level. Janne Andersson has even given him more creative licence in what could be a progressive Swedish side bursting with a high-level of attacking talent at the European Championships next year.
With all the attacking endeavour he brings, Olsson’s defensive resolve should not be overlooked as he has developed into a high-level counter-pressing conduit. He usually provides press security in the second wave as once he realises his marker will receive possession, he will push forward and regain possession with an interception driving forward and looking to spring a counter-attack. He can also make well timed sliding tackles as he goes to ground with his legs folded before outstretching one to flick the ball out of his opponents grasp as he has grown into a high-level two-way player. He can regain possession and immediately send his team on an attack by driving possession before threading a pass through the lines as it will be enthralling to see his game at a higher paced level.
“He is a different type of midfielder than we have. He can relax and give us a sense of security with the ball, he gives us another alternative and I think he shows immediately that he has the confidence with him after this season and is not afraid of the task. He's doing very well,” said Sebastian Larsson to Hallands Nyheter after Olsson’s International Debut against Russia in 2018.
“You always want to do it as well as possible and for me it was about doing it with the ball, adding something there and being creative and being the player that I am,” said Olsson in the same game to the same outlet when describing his game.
Olsson has won a Swedish Allvenskan with AIK as he has become integral at club level and international level with Krasnodar and Sweden. This was meant to be his summer of growth donning the yellow and blue of Sweden at the European Championships while getting married and welcoming his first child with his long-term girlfriend. He will have to settle for next year for his international outing as he could be an option for sides in Europe’s top five leagues looking for a two-way deep-lying playmaker who can play in a multitude of systems and positions. He would be worth his high wages with his ability to add creative nuance from deep and be a nuisance for the opposition in a variety of areas.
