Who is Mario Frick? The new manager at Aberdeen who scored at Hampden, lost to Hibs and develops players

Mario Frick says he will create an environment at Aberdeen “where his players can thrive” after being appointed the next manager of the Pittodrie outfit.

Former Luzern boss Frick takes over from Stephen Robinson, who was sacked on Monday by Aberdeen with the team languishing in 11th place in the Premiership. The length of his contract has not been disclosed.

The Dons hierarchy have moved quickly to land his successor and after a week of interviews have settled on former Leichtenstein striker Frick, 52, who has been out of work since the summer after end a five-year spell in Switzerland with Luzern.

Mario Frick is the new head coach of Aberdeen. | SNS Group

Frick has also managed FC Balzers and FC Vaduz in his homeland. He will be assisted by Roman Matter, a 44-year-old Swiss coach who was also at Luzern. The pair are due to arrive in Aberdeen imminently ahead of Saturday’s league match against bottom club Kilmarnock.

“I'm excited to be joining Aberdeen FC,” said Frick. “It's a club with a proud history, passionate supporters and big ambitions.

“Together with the staff, my aim is to create an environment where the players can thrive, develop and perform at their very best, while working towards our goals as a team.”

Chief executive Adrian Bevington revealed Frick was the “unanimous” choice of the Aberdeen board after going through a robust process to identify him.

“We are delighted to welcome Mario Frick and his assistant coach Roman Matter to Aberdeen Football Club,” said Bevington. “This appointment follows a thorough and extensive recruitment process led by [sporting director] Lutz Pfannenstiel and myself on behalf of the board, during which we spoke to a number of highly qualified candidates.

“Mario has significant experience as a head coach and has delivered impressive results with both Vaduz and Luzern. He has a proven track record of building competitive teams and developing young players.

“Throughout our discussions, he demonstrated a clear vision, strong leadership qualities and a deep understanding of what is required to build a successful team.

“He was also exceptionally well regarded by the many people across the game we consulted during the process, and the Board was unanimous in its belief that he is the right person to lead Aberdeen Football Club forward.

“I would like to thank the board, in particular Willie Garner, and colleagues across the club for their diligence and support throughout this process.”

Pfannenstiel tipped Frick to have a “real impact at Pittodrie” and said his character will be crucial as the Dons look to climb the league table.

“I’m really pleased that we have been able to bring Mario Frick to Aberdeen,” said Pfannenstiel. “I have enormous respect for his football knowledge, leadership qualities and passion for the game.

“Mario is a strong personality with clear ideas about how he wants his teams to play. He brings energy, ambition and a winning mentality, and knows how to build a strong team environment.

“We were looking for the right person to lead the next chapter of Aberdeen FC, and I’m convinced Mario has the qualities, character and vision to make a real impact. I’m looking forward to working closely with him.”

Who is new Aberdeen manager Mario Frick?

Born in the Swiss town of Chur, Frick carved out a playing career as a physical striker and holds the record number of caps for Leichtenstein, scoring 16 goals in 125 appearances. One of those strikes came at Hampden in a 2-1 defeat by Scotland in 2010.

Also deployed as a centre-half, Frick played for clubs such as FC Basel, FC Zürich, St. Gallen, Grasshopper, Siena and Ternana before hanging up his boots in 2016 and moving into coaching.

At Vaduz, he secured promotion to the Swiss Super League, which earned him a move to Luzern. He spent five years with them, landing a fourth-placed finish. He faced Hibs in the 2024 Conference League, losing 5-3 on aggregate.

Frick most used formation with Vaduz and Luzern was a 4-4-2 diamond and he has carved out a reputation as a head coach who has developed younger players, most notably AC Milan and Switzerland midfielder Ardon Jashari.