1. Early life and youth career
Emil Alfons Holm was born on May 13, 2000, in Gothenburg, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. He began his youth football career at Annelunds IF in 2005, where he played until 2012. In 2012, he joined the youth academy of his local club, IFK Göteborg, where he continued his development until being promoted to the senior team in 2019.
2. Club career
Emil Holm's professional club career has taken him through leagues in Sweden, Denmark, and Italy, where he has consistently played as a right-back, contributing to both defense and attack.
2.1. IFK Göteborg
Holm was promoted to the senior squad of IFK Göteborg for the 2019 season. He made his professional debut on June 29, 2019, in a league match against Östersunds FK, which ended in a 0-0 draw. During his debut season, he made 11 league appearances. He also played a role in the club's victory in the Svenska Cupen during the 2019-20 season. In the subsequent 2020 season, Holm established himself as a regular starter, appearing in 26 league matches and scoring two goals for IFK Göteborg.
2.2. SønderjyskE
On January 27, 2021, Holm moved to Denmark, signing a four-year contract with Danish Superliga side SønderjyskE. He quickly became a regular starter for the club. In the 2020-21 season, despite joining mid-season, he played in 14 matches and scored three goals, helping SønderjyskE to finish 8th in the league. His tenure at SønderjyskE also included a loan spell back to the club after his transfer to Spezia.
2.3. Spezia
Holm's move to Italy occurred on August 27, 2021, when he signed a five-year contract with Spezia. Immediately after the transfer, it was announced that he would be loaned back to SønderjyskE for the remainder of the 2021-22 season. He officially joined Spezia for the 2022-23 season, where he made 20 appearances in Serie A and scored one goal.
2.4. Atalanta
On August 31, 2023, Emil Holm joined Serie A club Atalanta on a season-long loan. The deal was reported to include an initial fee of 2.00 M EUR and an option-to-buy clause worth 8.50 M EUR. During the 2023-24 season with Atalanta, Holm played in 22 Serie A matches, scoring one goal. He also featured in the UEFA Europa League, making 7 appearances, where Atalanta famously won the competition, marking a significant achievement in Holm's career.
2.5. Bologna
In 2024, Emil Holm transferred to Bologna, another club in the Serie A. As of the 2024-25 season, he has continued his contributions as a right-back, playing in 13 league matches and scoring one goal. He has also made 4 appearances in the UEFA Champions League with Bologna.
3. International career
Emil Holm has represented Sweden at various youth levels before making his debut for the senior national team. Between 2018 and 2022, he played a total of 16 times for the Sweden U19 and U21 squads. He made his full international debut for the Sweden senior team on November 16, 2022, in a friendly game against Mexico. He played the full 90 minutes in a match that Sweden won 2-1. His first international goal for the senior team came on September 12, 2023, in a UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying match against Austria.
4. Career statistics
This section provides a comprehensive overview of Emil Holm's professional career statistics at both club and international levels.
4.1. Club
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition. Includes appearances in Svenska Cupen, Danish Cup, and Coppa Italia for National cup. Includes appearances in UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League for Europe.
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| IFK Göteborg | 2019 | Allsvenskan | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 11 | 0 | |
| 2020 | Allsvenskan | 26 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 2 | |
| Total | 37 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 2 | ||
| SønderjyskE | 2020-21 | Danish Superliga | 14 | 3 | 4 | 2 | - | 18 | 5 | |
| 2021-22 | Danish Superliga | 25 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | 26 | 3 | ||
| Total | 39 | 6 | 5 | 2 | - | 44 | 8 | |||
| Spezia | 2022-23 | Serie A | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 | - | 23 | 1 | |
| Atalanta (loan) | 2023-24 | Serie A | 22 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 32 | 1 |
| Bologna | 2024-25 | Serie A | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| Career total | 131 | 11 | 16 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 159 | 13 | ||
4.2. International
Appearances and goals by national team and year.
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 2022 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 10 | 1 | |
Scores and results list Sweden's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Holm goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 September 2023 | Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden | Austria | 1-3 | 1-3 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
5. Honours
Emil Holm has achieved notable success with his clubs, securing domestic and European titles.
IFK Göteborg
- Svenska Cupen: 2019-20
Atalanta
- UEFA Europa League: 2023-24
6. Notable incidents and characteristics
Emil Holm stands at 75 in (191 cm) tall and weighs 183 lb (83 kg).
During his time at SønderjyskE, an unusual incident occurred during a match against Vejle BK on July 26, 2021. In the 13th minute of the first half, Holm took a free-kick that went significantly wide of the goal and soared over the roof of the stands at Sydbank Park, SønderjyskE's home stadium, which has a capacity of 10,000. This "out-of-stadium" shot quickly became a viral topic among football fans, with some humorously calling it "probably the worst free-kick ever" and suggesting it was "straight to heaven."