Former Norwich City double promotion winner and now coach Jens Berthel Askou will get a crack at the Champions League next season after joining Czech champions Sparta Prague.

The Dane was part of the Paul Lambert era at Carrow Road that catapulted City from League One to the Premier League, before later embarking on a coaching career.

Berthel Askou had been managing Swedish top flight club IFK Goteborg but has now agreed to join fellow Dane Lars Friis as assistant coach at the 38-time Czech champions.

“I have enjoyed myself incredibly well at IFK Göteborg and have grown here a lot as a football coach,” the 41-year-old said in a farewell message to his Swedish club on their official site. “It is a big decision to move to the Czech Republic and to Sparta. Just like IFK Göteborg, it is a big club with big expectations.

“Thanks to the management staff for the uncompromising work and not least to the players who have given everything. Something that I will never forget is the unique supporter culture that exists at IFK Gothenburg, and wherever we have played away from home. I am incredibly grateful to have experienced all of this during my time here.”

His former club have tapped into the growing reputation of Danish coaches this summer with a move for ex-FC Nordsjælland coach Johannes Hoff Thorup to replace David Wagner at Carrow Road.

An uncompromising defender in his playing days, Berthel-Askou made 33 appearances for the Canaries, after being signed by Bryan Gunn in 2009, but a foot injury saw him fall out of favour after initially establishing a strong partnership alongside Gary Doherty in the early part of Lambert’s tenure.

The Dane began his managerial career at Vendsyssel FF in 2018 before a spell in the Faroe Islands coaching HB Torshavn. He returned home to Denmark in 2021 to take charge of Horsens - where he won 35 of his 89 games in charge – prior to moving onto Sweden.

Sparta won the Czech league and cup double last season, holding off rivals Slavia Prague to lift the domestic title by two points.

Friis steps up after being assistant coach at Sparta for the past 18 months, following the departure of Brian Priske to Feyenoord.