2023-10-15 17:01:38
The 4-4-2 has always characterized our national team, with essentially physical players. But football has changed a lot in recent years. Now the priority is given to fast and technical flanks in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1. Sweden may have forgotten to evolve. With the players we have, we would probably have to change the system.
Should training in Sweden also evolve?
I think the training remains of very good quality here. There will always be talent in Sweden. Let’s not forget that, since Euro 1992, we have enjoyed incredible success for 30 years for a small country. The dip we are experiencing was inevitable.
Barring a miracle, Sweden will not play the Euro next June after having already missed the 2022 World Cup. And, as the Federation announced, it will be the end for coach Jenne Andersson…
Between 2016 and 2021, Andersson led Sweden to the 1/4 finals of the 2018 World Cup and the 1/8th of Euro 2020. Lately, he has had to change a lot of players to move from one generation to another . This is all the less obvious since we do not have the same talent pool as in Belgium. By succeeding Martinez, Tedesco also had to manage the post-golden generation, but have you seen the quality of the players he still has? It’s incomparable. That said, coming back to Andersson, it’s probably time for a change. Sweden needs a breath of fresh air.
Was the post-Ibrahimovic period also complicated to manage?
We will still have to wait years or even decades to find a player like him. With five Ibras, Sweden would have been world champions. But Ibrahimovic has enjoyed much more success at club level than with the national team. With Sweden, the difference in talent between him and the rest of the team was too great. He had to do too much and the other internationals were finally paralyzed. They no longer dared to do anything and systematically gave him the ball. I prefer a homogeneous eleven a hundred times over a formation too dependent on a star.
Ludwig Augustinsson is not one of them but he has been providing great services to Anderlecht since the start of the season…
His professionalism, his sobriety and his good left foot make him a very good defender. I hope Sporting can buy him permanently from Seville next spring. Anderlecht needs players like him to confirm its return to the forefront over time.
This was also said about Kristoffer Olsson when he arrived in Brussels…
Olsson arrived in a completely different context, within a team that was much weaker than today. He really had the Anderlecht style and, in the current core, I am sure he would have succeeded.
Will Sweden be a bird for the cat this Monday at the King Baudouin stadium?
No way ! The Red Devils have already qualified for the Euro and, although they will want to secure their first place with an exceptional Doku, there will inevitably be a bit of decompression on their part. Without De Bruyne, Belgium is still less irresistible. Sweden could still dream of a miracle if it succeeds in Brussels. And she always plays better against stronger opponents, when she is dominated. Unfortunately, she will not be able to count on Alexander Isak (Newcastle) who is out due to injury, but she has just been full of confidence against Moldova. Solid defensively, the Swedes could annoy the Belgians.
Which country will your heart beat for?
For Sweden, obviously. This is the only game during which my family is not for the Devils. Otherwise, we are always behind them.
You will no longer be able to be behind Eden Hazard…
My heart hurts to see such a talent end his career after years of struggle in Madrid. Before leaving for Real, he was one of the best players in the world. While waiting to see if De Bruyne will surpass him, Hazard is the greatest player in the history of Belgian football. It would have been better to end his career on the pitch but his body was clearly worn out and he could no longer continue. I have undergone 21 operations during my career. So I understand Eden perfectly.
Do you also understand Thibaut Courtois’ decision?
Of course. If you don’t feel good in a group, it’s better to leave it rather than stay there with lots of frustrations. Personally, I have never regretted leaving the Swedish national team permanently following disagreements with the coaches. The only thing I hope from now on is that the settling of scores via the media will stop. When we criticize each other and especially publicly after a separation, everyone loses.
Is this why you have never castigated Anderlecht since your dismissal in spring 2020?
It would have been no use.
Should you never have returned to Anderlecht in January 2019?
On the contrary, I am very happy to have come back. I would have regrets if I hadn’t tried. It would undoubtedly have been easier to work in a group and a club that works, as is currently the case, but the project of rebuilding the club, notably with the arrival of Vincent Kompany, was very attractive… on paper.
Did you never find your place within the Kompany staff or were you never allowed to take it?
Both. I also assume my share of responsibility for the failure.
Before Anderlecht fired you, had you already made the decision to leave RSCA to return to Sweden?
Yes, because it no longer made sense to continue like this. I no longer felt useful. By firing me, management made my decision even easier.
Officially, you cost too much…
That’s the only thing that really hurt me about the divorce. By saying that I was too expensive, Anderlecht made everyone believe that I had a huge salary. However, by leaving Sweden to return to Anderlecht, I made sacrifices. If it was for the money, I would have stayed in Sweden where I earned a better living with, among other things, my youth school and my clothing stores. This may seem like a simple formula, but I really came back to Belgium for the love of the RSCA.
Is your love for the RSCA still as strong as before?
No. Something’s broken. Even if Anderlecht and Riemer are criticized for the way – these incessant criticisms are part of the Anderlecht DNA – I am happy to see that the results are there again. But I still only watch Sporting play if I don’t have anything else to do. Three years ago, I wouldn’t have missed a single minute of the Mauves.
Will we see you again one day at Astrid Park?
I’m seriously thinking of coming back but… to see the Union face Liverpool on December 14. My family is very close to that of Gustaf Nilsson, the Unionist striker. Football is no longer my priority but I still happily recommend it.
Your priority is now Padel. You have just been Swedish over-50 champion for the second year in a row…
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