© EuroFootball.com
After reading this article in "The Guardian," you will find out which player from the Swedish national team was on the verge of ending his career in the national team and why Olof Mellberg bought 3.2 thousand jerseys, as well as what Sweden's national team leader Zlatan Ibrahimović is most afraid of.
Tobias Hysén
No one in Sweden really missed the fact that the young John Guidetti, who turned 20 in April, scored a bunch of goals for Rotterdam's "Feyenoord." There are many fans who want to see this player in the national team. However, the sympathies of other fans towards J. Guidetti were lost when he criticized T. Hysén, who was still playing in Sweden's league: "How can T. Hysén compare with me? He plays in the Swedish league. The latter will never be as big as the Dutch championship."
This statement caused a scandal and J. Guidetti soon apologized and expressed respect for both T. Hysén and his father Glenn, who played for "Liverpool" and Fiorentina in the past. The joking footballer was forgiven.
Already the next weekend, J. Guidetti played for "Feyenoord" and missed a great opportunity to score with a header. However, the defender still scored an own goal in that situation. G. Hysén rushed to comment on this situation on his "Twitter" profile. "What the hell, Guidetti? Tobbe would have scored a goal even without the defender's help. Glenn" – was written on T. Hysén's father's profile.
Anders Svensson
In the 2002 World Cup, A. Svensson was a young player who everyone wanted to see in the team. His confidence paid off as Anders sent Argentina's eleven home with a great penalty kick. Four years later, the situation changed. Sweden's largest newspaper "Aftonbladet" openly campaigned for the young Kim Källström, who should replace A. Svensson in the team.
Anders went through a difficult period. During the team's training camp in Bremen, he was booed by his own fans who wore jerseys with Svensson’s name crossed out. Without a doubt, the jerseys proudly displayed the name Källström.
Anders' World Cup ended after the first group match with Trinidad and Tobago. The match ended in a draw, and A. Svensson was removed from the lineup and considered ending his national team career: "It's not worth playing for a team whose fans boo you. Then it's better to stop, because in the end, it's just a people's team."
However, this year this player is back in the Sweden team and this will be his fifth international tournament. In Ukraine, Anders can play his 130th match for Sweden.
Olof Mellberg
When in May 2008 the defender decided to leave "Aston Villa" and move to Turin's "Juventus," he bought 3.2 thousand Birmingham team jerseys. The number four, with which O. Mellberg played for the team, was printed on them, along with the inscription: "Mellberg Thanks 4 Your Support."
For this purpose, the Swede spent over 50,000 pounds and spent hours signing all the jerseys. However, O. Mellberg himself claims that it was really worth it: "I wouldn't have been here and earned money from football if it weren't for the fans."
Andreas Isaksson
A. Isaksson and Zlatan Ibrahimović were born on the same day just a few kilometers apart in Skåne. Now Zlatan is a superstar, and Andreas is just a regular national team player. This was especially evident when both footballers celebrated their thirtieth birthdays, and Swedes gathered to play in the European Championship qualifying matches.
Later, Z. Ibrahimović was constantly followed by journalists, he received additional attention both in Italy and Sweden. However, very few paid attention to the other birthday boy. "I got away easily," the humble Swedish goalkeeper said with a smile.
Zlatan Ibrahimović
There are so many stories related to this player that it's hard to choose. Last year he published his autobiography, which partly reveals who Zlatan really is. In the book, he writes about how, falling from the roof, he didn't receive comforting hugs from his mother, but punches. He also writes about how, hungry, he searched the refrigerator and only found his father's beer: "I was looking everywhere for at least some pasta or a piece of meat, but there was nothing."
A year before moving to Ajax in Amsterdam, Z. Ibrahimović was invited to visit London by Arsène Wenger. Wenger tried to convince the footballer, who had left "Malmö," to join "Arsenal." From the Frenchman, Zlatan even received "Arsenal" jerseys with the number nineteen and his name on them.
Wenger asked Zlatan if he was afraid of anything. "No, I'm not afraid of anything. Only God," the eighteen-year-old striker replied at that time. Wenger didn't know how to interpret this response. However, Zlatan Ibrahimović, who was not religious, later remembered: "Haha. He just looked at me. He looked at me with such an amazing look. He didn't look at me, he was looking through me. He was the man from the beginning who felt respect."
