The Swedish national volleyball team is more successful than in a long time.
The first women’s championship in 38 years, the European end-of-summer 2021, however, was played without captain Jonna Wasserfaller, injured in his knee.
– When the qualifying started and then the European Championship started, it was very tough, he says.
– Then I had just started walking again, I started running again for a while. I felt like I was so far from being able to stay on the pitch again.
At the same time, he says his teammates have been supportive.
– I am so proud of the team and the girls were very excited to say that I was also a factor in making us go all the way.
Last summer the national team got up for the new impressed efforts and the assured promotion to the Golden League, the highest level of national team in Europe, after victory against Portugal in the Silver League final.
Then Jonna Wasserfaller returned.
Photo: Avdo Bilkanovic / Bildbyrån
– We knew we wanted to move to the next level to get a good boost for the EC next year, he says.
New CE, therefore. Sweden will definitely play in the league again next summer.
– It was a motivating factor for me. When it was tough (during the injury period) I thought: “No, I’ll play the European 2023”.
What would a championship mean?
– I don’t know if I can put it into words. It would have been absolutely amazing.
I think it has to do with the fact that we have a lot of players betting.
At the same time as the Swedish national team advance, there are several additional levels to bet on. At the moment, for example, the World Cup is being played in the Netherlands and Poland.
Also, an Olympics is imminent in 2024.
– It has been talked about before and the SOK (Swedish Olympic Committee) got involved and supported us for a while. But I really don’t know …
– It is about ranking and so on. I don’t really know how we got there. But it’s about getting results in the major leagues. We’ll see if anything comes of it.
How much time do you have until the toilet?
– It’s probably still a little while, actually. It is also about points in the standings.
But what makes Swedish volleyball so good now?
– I think it depends on the fact that we have many players who invest and many who go abroad. Unfortunately there are no resources to invest in sport in the same way in Sweden.
– The fact that more people go abroad means that we arrive better prepared for national team meetings. You are used to training a lot, you are used to playing good and big games.
Photo: Henrik Eberlund / TT
In terms of the club’s team play, Wasserfaller has, who had returned to the field in Örebro Volley during the spring, returned to Swedish champion last season Hylte / Halmstad. Unfortunately, he suffered a setback, and therefore an unstable start to the season.
– We did a camp (with the national team) in Finland in August, and then something happened to the knee.
– But this time it was a minor operation, so I’m almost back. I just need to take it easy.
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