Lasse Granqvist on the message: “I’m shaking now”

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The news of Tommy Engstrand’s death on Sunday shook large parts of Sportsverige. With his comments, Engstrand has influenced many of Sweden’s biggest commentators and profiles.

– I shudder now when I talk about it, Granqvist tells Sportbladet.

It’s not often that Lasse Granqvist have difficulty finding the right wording to describe things. But when Sportbladet reaches the commentator on Sunday, it will take a while before Granqvist can speak.

– Yes… It was extremely tragic news… Yes…, Granqvist says when he hears about Engstrand’s death. After a moment of silence, he continues.

– It is a young age to pass away in. Extremely tragic news.

Granqvist grew up with Tommy Engstrand’s voice on the radio and has during his career looked up to the legend.

– Tommy Engstrand is well generally regarded as Radiosport’s foremost manager of all time. For his enormous passion and his commitment and enthusiasm, which lifted an entire editorial staff and with his way of running the news work. I remember during the 1990 World Cup, he sat and read the Italian newspapers in the morning with a completely unique driving force.

Granqvist tells about one of his first meetings with Tommy Engstrand and the council that he took with him through his career as a commentator.

– He said to me, early in my career: “You have to let the pump be with”, the heart. “The heart must be present when you comment.” Thanks to Engstrand, the minutes became more authentic. It was one of his main qualities, it became authentic.

“I’m shaking now when I talk about it”

Of many classic summaries, there is one in particular that Granqvist remembers.

– Tommy Engstrand’s summary of the match between what was then West Germany and Portugal, on Black Wednesday 1985. It is something quite incredible. The match that led to Sweden missing the World Cup. What Tommy says there at the end, with a cracked voice: “There are two minutes left, and I give you no hope.” I shudder now when I talk about it, because I remember how I sat there at home and listened to the radio, Granqvist says.

Granqvist places Engstrand as one of those who meant the most for commentary on radio together with Lennart Hyland and Sven Jerring.

– Jerring and Hyland did a lot for Swedish radio. Jerring was first and Hyland developed the commentary. But with Tommy you got so much more. You got the pulse, the commitment and the closeness. Because he “let the pump be with”.