In front of a sold-out Gamla Ullevi tomorrow, the premiere in the Nations League for the women’s national team awaits. The opposition is the world champions Spain, and the Swedish team are ready for the task.
– It will be an incredibly important start for us in the Nations League game, says Kosovare Asllani the day before the match.
We of course remember the last match between the teams, where Spain made it to the final late in the World Cup semi-final and Sweden to the bronze medal match. Spain then went on to win the entire World Cup, and for the Swedish part, since the World Cup they have become world number one in Fifa’s rankings. A tough match awaits at Gamla Ullevi on Friday evening.
– It goes without saying, it’s the world number one against the world champions. It will be an incredibly tough match, and regardless of the conditions Spain come from, I am sure they will perform good football against us tomorrow, says Kosovare Asllani.
Yes, it has been a tough month for Spanish football since the World Cup gold. The national team’s performance has been overshadowed by the previous chairman’s kiss by a Spanish player at the award ceremony. Many Spanish players have since boycotted the national team and demanded changes to feel safe to return.
Several changes have now been made to leading positions, where among others the confederation chairman Luis Rubiales, confederation captain Jorge Vilda and general secretary Andreu Camps have left. And the association promises changes in the organization around the team.
– We have followed the situation from a distance of course, this fight is so important for the players to take. It is not only a question in sport but it is a social question. We support them as much as we can and it is so important to bring about change by taking this fight. The players take it not only for themselves, but for the next generation. That young girls growing up today should have better conditions and a more equal future, says Kosovare Asllani when asked about how she experienced the Spanish team’s struggles recently.
But now the Spanish team has landed on Swedish soil, after an agreement with the federation, and is ready to enter the Nations League: UEFA’s new competition on the women’s side that also serves as an Olympic qualifier for Europe’s places in the tournament.
– It’s the firsts in the group that go on to the continuation of the Olympic qualification, so of course we have to do everything in our power to win this match and get a good start in the qualification. Spain will be a tough opposition, but we are very motivated to play the match, says Johanna Rytting Kaneryd.
– Yes, the road to the Olympics is tougher than ever, so it is clear that tomorrow’s match will be one of the most important matches in a long time that we have played outside of the championship. Getting a match like this right after a long championship makes it extra tough, but it’s the same for both of us. At the same time, we are extra motivated after the loss in the semi-final, so we are looking forward to facing Spain again, concludes Asllani.
The match against Spain kicks off at 18.30 on 22 September. Follow it on SVT2 and on P4 Radiosporten.
2023-09-21 15:05:51
#Asllani #Kaneryd #Spain #match
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