Forsberg’s popularity has increased significantly in recent years – and then not only for his performances in the championships and in qualifying matches.
He has clearly won the favor of the blue and yellow supporters. In addition, he has, especially since the European Championship finals last summer, emerged as one of the squad’s leading figures.
– You feel love and that is why you want to perform for Sweden and make everyone proud, he says.
“Grow into it more and more”
In the long run, the national team captain Janne Andersson may get a problem on his neck. It can be difficult to pick the team captain’s tie from the 31-year-old, the one he had against Slovenia, Norway and again in Sunday’s return meeting at Ullevål in Oslo,
Forsberg leads the plan. He is also an excellent representative of the national team outside it, not least at the press conferences it is in his role to participate in before international matches.
– I have played in the national team for seven years and I have always loved it just as much. I feel like I’ve grown into it more and more. You become more confident in yourself, in your role as you get to know all the people around you.
– I love being here and I am here as much as I can. We have so much fun together and we have such amazing cohesion. It makes you a little more passionate about something. It is important to keep it. I have a great responsibility there, he says.
Fixed leave
After the European Championships, Forsberg was named one of the vice-captains behind regular Victor Nilsson Lindelöf.
– I feel great confidence from Janne and everyone. Then you try to take advantage of it and also help the younger ones who come in. I know myself what it was like in the beginning, when you were young and maybe did not dare to ask about everything. It is important that there are people to ask. What I learned then I take with me now. We lost many leaders after the European Championships and I try to be a good role model on and off the field.
He leads the squad in the relations with the national team management. At their request, he asked for extra time off on Friday.
– You have a dialogue, many have the family here and if you can get a few hours to get loose and meet children, mother or father or whoever it is, it can be important to clear your head a little and think about other things.
An initiative Janne Andersson appreciated:
– It is good to gather energy in different ways, he says.
Ready for 90 minutes
Forsberg rested against Serbia on Thursday, but starts against Norway and thinks he is ready for 90 minutes.
This has not always been the case. He has been replaced several times by Andersson.
– If you ask players, they always want to play, for me it is always about being able to “maximize” all the time. We do not always agree on whether we should switch in the 60s or 70s and so on or play 90 as against Slovenia.
– We completely agree that he would start on the bench on Thursday and he can probably play 90 tomorrow. We’ll see, says Andersson.
Norway won 2-1 at Friends arena on Sunday. Forsberg’s assessment is that the conditions are good for Swedish revenge in the Nations League on Sunday night.
– If we do the right things as a team, follow the match plan that we set up, we have the opportunity to win the match. It is the last match of the season, we will cream everything we have out of our bodies, he says.