In the 71st minute, he made way for Hugo Larsson.
— It just hit with all the emotions. Everything you’ve been through these years came over me like a wave. All the boys came up and hugged me and then it was hard to hold back the tears, he says to Viaplay.
And adds:
— A nice ending.
During the year, Ekdal has more or less made it clear that his time in the national team has come to an end. On Friday, he finally decided that there will be no continuation.
“Torn for this team”
International match number 70, Sunday night’s against Estonia, was his farewell to Blue Yellow after twelve years of service.
— I have fought and toiled for this team, for Sweden, but now is a good time to stop. I am 34 years old and have fought in many international matches with minor injuries, with mental worries about whether I can play, and I have taken painkillers.
— It feels right in the brain, but the heart wants to continue. It feels better to listen to what the brain says.
The debut came in Kharkiv, in an international match against Ukraine in August 2011, during Erik Hamrén’s time as national team captain.
When Ekdal, the team captain in the 2–0 victory against Estonia, is asked to rummage through all his memories, he picks up two national team-related events that have stuck with him.
— There are of course many, but the playoff win at San Siro against Italy, when we managed to keep a clean sheet, was incredibly awesome and a huge feeling. But what stands out the most was when we managed to win against Switzerland in the Round of 16 in the World Cup in Russia. Sharing the euphoria with all the traveling fans was great, says Ekdal in an interview on the football association’s website.
To Viaplay he says:
— WC, of course. That community, those results we managed to achieve. There are so many memories and it’s hard to say outright. But the feeling I have for this group of players and leaders is hard to beat.
Praised by Andersson
The national team captain Janne Andersson pays tribute to Ekdal for his efforts in the national team.
— When Albin was involved, we often won. He has always contributed in a fantastic way during these years that I have been the national team captain.
— His 70 international matches are far too few considering how long he has been with the national team. He is a player who has meant a lot to me during my time, but also before. It is also a special day for him and for the national team, says Andersson.
Why he didn’t let Albin and his quickly summoned brother Hjalmar Ekdal get a few minutes together on the pitch, he justifies as follows:
— Albin doesn’t have that many 90-minute matches in him. It was never quite the time. I would have liked to do it for their sake, but you can’t be too sentimental without crass.
Regular team captain Victor Nilsson Lindelöf regrets that Albin Ekdal is leaving the national team.
— It’s very sad. We are very tight and we hang out together when we are here. It’s sad to lose another friend, but I’m proud to have played football with him.