He was a goal shooter himself who was always entertaining to watch.
But Torbjörn Nilsson doesn’t have much for the football that is played during the EC.
– They stand and put the ball to each other, says the attacking icon.
The European Football Championship is approaching its final stage and only one match remains before a winner can be crowned. England, after high drama and a decision in the absolute final stage, advanced to the final after knocking out the Netherlands. There awaits Spain, the team that according to many has been the best and most entertaining so far.
Criticism of “God”.
In Spain there is, among others, 16-year-old Lamine Yamal, the super talent who charmed the entire football world this summer and who in the semi-final against France became the EC’s youngest ever goalscorer. But overall, it may not have been the most fast-paced and offensively crackling championship ever.
Many have said that the matches were too slow and boring, and that many teams only played on results. The fact that as many as four out of six group threes progressed from the group stage may be a reason for that, as for many teams it was enough not to lose to advance to the playoffs, and single points could go a long way. One who is critical of the entertainment is one of Sweden’s greatest goalscorers of all time, Torbjörn Nilsson.
“Putting the ball to each other”
In an interview with GP in connection with his 70th birthday earlier this week, “God” sent a pass to all teams in the championship, but he also believes that it is a tendency that can be seen everywhere in today’s football.
– They stand and put the ball to each other. One moves and then there are nine fellow players idle. It’s like running a relay. They stand and wait for the one who comes with the stick, and when they come with the stick, then they start running. Football is an interaction, to be in motion when you have the ball. Now you are not. I see these tendencies from passing exercises that clubs even at a high level carry out, with ball possession, he tells the newspaper.
Nor at home, in the Allsvenskan, is there any dazzling football that Torbjörn Nilsson gets to watch. His former club IFK Göteborg, whose matches Nilsson still attends as often as he can, is in crisis. And despite a new coach in the form of Stefan Billborn, there was a 0-2 loss against Värnamo in the Allsvenskan restart this weekend.
– I do not understand what is happening. But you can’t expect miracles from a coach who trained a team for two weeks. Then it is important that they take their points so that they do not end up in the crisis, whether they go out or not, says Torbjörn Nilsson.
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