Photo: Bildbyrån
Hugo Larsson left the national team before the Nations League match against Estonia. There were rumors of a conflict with the national team captain Jon Dahl Tomasson.
Now the national team manager Stefan Pettersson comes forward and comments on the chaos.
– It is sad that so much is written and that it turned out the way it did, he says to Sportbladet.
The big talking point after the last national team gathering was that Blågult’s 20-year-old midfield talent Hugo Larsson left the squad ahead of the second match, against Estonia in the Nations League. The national team said it was a minor injury, but there were reports of a rift between Larsson and the national team captain Jon Dahl Tomasson. The reason must be that the player did not like the Dane openly talking about Larsson’s shortcomings in the passing game.
Everything was about Hugo Larsson
The national team manager Stefan Pettersson now comes forward and emphasizes that the negative attention directed at the national team has not been good for them. Despite Sweden winning both against Azerbaijan and Estonia, the talk afterwards was basically only about Hugo Larsson.
– It is sad that so much is written and that it turned out the way it did. We play two good games with good results, but it was almost written more that Hugo had gone home. Sure it’s boring. It’s sad for us and it’s sad for him, says the national team manager Stefan Pettersson to Sportbladet.
He maintains that the player was injured – even though his club Eintracht Frankfurt disagreed – and stresses that it is standard practice for players to decide for themselves whether they want to stay or go home when injured. Pettersson doesn’t think it would have made any difference if Hugo Larsson had stayed with the squad one more day.
– I don’t know what would have been found to write about if he had stayed. This was a joint decision that was made. The players can choose for themselves whether to stay or not when they have feelings. It’s what’s best for the player whether they go home or not. There was no unusual talk before this. I am not part of that conversation with the doctors and coach. That’s how the routine is and it was no different now, he says.
Many wonder how this will end, if the wound has already become too deep for Hugo Larsson. Or is it possible that Jon Dahl Tomasson takes him out for the next national team meeting in October? Stefan Pettersson says that it is Dahl Tomasson who manages the communication with the players and he trusts that they will solve it. He does not believe that the schism will affect future national team selections.
READ MORE: Unexpected detail reveals the uncomfortable truth about Hugo Larsson and the conflict in the national team: “Jon Dahl Tomasson is wrong”
– No, we don’t feel that at all. All the things that happen, whether it’s a young player or not, we talk about the things internally. There are always things that can be screwed up one way or the other. It is of course being discussed, he says about the future.
This has turned into a proper soup. Hope it doesn’t affect the team and the players too much in the future.
Do you think Hugo Larsson will play in Blågult again soon? Feel free to write a comment about the situation in the national team.
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