He is one of the SHL’s best defenders.
But Andreas Borgman is lost to Frölunda.
The back star buys himself(!) out of his contract.
The season started shaky for Frölunda, but in the last couple of months the victories have been lined up, and with 38 games played, the Gothenburg club is in fourth place in the SHL table, 13 points ahead of league leader Växjö.
Key cog
One reason for the team’s great transformation is spelled Andreas Borgman. He injured his shoulder during last year’s playoffs, and it was a heavy blow for Frölunda. Since he joined Frölunda in the middle of last season, he has consistently been one of the SHL’s absolute best defenders, and that is not least reflected in his ice time.
No Frölunda player has a higher average ice time than Andreas Borgman with his 23:02, and that makes him the seventh most played player in the entire SHL. And the results with, and without Borgman, speak volumes for Frölunda. Since his return, the team has played like a top team again, and there are few players who are as important to their team as Borgman is to his Frölunda.
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Buys out of contract
And therefore it is an almost nightmarish message that will come out on Friday. Borgman has a contract with Frölunda for another three seasons, but he is already leaving in the summer. It was Aftonbladet who wrote that Borgman was highly interested in playing in Switzerland, and Friborg and Bern are mentioned as potential club addresses for the important defender.
Borgman is said to have a monthly salary of almost SEK 300,000, and in order to make a move, the defender must buy out of his contract, according to Aftonbladet. This means that he will then be free to negotiate and sign for any club he wants.
Frölunda has later confirmed that Borgman is leaving.
– The information in the media is correct. Andreas has an option in his contract that he uses to play abroad next season, says Frölunda’s sporting director Fredrik Sjöström to the club’s website, and continues:
– This has been handled in a professional and neat way from Andreas. We would have loved to have kept him, but now that this is out we felt it might as well get it out of the world so we can focus on the rest of the season.
Frölunda has already done with star defender Henrik Tömmernes over the coming seasons, as he joins from Switzerland – but Borgman is a heavy loss for the club in the pursuit of continued success.
– This was not an easy choice, I enjoy Frölunda very much. At the same time, I have made no secret of the fact that I would love to play abroad again since I came home from the US and when I got the opportunity I took it. But, for me, the focus is here and now and on the rest of the season with Frölunda, he says.
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