She won the shooting league when a Swedish team won the Uefa Women’s Cup for the first time. But in the end the injuries stopped.
This is how Hanna Ljungberg lives today.
There is no doubt whatsoever that Hanna Ljungberg is one of Sweden’s greatest women’s footballers ever. Born and raised in Mariehem in Umeå, “Ljungan” quickly showed that she would become a striker of the very highest class – something her track record really shows.
Incomparable career
Hanna Ljungberg is mainly remembered for her time in Umeå IK. But that wasn’t where she started her career. In 1994, the striker made his debut in the women’s league and in the Skellefteå club Sunnanå SK – where some of the future Umeå stars played, including Hanna Marklund.
She played four seasons in Skellefteå before moving on home again, to Umeå, and playing in UIK, which would become a real powerhouse in Sweden and Europe.
It is impressive reading when you look through Hanna Ljungberg’s track record from her career. In total, she was involved in winning a total of seven league titles, and two victories in the Uefa Womens Cup. She also had a successful time in the national team, but we will get back to that.
The most impressive achievement from “Ljungan’s” time in Umeå IK, which is the easiest to dwell on, is the 2002/03 season. It was the first time a Swedish club won the Uefa Women’s Cup and Hanna Ljungberg was absolutely crucial to Umeå’s success.
She won the entire tournament’s shooting league with ten cones, three of which came in the final meeting against Danish Fortuna Hjörring, which was decided in a doubles meeting. Two goals in the first match at home and then one in the return when Umeå was by far named Europe’s best club team with a total of 7–1 in the final.
Hanna Ljungberg also had a class season in the women’s league and hit 39 balls in 22 matches. The company, with the success in Europe included, she was also voted the best player in all of Sweden’s women’s side, clearly well deserved.
That’s how she lives today
In parallel with the great successes at club team level, Hanna Ljungberg also made a splash in the Swedish national team. In the spring of 2008, she made history when she scored her 72nd national team goal, passing Pia Sundhage and Lena Videkull, and became Sweden’s top scorer of all time. A record that Lotta Schelin later broke and holds today. In the end, there were 130 matches in blue and yellow and two championship medals in the form of a WC and an EC silver.
Unfortunately, Hanna Ljungberg had major injury problems throughout her career, and in 2009 she finally put her shoes on the shelf after another injury. However, she did not leave football immediately, but stood on Umeå’s bench and assisted head coach Mika Sankala.
An assignment she left when 2009 became 2010. Then Hanna Ljungberg chose to resume her studies as a physiotherapist at Umeå University. She would return to football in 2011, and also this time as an assistant coach in UIK.
Today, the Swedish goalscorer is not as active in football anymore. Instead, she works as a physiotherapist and personal trainer at home in Umeå. There she lives together with her love Tobias and their two children.
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