PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Jonas Jerebko endured enormous criticism for his controversial decision.
Now he goes for a hard attack against the Swedish national team.
– What they are doing is sandbox level, he says to Markbladet.
Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, the Swedish basketball star chose Jonas Jerebko to sign for Russian team CSKA Moscow. An extremely controversial decision that was met with pure disgust.
Criticism of Jerebko
Jerebko had to endure enormous criticism and was ported from the Swedish national basketball team. After the storm of criticism, the 37-year-old, who became the first Swede ever to be drafted into the NBA, has left Russia and the great controversy behind.
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Now Jonas speaks out about the mocked decision to move to Russia and explains why he did it.
– I am a basketball player and have played basketball since I was little. CSKA Moscow is one of the best clubs in the world and when they contacted me I chose to accept. I looked after the sporting – not the political. I have put all that behind me now. I have been slandered by the media and banned by the national team – it cannot go on like this for any length of time, says Jerebko to the local newspaper Markbladet.
Attack on Sweden
He also goes on a hard attack against the Swedish national team.
– I have no comments about the national team. What they are doing is at sandbox level, he says in the interview.
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However, the Swedish national basketball team and the basketball association do not regret the decision to suspend Jonas Jerebko, one of Swedish basketball’s most meritorious players of all time.
– We stand by the fact that we think it was the right decision. We took that from the fact that Jonas chose to sign for a Russian club shortly after the Russian war of invasion began. It is not a decision that we have questioned in any way, says the association’s sports director Lars Johansson to Aftonbladet.
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After leaving CSKA Moscow, Jerebko did not play a single match for almost two years. But has now made a comeback again – in Puerto Rico(!).
– I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into, but everything is absolutely fantastic here. The teammates, the coach, the fans, the owners and the city. It is a small town and club with a big family feel. The only difficult thing is that I miss my wife and my children – but they will come down here when the spring term at school is over, says the Swede to the local newspaper.
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