PHOTO: Bildbyrån/TT Nyhetsbyrån
The Swedish goalkeeper icon Ronnie Hellström passed away in February 2022 after a period of illness.
And former national team colleague Ralf Edström remembers his friend as one of the absolute best.
– Ronnie was outstanding, he was huge, says Edström.
Ralf Edstrom is one of Swedish football’s all-time greats, and he is part of the exclusive group that has taken home the golden ball twice. He was awarded the first in 1972, and just two years later he received his second after the iconic volley goal against West Germany during the World Cup in 1974. Edström is also inducted into the Swedish Football Hall of Fame as number two in the order.
The Tribute to Ronnie
When he received the Ballon d’Or for the second time, in 1974, the competition was fierce. According to Ralf Edström himself, there was more or less an even beard between himself and the goalkeeper icon Ronnie Hellstrom.
– It was a WC year. It must have been a goal photo between me and Ronnie Hellström, he made some great saves. I scored four goals, including the one against West Germany and the one against Uruguay. A WC year is always extra, Edström has previously told Aftonbladet.
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Ronnie Hellström died in February 2022 after a long battle with cancer, and Ralf Edström remembers his national team colleague and friend as one of the absolute best goalkeepers. He also describes the great sadness after Hellström’s death.
– I spoke to Ronnie a couple of months before he passed away. But it was a grim message. It hurt the root of his heart when he fell asleep, says Edström.
– I’ve come of age myself, so you know that it’s more difficult news than happy news you get. Although I myself am fortunate to have eight grandchildren.
READ MORE: Here are Ronnie Hellström’s best career saves – a tribute to one of our greatest ever
“He was huge”
Just like Ralf Edström, Ronnie Hellström also won the Golden Ball on two occasions, in 1971 and 1978.
– I’m pretty sure that the Golden Ball stood between him and me in 1974, I scored four goals and that was perhaps the deciding factor. He got it in 1978, it was his second ball, and then he was outstanding, he was huge in goal, says Edström.