Sweden made it to the semi-finals of the EC, but it stopped there. England crushed Sweden 4–0 and afterwards the Swedish players were deeply disappointed, not least goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl who posted an emotional post on Instagram after the match.
Waking up in the middle of the night. Having difficulty sleeping. Shame. Recognize the feeling. The same feeling that I was worried about feeling in connection with team selections where I bet everything, writes the goalkeeper.
“Hedvig Lindahl is a role model and she is pioneering by writing this post,” says sports journalist Ida Björnstad. She shows both the fantastic advantages that football has, but also the downsides.
The match was Lindahl’s last in the national team and the emotions were therefore strong after the loss. The goalkeeper has received a lot of criticism for his effort as experts said that two of the goals should have been saved. But the pressure on the players is extremely great and it is something you have to keep in mind and talk more about, says Björnstad.
—The line between succeeding or failing, becoming a hero or a scapegoat is very thin and that is the other side of elite sport. It is refreshing and wonderful that she dares to open up and talk about this.
Watch the full clip in the player above.