PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Thomas Ravelli spent a year in MLS.
Then he had to test the famous free-position penalties.
– They are simpler, says Ravelli to Sportbibeln.
Thomas Ravelli, 64, largely spent his career in Öster and then IFK Göteborg. But as a final adventure as a professional soccer player, Ravelli went to the other side of the Atlantic and spent a season with the Tampa Bay Mutiny in the US top league MLS.
Ravelli’s year in MLS
How was the year in MLS?
– It was a fantastic experience socially. Football-wise, it was like that. I didn’t play in a top team right away, but they thought I could save them and teach them everything, help with everything and it didn’t work. But socially it was absolutely fantastic, says Ravelli to Sportbibeln.
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In the MLS at that time, they still used free-position penalties, also known as “hockey penalties” in popular speech. They remember the former goalkeeper back on fondly.
– There was a game we played against Washington that ended with that, and I think I took nine in a row, and then in the end we won. So I took nine penalties in a row, free positions, says Ravelli.
Became a punishment specialist
But, as with most things, it took practice on free-position penalties for them to be so easily saved.
– You had to learn. The first time I did it, I didn’t know how to do it, but then, the second time, I knew. Run out as fast as possible and just make yourself big.
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Is there a punishment variant you prefer?
– I like both parts. But the free kick penalties are easier than those penalties from 11 meters, says Ravelli.
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Radical proposal
The IFK Gothenburg icon has a radical proposal to make football more exciting, and that includes penalties.
– I think it’s quite a fun way to end a match, if you don’t want it to end in a draw. I think you could actually do that in the Allsvenskan as well. Then the crowd stays, and maybe you get an extra point, instead of one point you get two if you win the penalties later on as well.
– Everything that can be done to renew and make football more interesting, I think you should try, says Thomas Ravelli.
READ MORE: Thomas Ravelli admits the truth about what he did to Jesper Blomqvist in IFK Gothenburg: “He was terrified of me”
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