PHOTO: Bildbyrån + Youtube
Enough because Stefan Schwarz was known to be a hard player.
But no one could have imagined that he would continue to play with a broken leg!
The midfielder did, however, for a full ten minutes.
No, Stephen Schwarz was certainly no ordinary player! In his role as a defensive midfielder, he was a real tough guy who dished out tough tackles. Schwarz also had a good left foot and hit good free kicks.
WC bronze in 1994
During his career, the tough midfielder played for clubs such as Malmö FF, Benfica, Arsenal, Fiorentina and Sunderland. In the national team, Schwarz made 69 appearances between the years 1990–2001. Among other things, he was an important player during the WC 1994, which probably everyone knows ended with a Swedish WC bronze.
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During his career, Schwarz had the incredible nickname “God”. But it was not all times that the body displayed a godlike form. The midfielder tore his hamstring on one occasion, and broke his leg on another. But that’s not the sickest thing – the sickest thing is that Schwarz continued to play!
Crazy Schwarz
It was at Nya Ullevi, in a World Cup qualifying match against Scotland at the end of April 1997, that the accident happened. Schwarz would hit a cross, but doesn’t make it before a Scottish player is up with the sole and studs, and kicks the Swede on the shin. What does Schwarz do then? He gets up, grimaces, straightens his socks, and continues playing.
– I try to bite the bullet and carry on, but it felt like you were in pain, says Schwarz about the incident in TV4’s “Master of Champions”.
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For ten minutes, Schwarz tries to play on. He even tried running some rushes, which could have caused his leg to go 90 degrees if it wanted really badly. But after a few attempts, Schwarz finally gives up, and had to be replaced by Håkan Mild.
– I went out to the doctors, and I don’t usually complain, so I said “there is something wrong, we have to go to the hospital”, he says in the program.
READ MORE: Here, Stefan Schwarz picks out the 11 best he’s ever played with – and it’s goosebumps for all nostalgics
Wiberg’s tribute
The match against Scotland ended 2–1 to Sweden, after two goals off Kenneth Andersson. But unfortunately there was no World Cup final in 1998, much because of the snowy loss away to Austria.
Stefan Schwarz was out of football for six months after breaking his leg.
When Schwarz recounts the incident in “Master of Champions”, he is praised by the former alpine skiing star Pernilla Wiberg.
– It was incredibly cool, what a person first of all. Here you see a man who just shakes himself a little in principle and gets up as it were, and with a broken leg and even for rushers to test “amen it’s enough” as it were. Absolutely sick, but impressed, she says.
READ MORE: The time Stefan Schwarz had to hit a corner from a smaller lake – but solved everything with the genius of the times
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