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alexbkrieger13 · 6 months

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Well, Nathalie Björn. How is it to be in Gothenburg again for a Nations League match? Feels very fun to meet the girls again, nice to be gathered. Had good trainings these two days we've been gathered and it's going to be very fun to play in Gothenburg again.

What does it mean to step out on your national arena, that it is here in Gothenburg? Incredibly much. It was so fun when we played here last against Spain and even when we lost that match and were grumpy after: the feeling you step out with at the arena and see so many supporters gathered for our sake - it's a hard feeling to beat.

How will it be now with what has happened recently, namely that two football supporters actually got murdered because they were going to watch the mnt in Brussels - to see people come here in the yellow jersey or not? How are you thinking about the feeling? It's incredibly sad what happened and, well, really very sad. It's still a bit unimaginable that it occurred around a football match when football always had stood for community and that you're united and you do something together - so incredibly sad for the Swedish people and for the families of the two who passed away. But somewhere also it feels like it can bring Sweden a bit closer together maybe, and I think it's important that you dare to stand united in that and it feels like it has become like that after the incident that happened the world of football came together, people who maybe don't watch football have come together and we've come together as a country and show that you're proud of your country and dare to stand with the yellow jersey. Then I can understand there's a fear of course in people who come to watch the matches, and that you can't take away from them because you want to be able to watch a football match without losing your life. So, I believe and hope we can continue to be proud over Sweden and stand united.

As a player, what does it mean to see stands that are bathing in yellow? Incredibly amazing. It's what you've dreamt about growing up and it's nice to come from England and come home to Sweden and feel this support in your back, and see all yellow supporters on location, to feel that love and the energy you get from playing in front of that audience - it gives so much. And you feel such pride standing there and sing the national anthem, at the same time as it is a packed out arena and everyone sings with everything they got. It's very nice, somehow.

Magdalena Eriksson held a bit of a fiery speech on behalf of your supporters after the match against Spain, where they received a little crap they were too sissy and so on. What do you say about the including supporter culture that exists around this national team? I mean, I'm not so read up on it but spontaneously I just feel why should people care? Really. They want to come watch football. I love our supporters. They're heard, they're singing, they show appreciation, they want to hang with us, they support us rain or shine and this critique that came it just makes me go people want to watch football, let them watch football. I don't understand why some must criticise, but for us they mean everything and it's fantastic that they're with us all the time.

Now it's Switzerland and Italy that await and we've gotten to know you now as the right back Nathalie Björn in the national team. How is it to be the right back Nathalie Björn? Yeah, it's a role I feel I've embraced more and more and above all during and after the World Cup, to be given that confidence and have a clear picture of how Peter wants me to play in that right back position, because we know I'm not the one who runs in overlapping, like a good old right back since I've played much centrally previously. So it feels better and better, of course. I feel anyway I have self confidence in that position, even though I still want to play centrally it feels like we've found a solution for that position. So I mean, it becomes better and better.

What do the discussions look like? Now speculations have started due to Amanda Ilestedt had to do individual training start of this gathering. Then many say Nathalie Björn ought to play centrally again. Is there a chance we get to see you play in the middle again or are you right back now? I actually don't know. I think that, with the discussions we've had I think I'm still on the wing. And choosen to see it as I've done it well for that position, that they've gotten what they've wanted out of me. So I don't know. I have hopes I can come into the middle but probably I'll still be on the wing.

What do you think are working on the right, because you say you've grown into that role more and more and managed to embrace it better and better? I think the relations that I have around me now, we've played together pretty much the same 11 which makes the relations easier of course. And then I think it also helps I have both had Johanna Rytting Kaneryd in front of me and Filippa whom I now since before and have played with before. And they've really helped me in that position at the same time as Amanda too from the centre back position. To dare play. We've had pretty much possession on our wing, and especially with the players we have on the right wing they are very skilled with the ball and find these little triangles and play through more than to find behind. And that has Amanda helped me with but above all Filippa and Jojjo to be able to speak about which spaces they want to have the ball in or "if you come in here it becomes easier in this angle" and such. And then defensively you're more exposed as a wingback, it becomes more 1v1 and especially against Spain when you feel there are players eeeeeverywhere. I'm 1 second too late there, then they play here and to keep it up is fucking difficult. But there Amanda has helped me a lot with the communication and been clear with "here is better if you keep in and there it's better if you step. So the communication around and that you have a relation to each other makes it easier to become better.

Do you have time to become stressed in those situations when you feel you're 1 second too late all the time? Well, that you become (laughs). I mean, it felt like Spain had players everywhere and nowhere all over the place and I know I talked with Amanda a little after the game because she stepped out as a fullback and she just "It's players everywhere" and I just "Yeeaahh what am I supposed to do?" (laughs). So you become a little stressed in those situations. Then I know it takes much for them to score of course but this feeling of being 1 second too late, that isn't fun.

How do you handle that? Welllll, in those situations we had recently against Spain it's just trying to keep a compact form on the outside. They can come on an overlap, they're maybe allowed to hit a service but rather that from the wing that we can defend than for them to come in centrally. So kinda find something to go on.

You're also talking about this, how important the relations on the pitch are but it's also the players you mention here you play the closest to that are also those you have a very close relation to outside the pitch. What does it mean to have that? I think like I said it has really helped me much and then when you have played with them - now I've played in the national team for pretty long and know many players well both on and off the pitch. But I also think it can become easier during a period when it's maybe stressful to be able to like dare to ask for help and just be like "Damn it Filippa, I'm not having a good day today" and "I'll help you, I'll talk with you, I'll show me here you can play me. These kind of little things which you maybe don't dare to ask for help for in the same way to a player you maybe don't know as well. Then I actually think, here in the national team we're darn good at getting help from each other. But I believe that this safety to have someone you've known for such a long time, who you have played with for long and know how they function in stressful situations that it helps.

Do you see directly on each other also when it's not a good day? Yeah! (laughs) It's enough with a look and then we're looking and then "Yep yep, today it's one of those days".

How do you help each other then? It's so incredibly important when you have these small situations to be able to talk. Now I'm taking Filippa and Jojjo as examples because it's them I've played with the most. If we've had a throw in or a corner and just "How are you thinking here?" and just "I'll be in this space". Just something short concrete so you know because, for example Jojjo with her qualities I know she's fantastic 1v1. So put her in those 1v1 situations as much as possible. Or Filippa is good at play distributing and to become upright and to find the pace in the matches. So to put them in good situations to get them to grow even more.

They're also some who often occur with you on social media. How is going with the Tiktok account? It's going well! We have a little bit of an idea drought (laughs). I'm not gonna lie. We have some idea drought, we've been a bit lazy but we've actually decided to record some videos during this camp so we'll have some in store. Filippa wants to record this marshmallow-trend, that marshmallow one with... so that one I think we'll do.

Do you have any more ideas in store if you're going to gather a bunch of them together? Yeah well, we said we were going to get two clips each me and Filippa but I don't know if she has done it because I have not done it yet anyway. So we just have to have a sitdown and go through what we're gonna do. We'd wanted to do a dance too but sometimes Filippa needs a little more time to learn the dance (laughs).

She's not as fast learner there? (Laughs) No but she's become so much better at dancing, that she has. So yeah, I don't know. We have to check some more on Tiktok and see if we find something we can jump onto.

Shall we thank Tiktok Filippa has become better at dancing? Yes we shall! Thank you Tiktok for Filippa has some rhythm again.

How much time do you have then, because it's a question many at home wonder, during a national team camp? How much own time is there to work with? We have very much own time. We're training in the mornings, always, and then after training if you have time for the gym you go to the gym and then after lunch it's pretty free until dinner or if we have a meeting or so. But it's often in the afternoons so you have 4 hours where you can do a little whatever you wanna.

Scrolling Tiktok and other things? Yeah. Scrolling Tiktok, watching series, just chilling.

Do you have any series tips then? No, I was watching this new Netflix series Bodies but I didn't think it was super good. I like this criminology, solve murders and I like watching series which are about past tense or that which has been like the 1900th century. It's a little bit like that. It's one and the same body through four eras. So it sounds interesting but it wasn't that good. You don't need to watch that (laughs).

So that one we do not recommend. No! Precisely.

How is it going with the pathologist dreams then? Yeah they're still there, they are. But I have not done something about them. They're there in the back of my head.

This far you're only studying them through series? (Laughs) Precisely. Exactly. Every time it comes a pathologist, a body and an autopsy I say "That's what I'm gonna do afterwards".

Do you have a favourite pathologist? (Laughs) No, I'm not keeping tabs on anyone. I'm not sure it's even called pathologist.

No but I think so. Because it was someone who said it's not called pathologist but (inaudible)?

But I think so. Yeah, I think so to. I say pathologist.

If one was to google you - what do think comes up then? Do you have any idea what people want to know? (Sighs) Uhmmm good... I was thinking like it's usually surely about family.

It's very much family. Yeah, I can imagine that.

"Who are Nathalie Björn's family" and much like "Is Nathalie Björn a relative to Lasse Björn?" Who... who is Lasse Björn?

It's some old hockey player supposedly! Oh yeah! Because I've gotten this question a couple of times...

Yup! ..."Are you a relative to the hockey player?" No.

We can kill that because it's one of the most googled on Nathalie Björn. No we're NOT relatives. Not that I know of.

It's not someone you recognise from family dinners and so on? (Laughs) No, no it's not.

In everyday life you're playing in England. Season up and running now. How do you view the start you've gotten in Everton? We've had a tough start, a really tough start. So it's been very tough mentally this season start. We had matches against teams that we are expected to take points from and we haven't done that. Though it was nice we won the derby at Anfield but... No, it's tough. It's really tough at home.

How are you handling that, then? It's hard, it's a good question. It's been... On my behalf it's been very tough. Partly because you of course lose football matches, that is never fun. The way we're losing, not fun either. So I've come into a bit of... What can you say? It's really tough mentally and after matches feel "What am I going to do?" It's like, I've felt that I've not been in form and then it's so hard too when the team isn't in form. Then it's easy that you yourself maybe aren't on top but I want to be the player who grabs hold on things, but mentally I've really struggled in the matches.

What do you do then, to grab hold on things to get on the right track? We have a sports psychologist who I speak much with at home in the club. Easy accessible and she's very skilled. Tries to pinpoint some different things I can maybe work on myself when it's football-wise or find things I think it's fun to do outside of football to like disengage. But it's a process that takes time when you get into this, not a squirrel's wheel, but like training up for a match - lose a match, training up for a match - lose a match. It wears you down. And the mental then, if the other team scores 1-0 and you have, well, 3 losses in your backpack it becomes a mental rollercoaster. So I'm working very much with her to try finding things to focus on during matches or training to be as good as possible.

What could the things be she's giving tips to focus on? Often it's... We've had a meeting before the season like who you want to be as a football player, or what do I want to train, what do I want to improve? So we tried finding points where I feel I can gain self confidence from, for example my way of playing. I get much self confidence if I win my duels or I'm playing through team units. It's those two points which give the most self confidence and try to focus on that in training and in matches just to try and get into it a little. And then it's easier said than done, because I know that I don't have very much self confidence so I know that but it's hard to regain that self confidence again. So it's a process, yeah.

How important do you think it is to part dare to deal with it, but also part dare to talk about this with the mental game that also exists within football? Because it's easy to see if someone is, like, injured or are limping a little or so but that mental aspect in particular? I think there are so many within football... I don't know if it's you've become older and maybe a bit more understand what is happening. But it's a very special lifestyle we're living. And especially now when we had the World Cup for example. We were speaking a bit about it. We lose a semi final. You have two days to let it go, then you're going to play a bronze medal game. So those emotions, they barely have time to surface and then you're just gonna push those emotions down. You're disappointed, you're angry, you're frustrated because you've lost a semi final. But then you know we don't wanna lose a match about third place. And then when you come home from the championship it's like all emotions come all at once. And then you're processing everything from having been away from your family for 6 weeks, you haven't seen your partner, you have like lived in a bubble with the same people for 6 weeks and now you're completely alone. It was really tough when I came home. I thought it was very tough mentally because you're so used to hang with everyone. And then this feeling came we could've reached the final. We could've taken a silver medal, we could've taken a gold medal. And it happened for like 2 weeks ago, but if feels so close because you don't have time to process and it's a little bit the same in Everton now. It's like you're disappointed, you're annoyed but then you have to go at it again. So yeah, it's been tough after the World Cup.

What was the most difficult with coming home? Was it to be alone with all thoughts and that everything actually caught up with you? Yes, I would say that. It was... I've been at some championships now but I'd say anyway that the World Cup now was the toughest when I came home. Because often this feeling of loneliness comes that you feel alone. I'm living with my sister home in Sweden so she's at home with me and the you like have someone there but it's anyway like this "I've seen the same people 24 hours a day for 6 weeks. What are Lina doing now? What are Filippa doing now?" Even though you're talking with each other it's such a difference, but it's this feeling of emptiness. And then, everything has gone automatic so you have your routines. You know exactly what to wear, you get breakfast served. I mean, everything is to the point. And then you come home and are like "Well what am I gonna do now? Am I gonna watch tv? Am I gonna go for a stroll?" I don't know what to do.

I can imagine it's hard for people who have never been in a bubble in that way to understand this with it becomes such big contrasts and all of a sudden it's a choice what you're gonna have for breakfast and when you're gonna have breakfast. It sounds like the most luxury problem that you get the breakfast served. But it really becomes such contrasts when you've been with the same people, you have these routines and you come home and are like "What am I gonna do now? Mom is working, dad is working. Let's watch some series then" and then you sit there and are like "What's going to happen next?" And it's also when you come home because many have watched the championship, Uppsala is pretty small too. And then you feel "Am I gonna go to the city and just walk around?" It feels almost a little bit weird too when you've been isolated from people for so long. So it really becomes such contrasts but this in particular you say with the emotions, all the emotions come all at once and sometimes it becomes very much to handle.

How have you noticed this too with it's become more attention because you're more visible and you had a World Cup which actually engaged many despite it was on the other side of Earth it was maybe some weird kick off times for those at home? (Laughs) Yeah but that I feel, really, and it's when you come home to Sweden it's like you take part of their bubble a little bit. So it's many many people who stand and watch and like comes up to say "Good championship" and it's very very nice response you've gotten. And it is really huge. Now when I went to the national team camp me, Benni and Filippa - I think it came up like 7 persons at an airport in England and then it's Swedes who've been watching football and they like know. But we were like this "Omg how many people who come up!" because you're not used to it. But it also shows it was many who were engaged this summer and it's really fun.

How do you handle the attention that is, then? You become like shocked they recognise you, you're not wearing football clothes! And then I can imagine it's difficult to recognise someone. But it's fun when they say "Omg it was so fun this summer. Fantastic to follow you", that you have treated something and that I think it's very fun to hear. And then of course when you're out, me and my little sister went grocery shopping once and she just "They're just standing and stare at you over there" and I just "Oh okay, then we go this way then" because you become a bit uncomfortable, but then I understand it too. If I'd seen someone maybe I'd been like "Omg isn't that? I recognise that person" that you like stand staring a little. But it's a bit uncomfortable because you're not used to it.

It's maybe hard then too when not the football clothes are on to place directly: Where do I recognise that face from? Exactly! That you know from if you've seen an actor then you're thinking "Oh it's that character they are in the series" but it isn't because it's an ordinary person. So you think that you know them but you don't.

Have you experienced this also with people have actually greeted you because they think they know you? No, but I've done one myself (laughs).

Who did you greet then? (Still laughing) We were at an event after the World Cup. Then it was, is his name Charlie Gustafsson? Yeah, the actor from "Vår tid är nu".

Yup. So I waved, because I was thinking we know each other. But we don't. He waved back and I was like "But omg I don't know him, I don't know him" but well, it became good anyway (laughs). Got a wave back, but you become so weird in your head sometimes when that happens.

What did you think? Did it become like uncomfortable directly and did you start to wriggle or? How fast did you realise "Oh yeah, we don't know each other"? It was pretty fast. I waved, then he waved back and then I was like this "We've never spoken with each other" so it was a bit stiff. But then, it really was chill. We talked a little football and such. But I was like this "He must think I'm very weird. Just stand and wave".

So now you know each other so to speak, so you'll wave next time you see him? I'm gonna wave next time. Yeah, that I'll do. Yup.

If we're going to round this off then with what awaits: Switzerland and Italy. It's important matches to get to the Olympics, it is very much at stake. You have to win, basically, because it's a group win that's required to get to the Olympics. How much pressure do you feel ahead of these matches? It's really the knife against the throat like we talked a bit about after Spain. 1 point versus 0 point is a damn big difference. You love to play matches with things at stake. It's among the most fun, or why you're playing football. You want to win, you want to advance but it's tough. It's really tough to get to the Olympics now with this concept. Like you say, we need to win every match to advance, so there's no time to have a bad day or like... Yeah, you have to win and at the same time it's fun to play these matches you have much to lose too.

Has it become any teasings at home turf due to you have Italy in the group? It became a rather tough match against Italy last or are you glad that you won? I'm so happy we won. No, but that match was... chaotic. It was really 45 minutes of standing in the own penalty area away with the ball, away with the ball. But no, we haven't talked (laughs) about it actually ahead of this match. But I said "Can you please win against Spain it'd been very fun for Sweden".

So you've asked for a little favour ahead of the match? (Laughs) Yes, please win the match.

What do you think about the return meeting with Italy, then? Will it be as chaotic? No I don't think it'll be as chaotic. I think it's going to be a little better grass pitch, we'll know the time, we can see how much time is left. So I'm hoping we can have much better control this match. But, yeah. We'll see how the match picture becomes.

Yeah, it was a bit messy with the surrounding conditions there. Yeah, the worst thing was you didn't know what the time was and the referee didn't want to reply how much time it was left. Then you become like this "Well ok. Wha... what do we do now? How long time? Is it half an hour we're talking about, is it three minutes?" It was a little chaos.

Speaking of that, how good perception do you have as a player for how long you have been playing? No I'm really bad at that. I mean, when you're playing with a clock you can look some times at times. Then you can see "Yeah, how long until half time?" Sometimes It feels like I've been playing for an hour and then I've played for 14 minutes and then it's "Oh, it goes so slowly" and sometimes it's like "Oh it's already half time". But especially towards the end, then you want to see "Ok, the extra time. How long do we have left to keep fighting?" So it's nice to have a clock so you know the time when you're playing (laughs).

Yeah it's nice that we know there will be a clock for both these matches. Then we'll see how long it feels the matches are! Yeah exactly! (laughs)

Great, Nathalie. We thank you so very much! Thank you!

Omg fab your a 🌟

#swewnt #swewnt article #nathalie björn

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