http://www.swanseacity.comT
he prospect of facing Italy on
the international stage is one
that is particularly daunting at
the best of times, let alone in a
play-off for a place at the World Cup.
With four World Cups, a European
Championship title and a history of
producing some of the world’s finest
talents – such as Roberto Baggio,
Paolo Maldini, Gianluigi Buffon,
Francesco Totti and Alessandro Del
Piero to name a few – the Azzurri are
one of the most feared nations in
world football.
The Italians were aiming to continue
their impressive record of appearing
at every World Cup since 1958 but,
for Martin Olsson and his Sweden
team-mates, last month’s two-legged
showdown for a place at the finals in
Russia was one that they went into
with a strange sense of optimism.
“I’ve appeared in the play-offs three
times now and most of the time,
we’ve come up against tough teams,”
Olsson tells Jack Magazine.
“When Italy came out of the draw, we
knew we’d be in for a tough game, but
you could just feel the confidence
within the camp that we would have a
chance of upsetting them.”
The Swedes had not appeared on the
biggest stage of all since 2006, but
Jakob Johansson’s deflected strike in
the first leg in Stockholm put them on
the brink of a huge upset ahead of the
return fixture in Milan.
Olsson nervously looked on from the
bench at the San Siro as Italy
dominated the second leg in search of
the goal that would level the tie.
“Watching from the sidelines, I was
really nervous and couldn’t sit still,”
he reflects. “I was jumping up and
looking at what was happening.”
Despite enjoying just 24 per cent of
possession, the Swedes upset the
odds and critics by stubbornly holding
on for a 0-0 draw that booked their
place in Russia.
And there is no doubt in Olsson’s
mind as to the main reasons behind
his country’s success.
“When that final whistle went, it wassurreal. It was a great feeling, we were
celebrating and there was a lot of
emotion,” he smiles. “Getting to the
World Cup is something we’ve worked
hard for.
“Most people were saying we weren’t
going to the World Cup, but it was all
about the hunger and proving the
doubters wrong.
“We’ve got a good group of players
who are comfortable together and we
worked hard for each other. That team
spirit took us to the World Cup.”
Olsson is now aiming to be part ofJanne Andersson’s final squad for
what would be his third major
international tournament.
The left-back was an ever-present for
the Swedes at the European
Championships in 2012 and 2016
and, having gone so close to
qualifying for the World Cup finals
four years ago, is understandably
desperate for the opportunity this time
around.
“The European Championships and
World Cup are the two biggest
tournaments you want to play in,” heSWANSEA CITY v WEST BROMWICH ALBION
NAME Martin Tony Waikwa Olsson
DATE OF BIRTH 17 May 1988 (age 29)
PLACE OF BIRTH Gävle, Sweden
HEIGHT 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
POSITION Left-backOLSSON TAKES ON ITALY'S MARCO MOTTA