Lotta Schelin (1984) is one of the greatest legends of Swedish football. Nobody has scored more goals (88) than her with the national shirt – not even Zlatan Ibrahimovic – and she has a bronze (2011 World Cup) and a silver (2016 JJ.OO.) in her medal table. She lived her golden years at Lyon lifting eight Leagues and three Champions Leagues and now combines her work as a television analyst with that of the mother of little Kallen, three years old, together with the one who visits La Vanguardia before receiving the Legend trophy at the II Gala of Sports world.
You retired in 2018, a few years have passed, has it been difficult for you to adapt to this new life?
I don’t know why, but I was ready to take the plunge. Although it is difficult to stop playing, because you love to play and it is what you have always done, at this point in life you understand that there are other things that are important or that you want to try. Starting a family, working on television… there is so much to do that I can say that I have found a place where I am very happy.
He even wrote a biography.
I don’t think I would have done it if I hadn’t been injured. I was out for 14-15 months and began to reflect on my career. It’s a weird thing to do, but exciting at the end of the day because it can talk about things that you don’t talk about during your career.
In it, he revealed that his mother suffers from Huntington’s, a neurodegenerative disease with no cure.
The first time I read the book I was scared when I realized that everyone was going to know this, but I wanted to tell things that would explain how I am as a person and a footballer, so I found the courage to talk about it, and I think it’s important because, after all, everyone is dealing with their own problems, including footballers.
There is a 50% chance that you have inherited it, but have decided not to be tested to find out if you also have it. How do you live with it?
I think it’s my personality, I’m not worried and I think knowing it would be worse for me. If one day I develop this disease, I will face it, but as long as it doesn’t, I prefer not to think about it. It is true that several members of my family have it and when you see your mother changing, it is hard, but it is something that I have to live with and deal with it however I can. I try to be as positive as I can and hope that one day there will be a cure.
He had to leave football due to serious cervical problems that he dragged on for almost a decade.
It started in 2005 and it got worse and worse. She had so many headaches every day and for years she couldn’t even train her headers. The doctors couldn’t help me anymore and I had to get used to the idea that if I wanted to play, I would have to do it while enduring that pain.
He must have lived through hell.
I think that’s why elite athletes are said to be crazy, because we keep going and going, even when our body tells us not to. But I have learned from all this. I’m glad I was able to take my career to the top despite the pain, but I wouldn’t do it again. You have to be careful with blows to the head and neck, they can be very dangerous.
How are you now?
I’d say I’m 99% recovered. In my daily life I’m much better, I don’t have headaches every day, they come and go, but I can’t overdo it like I used to because if I do, I know I’ll be sick for several days.
It is another type of injury, but what would you say to Alexia Putellas?
I understand her very well, it’s hard to be left out when you’re at your best. I send her a lot of encouragement and I am sure that she will come back stronger, because normally that is what happens, she becomes stronger physically and mentally. But I would also advise him to spend time with his family and friends because during your career it is difficult to reconcile and when you retire, it is important to have a place to return to beyond football.
He has known her for a long time and has even played against her. How do you see it?
I saw her play for the first time a long time ago and the surprising thing is how she and the people around her have evolved. When you’re in an environment like this, in the national team or at Barça, you can play with great players every day. I experienced it at Lyon, you don’t even have to force it, you just move forward because they’re pushing you. Her career so far is impressive, she is one of the best of all time because of how well she has played in recent years, but it is also impressive how much she has improved.
Aitana Bonmatí stayed in the top5 of the Ballon d’Or. What do you think of her?
I didn’t know much about her before, but when they played the Champions League final during the pandemic I was there as an ambassador because it was in my hometown, Goteborg. So she was sitting there watching the game, with no one around her, her game was exceptional and I was wondering why I hadn’t heard of her before. I know she’s younger, but it’s amazing to play a final and be at that level. It’s brilliant when she performs at her highest level, but when she doesn’t she’s still excellent and that’s the hard part, to have this consistency in your game, it’s impressive.
Together they are unstoppable?
The technique they have and the speed at which they play makes a difference, so it makes me sad that they are not in the squad now. I hope they can do it again soon.
What do you think of the conflict between the Federation and the players?
I can’t keep quiet about this and it makes me very angry every time I think about it. What the Spanish Federation is doing is not showing any respect to its players. It’s sad because women’s football is growing and everyone gives Spain as a favorite in all the competitions in which it participates. If it was one or two players, it could be a relationship issue, but if it’s 15, you have to do something. It doesn’t matter who is right, if you respect women’s football, you have to sit down and talk to them.
In Sweden would it have been managed differently?
Our Federation would never have shown the emails, they would be terrified that people would know that. They would try to deal with these 15 footballers and instead, here you have 15 of the best footballers in Spain, in Europe, maybe in the world, and what you do is show them no respect. What you achieve with this is to create a culture of silence. Nobody will come to talk about any problem they have because they know that if they talk, they are out, we have already seen it in the past with Vero Boquete. This kind of leadership is dangerous and I think the Federation needs to do something.
Why is women’s football so powerful in Sweden?
I think it’s a question of equality. We have been doing a great job in this regard and I think we can be an example for many. In countries like France or Spain there are big clubs betting on it, but they are still far from Sweden in terms of equality. Even when I played for Lyon and we had a club that believed in the project and a president that bet heavily, I could still feel that we didn’t have the respect of the people. We have made more progress in this respect in Sweden.
How have you seen the adaptation of Rolfö to Barça?
When he signed for Barcelona I hesitated because he was perfect for German football, but he has adapted very well. She has been developing great technical skills, she knows when to pass the ball and when to advance, and she is at a great level even in defense, because now she plays more there. She is a pride for Sweden, she is in one of the best teams and she is also playing, which is not easy in a team like that.
He played eight years at Lyon. Why do you think Barça lost the last Champions League final against the French team?
It wasn’t Barcelona’s fault, but everyone went with them and for Lyon it was as if they were being teased. They had lifted seven titles, they knew how to win and, suddenly, they weren’t even the favourites, Barça was. They knew they had a good team and they wanted to prove it. For once, they could drop off the radar a bit, all eyes were on Barcelona.
On the other hand, Lyon had thrashed Barça in another final and I think that when a team does something like that to you, it’s something you just can’t get out of your head. No one will underestimate Lyon again.
In 2013 Zlatan Ibrahimovic made some controversial statements offended because they compared him to you. Have you had occasion to speak with him since then?
I met him and I think he’s a good guy, but it’s always difficult with Zlatan because he has a very special character. I don’t think he’s a sexist person, he’s probably offended being compared to any player he doesn’t think he should be compared to, so maybe the problem isn’t that I was a woman, I don’t know.
Still, I think he could have been a little more kind towards women’s football, it wouldn’t have cost him anything. I think we should be bigger as people than as athletes, maybe this incident made him reflect.
