Seven days of preparation for Gotland and two in Latvia - and then to start the European Championship qualifying with inferior balls. Already after a minute Sweden played the ball to show that there was something wrong with it. Then Magdalena Eriksson got a new one that she pressed together to demonstrate that even that ball was unpumped.
"But the judge said we should play on and then it must be so," says back colleague Amanda Ilestedt.
What do you think of this as a professional football player?
- It says itself.
She is supported by several teammates.
- You even heard that there was no air in the balls. It is really bad that you have not looked it up before, says Madelen Janogy and continues:
- I certainly hope that they take care of this, because it should not be at this level.
Sweden was also allowed to play with good balls but half were bad according to Sembrant.
- You felt right when we started the game that the ball was like a balloon, she says and continues:
- Two out of four balls were good. Two were incredibly bad.
The national team captain Gerhardsson and Sweden team captain Caroline Seger also reacted strongly.
- I have never participated in it, not once in a competition match, says Gerhardsson before Seger sums up:
- I do not understand how it is possible when playing in an European qualifying match that it even works that way. But it reflected this whole match. It's hard to play. We get to play against the river in the penalty area. I don't even know how to train against such resistance.