The Swedish Football Association has come up with a proposal to Uefa that there is no women's championship, U21 European Championship. That's because there was a gap between the U19 and senior championships on the women's side.
SVT's expert Frida Östberg thinks it is the right way to go, because she thinks it is bar for women's soccer, not least for Swedish women's soccer, if more people get the chance to play international championships.
- Sweden has long been regarded as good on the youth side, with good organization and good playfulness. But I am a little worried that the Swedish players do not keep up physically. I think Swedish girls exercise too little. It is not obvious that Sweden would do well today.
When asked how many teams should participate in a playoff in the U21 European Championship, Frida Östberg speculates:
- You must not start too big, it is the wrong way to go.
The plan is for the new championship to be in the summer, probably in June. What worries Frida Östberg is that there will be crashes, like at the last women's World Cup.
- It must not collide with any other master juice. Partly for players who may belong to the senior national team, or U19, to be able to participate. But also for all girls to be able to see the championship. It is important to see what is needed, says Frida Östberg.
- And if there is anything we need to dare more in Sweden, it is to let talented younger players get the chance higher up in time. It provides experience and inspires the younger players to invest and train more.