Lindahl: "Will not come there and become a third goal keeper"

In February, Wolfsburg German announced that they did not intend to extend the contract with Hedvig Lindahl. One month later, Lindahl's agent got in touch with Atlético Madrid who did not know that the 37-year-old was available on the market.

When Atlético Madrid found out, it went quickly because the club was in dire need of a goalkeeper.

- Since that contact came pretty quickly and they had a tight deadline before they had to move on with another, it never became that we talked to another club. It became a quick and good solution for both of us, says Hedvig Lindahl to SVT Sport about the choice of club.

Shortly before it became public that Lindahl signed for Atlético, it also became clear that the world goalkeeper from the Netherlands, Sari van Veenendaal, had left the Spanish club.

- I knew she was going to leave. It's a very good situation for me, to get there and help and not get there and become a third goal keeper. Had she been there, I might have thought differently, says Lindahl.

Have you got any guarantees about being a primary goalkeeper?

- No, I don't think any of the big pro clubs do.

37-year-old Lindahl will fight for playing time with French national goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin who recently left Arsenal.

- She is a little younger but certainly has other qualities than me. I think playing time will depend on what we do there and then and how we train. It is completely open to both of us.

Lindahl has previously played in the likes of English Chelsea and German Wolfsburg. She admits that Atlético Madrid has little to do with the absolute top clubs, but also tells us that the Spanish club has high goals that require her to perform at the top level.

- As it seems today, I think it's a bit up to Lyon and Wolfsburg. But this is exciting, in Atlético there is a large organization at its core and it is possible to make it a reality of the high goal, it is not just empty words. It will be fun to see if I can raise the club one level.

In recent years, Barcelona have emerged as favorites in the Spanish league and less than two weeks ago it became official that Real Madrid take over CD Tacón. Lindahl has talked to his agent about what Real Madrid's bet could mean for women's soccer and concluded that a lot could change.

- If I can quote my agent he thinks that women's football will change completely. Real Madrid will be able to come in and take a large part of the market and offer wages at a completely different level. If you want to be a team that competes in the Champions League, you may have to start paying in a completely different way, they have huge financial opportunities, says Lindahl.

- If they want to, they can sweep the market and other clubs must react.