the 28-year-old striker Olivia Schough is a really heavy purchase. She has played 67 A-caps since his debut six years ago, has a routine from a world CUP and two european CHAMPIONSHIP finals, won the OLYMPIC silver medal in Rio de Janeiro in the summer of 2016 and was a starter in the final against Germany.
then became clear that she was not going to extend with the national championship runner-up Gothenburg, many believed that she aimed to come out in Europe again. But it was the island of Djurgården.
– It screwed with kontraktsdiskussionen, and after a while I felt that I would see me on at other clubs. And then felt the island of Djurgården, directly very good. Had good contact with Joel (Riddez, coach), and he told me about the ambitions of the team, ” said Olivia Schough.
” It felt like a fun challenge, and the fun with Stockholm. Feels like I can grow even more here.
The tanks were, absolutely. And when it pops up the options so it will be easy that you can dream off. But I felt that a world CUP year such as this, it was not the time to move abroad. I felt that I needed stability.
” I want to the VM, and I want to play. Right now I’m on the bench in the national team, but I would of course check in the starting lineup, and then I hope that I can get the ride by playing in Djurgården.
– the First season in Eskilstuna, sweden, three years ago, was very good. Then I feel that I have managed to maintain the level. Now I hope to be able to take that extra step, before the world CUP.
” Yes, Malin Diaz I played with in Eskilstuna. But otherwise, there are a few players that I knew, but not felt.
– As it looks now I will be forward.
” I thought it looked good. But then they had bad luck with injuries, and it went well not quite as they intended.
” Now I know that Djurgården have a really good squad, enough quality to be a top team.
the island of Djurgården belong to the top three in the premier league, in terms of number of played seasons. But you got no business lifting in the early years. It was not even the best in town, but seemed in the shadow of the first, Hammarby and then Älvsjö AIK.
was the historical decision, when the merged A-lagsverksamheten with Älvsjö AIK. Thomas Dennerby was hired as coach, and the new star-studded team won allsvenskan in both 2003 and 2004, and reached also the final of the Champions League in 2005.
Then dropped one of the initiative, and in the autumn of 2012, fell off the island of Djurgården down in Elitettan. It took three years to get back. Last season finished eight in the damallsvenskan.
Now given a golden opportunity to move forward, both regionally and overall. Djurgården is the only club that has both the dam and the five defendants in the allsvenskan. In the damallsvenskan, Djurgården is also only Stockholmslag the coming season.
the important piece in Joel Riddez team will be Hanna Folkesson, as being recruited from the top third of Rosengård. An experienced, landslagsmeriterad central midfielder to give the team stability.
” It’s routine, from the national team and from a number of seasons in the premier league, which I will contribute. And as the central midfielders are very involved in the game, ” she says.
unlike Olivia Schough, it is about a move back to Stockholm for hanna’s part. She has previously played four seasons with AIK (2009-2012).
I had the same options, but considering the world CUP, I wanted to remain in Sweden. Stockholm attracted and Djurgården has the ambition to be a leading team. And if you look at the squad you have something exciting going on, I think.
– This is the decision she has taken, ” says Hanna Folkesson and laughing.
But she knew that I had written on. And I knew that she would come here, before it became official.
” I was sitting on an outgoing contract. They were satisfied with my season, but they wanted to get in as a forward in the squad and spend the money on it instead.
– So clearly there is a difference (compared with Rosengård), but I think we should be able to keep a high level. It’s all about getting it together as a unit. And if we can do it, I think we can aim pretty high. Just look at Piteå last year. There was no one who thought on them before the season.
– we Can start with to get a good defense so I think it will be good.
Hanna Folkesson is not in the landslagstrupp later in January travelling down to south Africa for a training camp and international match against south Africa. But to take a place in this summer’s world CUP squad is her ambition.
” Absolutely.” I had contact with Peter (Gerhardsson, coach) before the latest trupputtagningen. So I am aiming towards the world CUP.
