Swedish head coach Janne Andersson and captain Victor Lindelöf held a press conference in Brussels.
Victor Lindelöf (front) fought for the ball with his former teammate Romelu Lukaku. PDO
The EC qualifying match between Sweden and Belgium was suspended after the first period.
Just less than a kilometer away from the match stadium, two Swedish fans had been shot.
– We made it clear that we were not going to continue the game and all the Belgians supported it, the Swedish captain Victor Lindelöf said at a press conference.
Lindelöf plays professionally for Manchester United. Maanantainen was the hardest place in his career.
Next to Toppar was the soon-to-be retired head coach Jan Andersson.
– I found out about what happened when I came to the dressing room during the break. It felt completely unreal. What kind of world do we live in? I am extremely sorry, Andersson said.
– We were one hundred percent sure that we didn’t want to play anymore to honor those who died and their loved ones.
“No reason to continue”
Lindelöf took control of the situation and went to talk to the Belgian players.
– Belgium is already in the games for sure, and we no longer have a chance to survive. There was no reason to continue playing, the skipper reasoned.
– We also wanted to get to our families. Some of them were here at the stadium and we wanted to make sure they were OK.
Lindelöf’s home in Manchester was broken into while he was on his way to a game. However, Maja’s wife and children Ted Louie and Francis survived the nightmare.
Tragic memories quickly came to the defender’s mind.
– We were told that the stadium is the safest place in Brussels. We felt safe.
Andersson admitted that he was overcome by an emotional storm.
– People are shot in Sweden in an unbelievable way. Where have we really drifted? Now, apparently, Swedish fans abroad are also a target, he said.
– I was supposed to talk to my players during the break, but instead I almost cried. This is extremely sad.