“We know what it takes to go all the way”
“It’s so fun to meet the team again,” said Stina Blackstenius 90 min ahead of the European Championships 2022. “We are all excited about what is to come.”
After a week of camping at home, Sweden met Brazil in a final test before their European Championship 2022 campaign begins. In the match, the Scandinavian side won 3-1, with Blackstenius finishing third with a chipped finish over Lorena in the Brazil goal, which took her goal figure to 26 in 77 matches for her country.
Blackstenius once again has the potential to become Sweden’s major player at the European Championships. She is known for thriving on the big stage; at the 2021 Olympics, the striker netted five times on the way to a silver medal.
“Every tournament I’ve played has been different from the other,” she said. “This will certainly be a brand new tournament with many good teams and probably a lot of people who will watch our matches. And so it will be challenging, but of course I think we can bring experience.
“We have to (take) the World Cup or the Olympics (experience) and bring it here. Now we know for sure what it takes to go as far as we want. We won the silver, we won the bronze, but not the gold. So we know at this point what it takes to go all the way. “
The current Swedish squad is often called the “Golden Generation”. However, they have not yet been able to crown their effort with a major title. The recent disappointment at the Olympics and third place at the WC 2019, which aroused a new euphoria around the national team at home in Sweden, will certainly increase the motivation the players will travel to England with.
As a collective, Sweden is known for its team spirit, humble approach and willingness to constantly improve. Their success has been built on a strong defensive record, leaving it up to forwards like Blackstenius to be as clinical as possible in front of goal.
“I will get help from my teammates and if I play I will just try to do my best,” the striker explained when asked about her efficiency in front of goal. “They always put me in good positions and I trust them.”
Sweden has a lot of tough matches to navigate before they can think about the Wembley final. They start their campaign against the Netherlands on 9 July.
“It’s always like that in tournaments,” Blackstenius reflected. “It’s always a challenge when you’re there and it’s just a few days between games. But I feel we have a really good group of good players. I know we’ll do that. Deal with it.”
After moving to the WSL with Arsenal in January last year, the 26-year-old gained even more experience against tough opponents and now calls the likes of Vivianne Miedema, Beth Mead and Kim Little his teammates at club level.
“When I came to Arsenal, the level of training and match was very high,” she explained.
“It’s great for me to be around quality players like everyone on the team. And that’s just the challenge for me, to be the best I can be at every training session. I have to make faster decisions and do everything a little faster. So that’s something I tried to do and I think it will make me a better player. ”
Since joining Arsenal, she has developed a greater understanding of English football culture. The euro in England will feel at home.
“I know by now that the fans are very interested in the matches and really passionate,” said Blackstenius. “And it’s something I (think) is cool. But I know we have to be prepared for that too.”
At Sweden’s pre-tournament camp, the striker had a special meeting with two young fans who made headlines in Sweden. The girls were waiting for her at the team hotel, wearing their Arsenal uniforms with Blackstenius’ names and numbers on their backs. Visibly moved by their expression of support, she took the time to take pictures and sign autographs for the young girls. The striker promised to arrange tickets for them if they ever wanted to take part in an Arsenal match with their parents.
“It made me so happy to see (those) two young girls,” Blackstenius said with a smile. “As a bit inspired, if you can say that, and it makes me happy to see that they support Arsenal. It just means a lot to see young girls come here and we want to show them that we care a lot about them.”
During meetings like the one at Sweden’s publishers, she began to realize the impact she has on the supporters – but does not see the growing responsibility and attention as an extra pressure.
“I’m starting to see it more now that people are showing up here,” she said. “We have to be the best role models we can be and we want to be. And when (we) are here, (we) sign autographs and take pictures, showing them that we care.
“It’s just a fun part of football too, to be able to inspire and show them that they can also be football players if they want to.”
The players were expelled from 33,218 Swedish fans in the match against Brazil, which gave them a taste of the support they will receive in England.
Blackstenius is among the favorites for the Euro 2022 gold boot, but has not set any individual goals for himself.
“I do not want to put that pressure on myself,” she stressed. “Because then I would feel so disappointed if I do not reach it. I just want to play as much as possible and if I do, I want to bring everything to my team.
“With the team, I just have a lot of confidence in what we do and how we play. I know we have great potential to (go) far in this tournament and we just need to believe in it.”