VÄSTERÅS. Isabel Riedel, 23, is an outstanding football and soccer player.
But she was about to quit a sport.
Rönnby didn’t want me to play football, says Rydell, who went to local rival Västerås IBS to be able to continue playing doubles.
Today, she meets her old club in the Swedish Cup group stage.
Football has always been a priority. Isabel Riedel was and still is obvious to soccer coaches.
But this did not prevent her from reaching the Swedish Football League. She made her debut there in 2016. In the same year she played her first match in the Women’s Football League.
She played multi-season for five seasons in SSL with Rönnby before receiving a letter from a soccer club affecting her dual sport, she says.
Ronby didn’t want me to play football.
When did you find out?
– After a soccer match, the coach said it out loud in front of the whole team in the dressing room. I was a little shocked because I’m not the only one who heard that.
How did you feel?
– It was obviously tough. But in the end it turned out well.
Change club to continue
The first thought was to quit the globe. But she still chose to sign with Allsvenskan Västerås IBS, where last year she became the team’s top scorer.
It was an easy choice to continue playing football when Vasteras called and said I could combine it with football.
Football is what she focuses on the most, and although the football season is approaching, it is not easy to arrange a meeting with Riddle in a football hall. You’ve never done any pre-season with the soccer team. On the same days that Västerås trains, she trained with Elitettanlaget Gamla Upsala.
– I still think it’s good to combine. I keep moving all the time to be the best when it comes to it.
‘It makes sense to step down’
We are sitting in the stands at Mälarenergi Square in Västerås. Riddle jokes with his former Rönnby teammates. They are about to start their training. Right after that, at the same stadium, Rydell and Västerås will play a practice match.
There are no “hard feelings” on her part after her time in Ronby. She was also very popular in the club.
– We were glad she was here. But she wanted to spend her time in football. Since she was her number one, it made sense for her to step down with a ball, Ronby coach Andreas Harnske says on the phone to Sportbladet.
According to her, she found out in the dressing room after the match that she was no longer allowed to play football.
– In this case, not from me. It’s not something I know.
Was it a problem for you that she played football?
– It has been in the past Rönnby’s long history that if you play on SSL, you bet on SSL. I think it is the same in all teams. But we didn’t talk about that much. However, I know there was a lot of talk about her appearance when the season started and she wasn’t in pre-season. But I did not participate in it.
Would it have been possible on an elite team if 15 players had chosen to play dual sports?
– If the player can be the best in the world at the same time, he will be completely successful. But you should not underestimate the performance of confident people better and in the pre-season you have a chance to build a group. You must be together.
opponent club angles
If there will be another globe-trotting year for Rydell, she hasn’t decided yet. The 23-year-old will make the decision when she knows more about the upcoming football season. Her contract with Gamla Upsala expires when this year’s season ends.
One thing is certain, however, that she will play in the Swedish Cup group stage against Ronby.
– It will be fun. There are many of us who have played there.
Even before the match, Rydell has the opportunity to start with stealing tricks. I’ve visited Rönnby’s Jennifer Lindholm club.
How things are going in the Västerås derby, you can see with Aftonbladet Plus via Sportbladet’s TV broadcast.