Pia Sundhage on life in Brazil
When not rebuilding and developing the Brazilian national team, Pia Sundhag enters into political discussions, travels and experiences the country on a more private level.
However, she has come back to a crucial point that she believes is missing in and out of football.
Warm people, warm country. Then they just need a little organization, she says of life in Brazil.
Pia Sundhaj He has captained the Brazilian national team since the summer of 2019 and is in the midst of a generational change. Old superstars are either injured or discontinued, while future players still have a path to reach the absolute world top.
What is needed, however, is clearly defined.
What should be added is planning for success. This means that you need to regulate yourself for how to improve over time. When it comes to organization and planning, we are not the world champions. For example, look at something as simple as how we travel, how the players prepare and how many days we spend together. Flexibility is required there because we have players in Brazil, the USA and Europe – you don’t have to do the same with everyone. We try to change that by doing it in groups rather than individual ones.
“Ready for just about anything”
Just being organized is a key word at Sundhage – outside the football field, you continue to engage in social issues and try to get some form of routine in an emotionally and spontaneously driven country and society.
I make sure I have a weekday, because I don’t know what happens during the day. I get up in the morning, exercise and go to the beach to make my soul feel good, and then I’m ready for just about anything. Of course, I end up in political discussions and talking about societal issues – everything from traffic, the difference between rich and poor, I’ve been to the slums… I take a ‘special’ trip in respect that I will always return to, says Sundhage and concludes:
– I feel “lucky” to be in different places. Hot people, warm country, so they just need a little bit of organization.