Malmo. First, she scored a dream goal that paved the way for Rosengard for the Champions League.
Then Sophie Bridgaard ran towards the stands and folded her hands into a heart.
– It was for my father. the family. It was a rough period, she told Sportbladet.
After the first half even, 20-year-old Dane Sofie Bredgaard Rosengård gave Rosengård her dream start to the second half when she pulled her left and pitted the ball into the far post.
As soon as she saw that she was entering, she flew out and toward the main platform. After clenching her fists, the Dane formed her hands in a heart before pointing to the stands. on his father.
– It was a hard time. An emotional Bredgaard says after the match before continuing:
– It’s great that they were here and I almost don’t know what to say, but they mean everything because I’m here today.
They were always by her side. From coaching the girls’ team to the debut for the national team, but this season it was not so clear.
It all started at the end of March when Sophie Bridgaard and her family received the news of her father’s illness. Then the Dane played in Linköping and thought everything was calm.
– I thought Linköping was here for me and it would be fine.
But after only a week, everything changed. The day before the transfer window closed, the situation was no longer good.
– It was crazy, everything happened so quickly. We were told he had a tumor and not a blood clot. In ten seconds the whole world was turned upside down for me, she says:
Then I really felt like football meant nothing compared to what my family did.
Bredgaard then chose to speak to her agent and the club to see if there was any way to solve it so she could get closer to the family.
– I just felt like I wanted to be there. I want to fight with them We also didn’t know how bad it was and whether it was cancer or not. I had a great talk with Andrée (Jeglertz, red coach note) and I can’t say it enough but I’m really very happy with the way Linköping handled my entire situation. This means a lot to me.
The tumor has not been completely removed.
Although they knew there was interest from Rosengård, time was short.
It was the final day of the transfer window, and the 20-year-old Dane sat alone in an apartment without knowing if the transfer would be completed in time.
“Then I felt that with all the time they’d been there for me and my development into a good footballer, that couldn’t be why I wasn’t there when they needed me,” she says and continues:
– It went quickly. We started working on it at five in the evening, I think, and at half past eleven I signed a contract with Rosengård.
But his first time with the defending champion was difficult for Bridgaard. It took time for the family to know what would happen next to her father.
Then he underwent surgery. They didn’t take out the entire tumor, but we were told it wasn’t cancer.
The family was present at all of Rosengård’s home matches and when Bredgaard was named to the Danish national team for this summer’s European Championship, her father was fine.
– This time it was more doubtful if they could participate, but things have been going well these months.
It became a free zone for me
The family was able to take part in the whole EC adventure before it was time for the next operation. An operation in which they try to remove the remainder of the tumor.
– Everything went well and it was positive, but a week or so ago we learned that they had detected cancer, she says:
– It was hard, it’s hard but it looks good and they hope they have removed the entire tumor but it’s a terrible disease. You really feel it when he gets close.
She admits that it was sometimes difficult to focus on the matches that were played and she is very grateful for the confidence she has received from the club.
I feel that football has become a free zone for me. I really enjoy playing and being here at Rosengård. For everything they’ve done for me since I got here, I don’t know how to thank them enough.
At the same time Bridgaard reached out to the field, her father began his treatment.
– That’s why it means so much to me to celebrate with them. She was very special. But we’re optimistic and we believe, he’s going to be good, so now he’s a little more positive than he was the week right after. Because at that time it was very difficult.