Bestad. After a penalty miss in Yokohama, destroyer Caroline Seeger was seen boosting from Rasmus Lilliblad.
When the national team is now charging for a new tournament, stepping in as one of the favorites for the first time, the football psychological counselor is raised and praised.
– The group is getting stronger and stronger every year. Olivia Shoof says it’s a big thank you to him.
When Peter Gerhardsson took over as captain of the national team after the European Championship in 2017, he brought a whole bunch to the national team’s activities. An important piece of the puzzle in the leadership team is football psychological consultant Rasmus Lilliblad.
I think the psychology of football is an important part of the sport, especially when it comes to tournaments, I think many players have close to these issues. So I think they appreciate having that role in place.
We love Rasmus
Players don’t just appreciate Lilligbla’s presence.
– We love Rasmus, he’s incredible. It has had an amazing positive effect on our group and is getting stronger and stronger every year. It is very thanks to him. He really gets us talking about everything and is always available, so his presence is incredibly safe, says Olivia Schouf.
– It means a lot to me and the whole group. He’s someone who does a lot to weld the group together and has a great feel. We are working on different parts, which we can take with us and how to get to know each other better. For us to take it out in the field. It means a lot, says Fridolina Rulfo.
Want to build relationships
Building relationships and making the group feel good is a big part of Lijbla’s job.
– A cohesive team is being built in training here, where we have a lot of joy and a lot of laughter, but also a lot of mentoring relationships where the players get better together. This is what builds the group, he says and continues:
Plus, we had a lot of fun together, but it’s not something I do, but this is a group they run themselves. And this is a group that has a lot of fun together. A lot happens when you invent things abroad. But what I do add to that, is that I have group meetings. Where we discuss, especially the players in small groups, how we should solve problems, how we should help each other and get to know each other as individuals. Maybe that’s what I’m trying to push.
Manage your favorites
When Sweden now enters a tournament with favorite editions they are not used to, Lilliblad’s role becomes even more important.
Now everyone wants to beat Sweden. This is something we are not really used to. We were able to sneak a bit from the bottom and surprise. Now it’s the opposite and we need to deal with that, says Schouf.
Veteran Linda Cimbrandt, who received a lot of support from Lillebad during her cruciate ligament injury, agrees with the honors chorus and believes Sweden is ready to take on the favorite.
Ten years ago it wasn’t right for us, but now we have a different attitude and feel safe to go in and get the favourite. She says it’s because we’ve done something fantastically great in recent years.