EXCLUSIVE: Glenn Stromberg on Sweden, World Cup favourites and Italia '90 memories

To analyse the prospects of the yellow and blues, the pecking order among the big favourites and relive the nights of Italia '90, Flashscore spoke exclusively with a legend of Swedish football, Glenn Stromberg, now a TV pundit.

Sweden are getting ready for the World Cup. What kind of tournament do you expect, given that they qualified amid some controversy through the Nations League rather than the regular route?

"Personally, I think just being able to take part should be experienced as pure joy. We're talking about a team that didn't win a single match for two years before the play-offs; they earned that spot by winning the Nations League's League C. Even there, everything went really well: the difficult situation with Ukraine, and then the home match against Poland, where they were the better side, but we managed to find a goal in the 90th minute.

"It almost feels like it was all written in the stars, because there's nothing to suggest Sweden have made some incredible comeback in recent months. They brought in a good manager in (Graham) Potter, but he can't work miracles. A lot will obviously depend on (Alexander) Isak and (Viktor) Gyokeres: they play at a high level in Europe and, if they're fit and in form, then we'll see."

How do you see the group opponents? Tunisia, Japan and the Netherlands: what kind of group is it?

"It's a very tough group, not just reasonably so. The Netherlands had an incredible qualifying campaign, even if (Ronald) Koeman had a lot of minor injury problems along the way, just like Sweden, but on paper, they remain the strongest. Tunisia maybe don't have the great players they once had in European leagues, but as a team, they function well.

"However, for me the strongest team in the group is Japan. People often say at World Cups that Japan are decent but can never quite finish the job; yet now they play a frightening brand of football, similar to Brazil or England, with incredible away results. They have a squad that works well in every department. I think every team in this group believes they have a good chance of going through, given how many qualify."

Sweden will build a lot of their game around the two strikers. Do you think the absence of a player like Dejan Kulusevski will be felt?

"Yes, of course. He was the captain and the reference point, a player who came through here at Atalanta, then went on to see the world and became a key figure in the national team. But the squad has now been used to playing without him for a year, so on the pitch, his absence won't be felt quite as much, even if having him would have been a huge advantage.  We do have pace with (Anthony) Elanga and (Taha) Ali, who came on well in the last match and are very interesting players. 

"Sweden need to play in a certain way: they can't think about dominating games or building out from the back. They need to go back to being solid defensively, like when I was playing: 'granite at the back'. If we're organised and strong at the back, then up front we have players like Gyokeres and Isak who can score at the first chance and turn a match around. Right now, the team are neither stable nor confident; the manager is trying a back five to provide more security, and it's going so-so. After picking up only two points in a weak group, going to the World Cup should give them an incredible determination."

Broadening the discussion, which teams do you think look best for this World Cup?

"At my sixteenth tournament between World Cups and Euros as a pundit, I always say the same thing: what matters is who arrives with their attack in the best form and without injuries. In 1982, the smaller nations didn't know how to hold their shape tactically compared to the European or South American sides; today, everyone knows how to organise themselves and defend well. So individual quality becomes crucial, the player who decides a match.

"The team with the top scorer will probably reach the final or the semi-finals. That's why you can't rule out France among the favourites, because they have an impressive attacking depth; the manager can manage players' fitness after a long season and rotate them without losing quality. England are also very strong; Tuchel is a manager who demands a lot and knows how to inspire the group. Then there's Spain and the South American sides, who always do well at World Cups. Brazil, now with Ancelotti, remain at the very highest level if the players follow his instructions. And finally Germany: they're proud, hard to beat and never get distracted by internal issues during a tournament."

Who could be a surprise, on the other hand?

"I've been hearing this question for 30 years. A surprise team can make the quarter-finals, as happened in 2002, but going all the way is hard. A lack of experience at that level kicks in, along with the pressure: if you play against Brazil, they know the whole country will crucify them if they go out, and that puts the opponent in a difficult position. Maybe a bit of satisfaction for having done well up to that point creeps in, too. In 30 years, I've never seen a genuine surprise go all the way."

You experienced the Italia '90 World Cup. What memories do you have of that experience, and what does it mean for a footballer to play in one?

"It was wonderful, especially for me because I was playing in Italy. But it was a strange experience because the head coach, Olle Nordin, dropped me to the bench. The strange thing is that I had also played alongside Nordin when we were at Goteborg, so we knew each other well. But he thought I'd become 'too Italian': he saw me as more static in midfield, just getting on the ball, whereas he wanted me to use my running to go in behind, like I used to do years earlier. In my place he preferred to play Klas Ingesson, who was at Bari, and who sadly passed away far too young.

"I remember the first press conference with journalists from La Gazzetta or Lo Stadio. They asked Nordin: 'You reached the final in '58, but apart from that, not much. Do you fancy your chances?'. He got very angry and didn't want to answer. Then the Italian journalists, who had watched me play for six years at Atalanta against the biggest names in the game, asked him a clever question: 'If you say you're not favourites, but you have Glenn Stromberg on the bench, a great captain wanted by the top Italian clubs, that means you have ten players better than him. So why aren't you going to win the World Cup?'. Nordin had absolutely no idea what to say."

And how did the tournament actually go on the pitch for Sweden?

"We were absolutely dreadful. We lost all three games with the same scoreline, 2-1. The one against Costa Rica was dramatic; in the final minutes, I was desperate and wanted to take the ball and do everything myself. It was a match that, if we played it a hundred times, you'd lose it maybe once, but it happened to us."

Is there a particular story about Swedish supporters from that period?

"Yes, something strange happened. After a week in the training camp, we saw fifty or a hundred Swedes outside our hotel with flags and camper vans. We'd never seen anything like it on national team away trips, and we were almost afraid some disaster had happened back in Sweden.

"Back then, there was no internet or any way of finding out. So we called home to ask if everything was alright! They told us nothing had happened, that everything was fine. In the end, we realised those people had simply decided to follow the World Cup and, at the same time, have a holiday in Italy with their camper vans. From that moment, the boom began: in 2006, in Berlin, there were 100,000 Swedes. Today, Sweden is one of the nations that brings the most supporters to international tournaments."

From the genuine bewilderment at those first camper vans parked outside the hotel in Italy, to the yellow floods that now fill squares and stadiums all over the world, Sweden have built a visceral and vibrant bond with the World Cup. Glenn Stromberg has shared his sharp tactical insight and these wonderful stories exclusively with Flashscore. With his wealth of experience and the charisma that has always set him apart, he has reminded us once again why the World Cup is, and will always remain, the most captivating tournament of all. Now, the ball is at the pitch's feet.