Gottfridsson is prodded - and Carlsbogård refuses

Jim Gottfridsson made his debut in the national team in 2012, but the first championship was delayed until the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro four years later.

Since then, "Gotte" has been a blue-yellow key player for a decade. The tactically skilled midfielder and playmaker was named the European Championship's "MVP" both at the silver in Zagreb 2018 and the gold in Budapest 2022.

Now Gottfridsson, who has had the stated goal of being in Blue and Yellow for the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028, is no longer part of the Swedish national team.

- It is clear that it is boring. I have always valued the national team highly and never refused. So it is, as I said, boring for myself, says Gottfridsson to Sportbladet.

Aftonbladet was the first to report that the star is being poked for the first time in ten years, news that was confirmed when national team captain Michael Apelgren on Tuesday presented the squad for the European Championship qualifiers against Greece and Luxembourg in November.

- There are always difficult decisions to make when we have to take out these squads, but it is clear that it feels extra when it is one of our best players of all time, says Michael Apelgren.

According to the national team captain, Eric Johansson, Nikola Roganovic, Felix Claar and Axel Månsson are currently ahead of Gottfridsson as right-handed nine-meter players.

However, Gottfridsson is included in the large gross squad for the WC in Germany in January, which includes 35 players.

"Gotte" was fired this spring from Pick Szeged, where Apelgren is the coach, and now he is being kicked from the national team just six months later. About the relationship with Gottfridsson, who last summer moved home to parent club IFK Ystad in the second league, the league captain says:

- It has been good. It has been straight pipes and no weirdness, although there have been special situations we have found ourselves in.

Notable from the EC qualifying squad is also that Barcelona's Jonathan Carlsbogård, also a key player in the national team for several years, is not included.

- He declines because we cannot guarantee playing time going forward. I understand him and respect that, there are "no hard feelings", says Apelgren.

Just like Gottfridsson, Carlsbogård is still in the gross squad for the WC.

At the same time, Lucas Pellas is making a comeback in Blågult, just over 20 months after he tore a hamstring. He and Emil Mellegård are selected as left sixes in the absence of the injured Hampus Wanne.

Sweden meets Greece in Växjö on November 5 and then Luxembourg away three days later.