Söderberg focused on the future

In the wake of Sweden's dramatic UEFA European Under-21 Championship semi-final defeat, joint-coach Tommy Söderberg has been trying to look to the future.

Swedish hangover
The Swedish team's calendar entry for Monday 29 June had simply read "Party Time in Malmo", but with one day to go before the final the host nation's players and coaches are already suffering a hangover. Friday's penalty shoot-out loss to England in Gothenburg is unlikely to be forgotten in a hurry.

Netherlands loss
For Söderberg, the sensations are all too familiar. Five years ago, the 60-year-old was coaching the senior squad at UEFA EURO 2004™ where they succumbed to the Netherlands on spot-kicks in the quarter-finals. "It's the same feeling of emptiness," he explained. "When you are this close to your goal, the pain won't go away for a long time."

Emotional farewells
Talking to reporters yesterday, Söderberg interrupted himself repeatedly to say emotional farewells to his young players, leaving for their clubs after several weeks together. There were touching scenes when the former AIK Solna trainer gave winger Emir Bajrami a bear hug and brief pep talk, before he scheduled an autumn reunion with midfielder Gustav Svensson. While Sweden left Portugal only hours after losing to the Dutch in 2004, Söderberg insisted everyone stay an extra night at the team hotel this time around, giving them a chance to discuss the match and say proper goodbyes.

High status
"I didn't want this tournament to end so quickly," he continued. "It might sound like a cliché, but these players, these lads, are something extra. Their personalities, the way they play the game – these players will have a chance to lift Swedish football in the future." Most are contracted to domestic, Allsvenskan clubs and though they may not boast the kind of high profile enjoyed by other players in the competition, they certainly benefit from plenty of playing time week upon week. "They already have a high status in their respective teams," added Söderberg. "They took that confidence into this tournament."

Berg praise
Reticent to finger any one player for special praise, he could not help but cite the competition's leading scorer, with seven goals from four games. "If I had to single out only one player, it would have to be Marcus Berg," he said. "This tournament has been his breakthrough at international level. His goalscoring has been fantastic, as has his attitude. Against England, when Ola Toivonen was injured, Berg had to fall back into midfield to help out and he did it in a way that surprised even me."

New start
Looking ahead, Söderberg and fellow coach Jörgen Lennartsson have already turned their minds to forming another close-knit group of players from the next generation of Swedish talent, with the aim of qualifying for the 2011 UEFA European U21 Championship in Denmark. "Our work has already started," he said. "That's life. The end of one thing means the beginning of something new."