World Cup Countdown: Sweden's Janne Andersson to Ibrahimovic: 'Call me'

Photo:LA Galaxy

Sweden coach Janne Andersson says he’ll hear out Zlatan Ibrahimovic if he wants to come out ofinternational retirement and play at the 2018 World Cup, but he is not going out of his way to lobby the LA Galaxy forward.

In an interview last week with French goalkeeper site MainOpposee, Guingamp goalkeeper Karl-Johan Johnsson, the national team backup, said Sweden will do just fine without Ibra,who scored 62 goals in 116 international matches for Sweden.

But Andersson was more diplomatic, telling German sports magazine Kicker that he doesn’t want tohave to convince Ibra, who retired after Euro 2016 and missed the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign that ended with Sweden knocking out Italy in a playoff.

“To put it plainly,” saidAndersson, who was named head coach after Euro 2016, “if you retire from the national team, like Zlatan following Euro 2016 — and he was very clear when talked about it — the case is settled. Ifyou’ve lost the drive to be with the national team for 40 to 50 days a year, and rather do nothing or spend time with your family, I respect that. I don’t believe in convincing anyone. I’d rather workwith the 250,000 [players] who want to be part of it.”

Andersson said he has no problem with the “media noise” about a comeback but says it’s all moot at this point.

“He cando it,” he said. “But If he changes his opinion, contacts me and tells me, ‘Yes, I want to be part of it,’ then we’ll sit down and discuss what that would mean, how we play these days and so on. Butthat’s all speculation. I don’t know [if he’d still fit into the team]. But I also don’t think about it. I take the things as they come if they come. If you want to be part of it, you must call me.Easy as that.”