Werder Bremen striker Markus Rosenberg wants to follow in the footsteps auf EURO 2004 winners Greece and banks on the good team spirit in the Swedish team.
bundesliga.de: Mister Rosenberg, you were quoted on the Werder website saying that Sweden will become European champions…
Markus Rosenberg: We too have a chance to go far in EURO 2008. You can’t start a tournament without believing in yourself. Of course it will be difficult, but nothing’s impossible. You just have to look at the Greeks in 2004, no one reckoned with them.
bundesliga.de: What makes you confident of success? What are Sweden’s strengths?
Rosenberg: We have one outstanding player in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, of course. It may sound stereotyped, but our biggest strength is our team spirit. We can only achieve something through solidarity. That makes us strong.
bundesliga.de: You had a very good season with Werder and established yourself in the Bundesliga. Do you approach the EURO 2008 full of confidence?
Rosenberg: Yes, it’s been a good season for me. I’m really comfortable in Bremen and enjoy the confidence of club and coach. And the competition among the four strikers drives us on to improve. I think I was able to help the team, that’s why I definitely approach the tournament full of confidence.
bundesliga.de: Henrik Larsson is back in the Swedish team. Can you beat him to the place alongside Ibrahimovic?
Rosenberg: Why not (smiles)? No, Henrik Larsson has done a lot for Swedish football. You can’t replace him with a few good matches. But I hope that I can help the team with my performance and my goals. Johan Elmander scored many goals in the qualifyers, now I’m on a good run. We have many good strikers in Sweden.
bundesliga.de: How do you rate the other teams in Sweden’s group?
Rosenberg: We have a very difficult group, but that’s normal at the EURO with its power density. Spain are favourites, Russia and Greece are unpredictable, as always. But we will do everything to go as far as possible.
bundesliga.de: Swedish players take to the Bundesliga time and again. What’s the Bundesliga’s status in Sweden?
Rosenberg: The Bundesliga isn’t neglected in Sweden, but the English Premier League has the highest status in our country. But who knows, maybe that will change one day. The Bundesliga deserves more attention. The stadiums are almost always full and absolutely new and state-of-the-art, there’s a great euphoria among the fans.
source: bundesliga.de
