Copenhagen, Jun 21 (EFE) .- The Swedish Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak was oblivious to the praise and rumors that link him to other teams on Monday, and although he admitted that he is looking forward to scoring his first goal in the European Championship. Said to be full of “confidence”.
“It is very fun to receive praise, it is positive that you are recognized, but the focus is that we have started the tournament well as a team. I am not affected by all expectations, at least not in a negative way,” he said at a press conference at the Swedish concentration in Gothenburg (west).
Isak remarked: “Of course I want to score my first goal, but if we win, I don't care a bit.”
The 17 goals scored this year with Real have been important to reinforce his confidence, and although he said he was “flattered” by the rumors, he did not pay much attention to them.
“It is not the first time in my career that people have written about me. It has never influenced me,” said the player, whose performance has stood out at this European Championship. “He has impressed me, he has done things that I have never seen him do before,” said teammate Dejan Kulusevsi.
Kulusevski, who was isolated from the group for a week for testing positive for coronavirus like midfielder Mattias Svanberg, acknowledges that it was “difficult” to have to watch the first game against Spain from home.
The Juventus player, who had already passed the illness months ago, admitted that perhaps he should have been “more prudent” when he had dinner with his partner and some friends who appeared by surprise during the three days off before the concentration, although he recalled That was not where it was infected.
“I'm fine, my body has reacted well. It's not easy to go from the couch to concentration, but I'm ready to play,” he said.
Svanberg, admitted how “hard” and “difficult to believe” it was to test positive for coronavirus when he had no symptoms and recalled that it is not 100% safe for Kulusevski to infect it. “But if it were so, there is no bad vibes,” he declared.
Sweden, first in group E with four points, close to the last 16, with the last game against Poland, which is forced to win.
“We have the ambition to finish first, so we have to win,” said Isak, who believes that the match against Spain was “a bit special” and that the benchmark should be the second half against Slovakia. “I hope we have more of the ball and play more patiently to create chances,” he said.
During today's training in Sweden, starting midfielder Albin Ekdal did not participate and exercised on his own after feeling some discomfort, the Swedish Federation reported.
Ekdal, who has a long history of muscle injuries, was already a doubt before the game against Spain, but ended up starting as a starter. EFE