Henrik Larsson lived a beautiful stage at FC Barcelona. The Swede already arrived at the Camp Nou as a veteran where he became a benchmark from the bench. The one from Helsinborg lived a great stage with Ronaldinho and Eto'o as big stars and some promising Iniesta or Leo Messi, still teenagers. As a Blagurana, she won two Leagues and a Champions League and a Super Cup and left 19 points.
In The Lockdown Tactics podcast, the tip reviewed much of his career and personal life. His transfer to Barcelona, his experience with the death of his brother or his best partner were some of the topics he touched on.
Transfer to Barcelona and his best teammate
When he was released after finishing his contract with Celtic, Barcelona knocked on his door and the Swede did not believe it. “I said that I would like to play somewhere hot. I thought about Spain but never, that Barcelona was going to come after me. I grew up watching Romario, Laudrup, Koeman … Signing up for this team was a dream that came true. We had a fantastic team. The workouts were incredible. Ronaldinho did things that he did not know could be made. Xavi was good but then it was better. Iniesta was a kid and Messi too, “he said.
There he spent great moments and a redemption with the European competitions when winning the Champions League. “For me it was very special. I lost a great final in Seville with Celtic. It wasn't exactly a good experience but then I was able to win the Paris final, the biggest club competition you can win. I was so happy that I decided not to drink anything that night because I wanted to remember everything. I remember almost everything that happened, “he explained.
Larsson can boast of having shared a locker room with great strikers at an even historical level. Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney, Eto'o, Ronaldinho … He was on the green with everyone and in training but in this interview he stayed with Chris Sutton as his best pointed companion. “He was the best teammate I had. A big guy with great vision who knew how to play. He was not selfish at all. He worked very hard, never stopped running and also scored goals. It was easy to play with him. When I jumped to head, you just had to know where to run, “he explains.
A hard experience
In this podcast, Larsson explained one of the hardest experiences of his life and highlighted the importance of overall mental health, no longer related to performance on the green. Her brother, who died of an overdose, marked his life. “When I was in Scotland my brother was hooked on drugs. Knowing the things he knew and having to go out and perform every week was difficult. In the end, my brother died of an overdose. The pressure and worry from my parents every night and mine too. It is not easy and it is important to talk about it. It is important to share how you feel and that they can help you. That help must be professional. I went when my brother passed away and I felt much better afterwards. You have to talk to someone and open up so they can help you. Otherwise, you will feel guilty about certain things. You wonder: could I have done something? Have you heard better? “He explained.