The player who left Italy without the 2018 World Cup retires at 31

The Swedish international Jakob
Johansson, which left Italy

Without playing the 2018 World Cup with his goal in the play-off, he announced on Tuesday his retirement at the age of 31 due to his recurring problems with knee injuries.

In his 18 games as a Swedish international, the midfielder Johansson he only made one goal. It was in the first leg of the play-off for Russia 2018, played in November 2017 at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, when at 61 minutes, four after taking the field, he connected a whiplash that touched a defender and misled Buffon.

On the return, a few days later, Sweden held the 0-0 and Italy she did not play a World Cup for the first time since 1958. She had only missed the first World Cup, held in Uruguay in 1930, to which she did not attend despite being invited.

In that match, Johansson, which started, only lasted nine minutes on the pitch. He broke the ligaments in one knee and was out of the World Cup.

Johansson played in the Gothenburg, the club in which he had begun to emerge ten years ago and from where he later jumped to AEK greek and al Rennes French.

“It is a difficult decision, but my serious injuries have had unpleasant consequences for me in recent years. It is sad to end up like this, but I have felt obliged to do so,” he said in statements to the official media of the Gothenburg.

My serious injuries have had unpleasant consequences for me in recent years