When Hugo Larsson met the media after Wednesday's training with the national football team, he gave his version of the conversation with national team captain Jon Dahl Tomasson before this gathering.
Very important, he says.
Everyone knows that things can get a bit messy in the family and at work, and it's important to talk about it and resolve it. It wasn't as big a deal as it became in the media. We had a good chat and cleared the air a bit.
Injury awareness
During the previous gathering, Hugo Larsson got no playing time against Azerbaijan. Tomasson then publicly motivated the benching, which Larsson didn't appreciate. The Scanian Frankfurt midfielder, who was disappointed over the lack of playing time, then left the gathering before the home match against Estonia, with a slight injury awareness in his back.
That he then trained with Frankfurt just a few days later sparked some reactions.
When people care as much as they do about the national team, there will always be reactions and opinions. We all who were around know the truth, says Larsson.
The truth, he means, is that neither he, the club nor the national team wanted to take any chances, so he went to Germany to do tests.
It turned out to be okay and I could train a bit lightly three-four days after the gathering.
"New mentality"
The 20-year-old also got the question whether his expressed dissatisfaction with the benching was a bit typical of the new younger generation.
It's probably a new mentality if you say so, we who come up believe very much in ourselves. We are many young people playing at a high level in Europe, so we have great self-confidence and come here with that, he says.
You can probably learn from everything in life, but somewhere I'll never move away from the person I am. I'll always be open and honest.
Hugo Larsson comes to the national team gathering full of self-confidence, he extended his contract with Frankfurt until 2029 the other day.
I've had my best football weeks in my career, I'm in the best shape of my life and my body feels good, he says.
On the question of whether he'll play in the Nations League match against Slovakia on Friday, he answers.
You'll have to take that up with Jon. I'm available for whatever he wants to use me for – one match, two matches, substitute, whatever, so I'm here and I'm ready.
Sweden meets Slovakia on Friday and Estonia on Monday in two away matches.
