Life in Sölvesborg is going well for Noel Törnqvist.
With five rounds left in the top division, the club team Mjällby is heading for its first Swedish Championship title and next week Törnqvist will embark on his first trip with the national football team.
It's a dream you've had to get into the national team. It's the biggest and finest thing you can do, he says to TT after Wednesday's training at the home ground Strandvallen.
”Then it burst”
Already before the last national team gathering, there was talk that the goalkeeper should have been selected. When Törnqvist was then presented by national team coach Jon Dahl Tomasson during training, both teammates and leaders were quick to congratulate.
He himself received the message from Tomasson the day before on the phone.
I tried to sound as steady as I could on the voice without breaking down. Then I called and told the family and then it burst, says Törnqvist.
If the results go Mjällby's way, there is a possibility for Törnqvist to present himself to his national team colleagues as a Swedish champion already after the weekend.
But even if Mjällby's chances look very good, one thing is certain: It's not done.
It's absolutely not done, says Törnqvist.
”A bumblebee should not be able to fly”
Regardless of who is talking at Strandvallen, "one match at a time" is mentioned. Törnqvist does too.
But to take that away completely is a bit wrong, I think. You must still know somewhere what we are playing for. Then it's a character issue. Some may become "oh shit, now there's more to lose" while we say that we have everything to win.
A Swedish Championship title for Mjällby would be the club's first and columnists have described it as "the top division's biggest championship upset".
If you look at where Mjällby is, what kind of town it is, in that sense I understand what people mean, he says and continues:
A bumblebee should not be able to fly, but it flies anyway. It's somehow how Mjällby runs this club. It shouldn't really be possible to have a club in the top division here, but if you look at the quality of the squad and how we play, it's no upset.
Mjällby has eleven points down to second-placed Hammarby with five rounds left to play. The club needs to take 5 points out of 15 possible to secure the Swedish Championship title themselves.
The gold can, however, be settled already on Sunday.
If Mjällby wins at home against Elfsborg on Saturday and Hammarby loses points away against IFK Göteborg the day after, the gold is settled.
Age: 23 years (born February 1, 2002).
Position: Goalkeeper.
Clubs: IS Halmia, Mjällby, AFC Eskilstuna (on loan during the 2021 season).
Main merits: Represented Sweden's U21 national team on six occasions.
Current: On his way to taking the Swedish Championship title with Mjällby, selected for the A-national team and is clear for a transfer to the Italian Serie A club Como after the top division season.
