Monday's training, the second on Swiss soil, felt easier than the first. But it was probably marginal, say the Swedish players about the preparations for Friday's European Championship premiere against Denmark. The heat wave that has reached downright unhealthy temperatures in parts of Europe lies like a hot haze over the Swedish European Championship base in Cham.
It's terrible, says midfielder Filippa Angeldahl.
The national team's training sessions are held between 11:30 and 13 every day. The start of the week has delivered scorching sun and temperatures just above 30 degrees.
It's a heat out there. You think you're drinking well, filling up well and wearing a shirt, but it's humid and hot, says defender Nathalie Björn.
Ice bags and shower
The players do what they can to cool down. Someone puts an ice bag on their head, others stay close to the national team's football psychological advisor Rasmus Liljeblad. He stands ready with a hose and extra work as a shower.
You get dry mouth, you get thirsty. It's like you're moving a bit in slow motion during the first training sessions, you can't change tempo, says Nathalie Björn.
Filippa Angeldahl shares the feeling.
You feel damn slow. But I don't think you should complain about it, it's the same for all teams and will be like this. It's just as good to just accept it, says Angeldahl.
Good heat merits
She plays for Real Madrid on a daily basis and is more used to heat than some other players. However, it's not an advantage she's felt during the training sessions in Switzerland.
No, I don't think so. I think everyone is struggling. It's probably like the first training sessions, that the body needs to get used to it. Hopefully, the body will be able to handle it better and better with each training session.
Madelen Janogy, who plays for Fiorentina on a daily basis, doesn't feel like she's more used to it either.
It's incredibly hot. I play in Italy and have played some games in the heat. But it takes some time to get used to. It was at least easier today and that's nice, says Janogy.
It's not the first time Sweden is playing a championship in tough heat. There were similar conditions during the World Championship in France in 2019, the Olympic Games in Japan in 2021, and the European Championship in England in 2022.
Sweden took bronze in the World Championship, silver in the Olympic Games, and reached the semifinals in the European Championship.
Something that Nathalie Björn takes note of:
I think that if we managed the Olympic Games, we can handle this, says Björn.
