On Sunday, Denmark plays its European Championship premiere.
Then, Jon Dahl Tomasson could have been a Danish TV expert – but he declined.
I don't have time for that, says the Swedish national team captain.
It's not unusual for Swedish national team captains to make appearances as experts on TV. Lars Lagerbäck has, after his coaching career, stepped in as an expert for Viaplay, and Erik Hamrén guest-starred in SVT's studio during the 2014 World Championship.
Now, Jon Dahl Tomasson reveals that he too has been asked about a potential TV job – but in Denmark.
Sitting in the studio? Yes, many times..., he says and continues:
But I don't have time for that.
Off to Germany
One of the reasons the Dane doesn't have time is that he himself will head to Germany to study future opponents.
I'll be watching several matches, actually. We have a Nations League opponent playing, he says, referring to Slovakia, which is in Sweden's NL group this autumn.
High Expectations for Denmark
Most likely, Tomasson will also closely follow Denmark, after 52 goals in 112 national team appearances in the red jersey. And "JDT" looks positively on his home country's chances in the championship.
The team did really well during the qualifying round, and have been good for many years. I liked working for Denmark, definitely. They have a very good squad, and they're used to playing championships. And when you're used to it, you get a different experience.
Denmark did well in the last European Championship, and reached the semi-finals, where they unfortunately lost to England after extra time. And the Danes, according to Tomasson, once again have high hopes for their national team.
The expectations for the national team are always quite high in Denmark, which I think is positive. It means you've done something good before. I like it when there are expectations, it's part of football, and personally, it gives me at least more energy.
Denmark meets Slovenia in the European Championship premiere on Sunday.