Johansson was on the bench when the national team played a draw against Slovenia and surprisingly lost to Kosovo in the start of the World Championship qualification. When Sweden meets group leader Switzerland on Friday, the national team captain Jon Dahl Tomasson has announced that the Stoke goalkeeper will get the chance from the start.
It's an incredibly great honor and it will be fantastically fun. I look forward to it a lot, says Johansson after the national team gathering's first training on Monday.
It's like always, as soon as you get the chance to go out on the pitch, it's a chance to show yourself and perform. It's not a regular match when you play for Sweden, but you go into it like a regular match. You focus and continue with what you always do.
"Nothing I've focused on"
The World Championship qualification's first two matches started Robin Olsen. But he has now chosen to end his national team career after being dropped by the national team captain. The two have since had an open dispute where both have directed sharp criticism at each other.
Viktor Johansson is himself brief about the conflict.
I didn't see it at first. I have a lot at home, but then it's up to Robin. It's his decision, so it's nothing I focus on, he says.
He doesn't want to say more than that.
What Jon says stands for Jon. What Robin says stands for Robin. I won't get involved in what they've said to each other, he says and continues:
It's of course very sad. Robin has meant a lot to many people. He has done incredibly well for a ten-year period, so it's sad that he's not here, but now Noel (Törnqvist) has come in instead and is a fantastic person and a great goalkeeper. You have to take it from here.
Johansson says the dispute will not affect the preparations.
We go out and train as usual. We've had an incredibly good goalkeeper setup for as long as I've been here and it's been fun regardless of who's been with us. We go out and have fun at the training sessions, he says.
Largest match in career
Do you feel that the situation puts more pressure on you?
No, god no. There's pressure anyway when you play for Sweden. I love pressure, it's something you live for.
The match against Switzerland on Friday will be the biggest in Johansson's career so far, he says. But not even that makes him extra nervous.
Not more than usual. There should always be a few butterflies. I've played before, so it helps. We'll go out and enjoy the football and wearing the Swedish national team jersey.
Born: September 14, 1998 in Stockholm, Sweden.
Position: Goalkeeper.
Parent club: Hammarby IF.
Clubs: Aston Villa (2014–2018), Alfreton Town (loan) (2018), Leicester City (2018–2020), Rotherham United (2020–2024), Stoke City (2024–).
National team matches: Nine A-national team matches.
