THE FOUR DIEGOS ROAD TO THE WORLD CUP 2002 JAPAN / KOREA
Please a big Four Diegos welcome to a Swedish goal machine thriving on haggis, Guinness and the cut and thrust of Scottish footy – Celtic star, Henrik Larsson
Larsson on Glasgow Derbies and Celtic’s Success…
Diegos: ‘Congratulations on a great campaign with Celtic this season.
The team clinched back-to back titles and performed pretty well in Europe but unfortunately on the weekend ‘The Buoys’ failed to go the whole way being beaten by bitter rivals Glasgow Rangers 3-2 in the Scottish FA Cup final.
The loss must have been disappointing but overall how do you rate the season for Celtic?”
Larsson: “Obviously having just played the final it still very disappointing losing that game against Rangers especially given that the game was so close.
If you sit back however and look at the whole season, I think we performed very well.
Last year nobody expected us to take the title. This year everybody expected that we would do it again. We showed everyone that we have a good side and that we could do it.
Yes it was disappointing losing to Rangers on the weekend but thankfully I have something else to look forward to and that’s the World Cup.”
Diegos: ‘In Scotland the Rangers - Celtic clashes would rate as one of the most talked about games you would get anywhere in the world.
It’s as fearsome a rivalry as you’d get anywhere. What are the derbies like and are they as tough as they seem when the Diegos are watching them?’
Larsson: ‘The build up is incredible.
If you are playing Rangers on the Saturday everyone’s already talking about the game on the Monday previous.
Everywhere you go for the whole week all people seem to talk about is the game.
There’s huge hype around it. Then when you play the game it’s always tough because there’s such rivalry between both teams.’
Soft Sombrero Moment May 2002
Hey Henrik is Martin going to have a heart attack amigo?
Diegos: ‘It’s obviously tough out there on the field but it seems it’s equally tough on the benches.
Your manager, Martin O’Neill is one of the most respected and successful managers in the business. He also appears to be very excitable and passionate about his football during the game on the sidelines.
With so many managers suffering from stress and heart problems these days, do you every worry that he may just have a heart attack during a game?’
Larsson: ‘To be honest I don’t take too much notice of the bench while I’m playing.
It’s hard enough to concentrate on what l have to do on the pitch let alone worry about the coach’s health.
To the contrary I think he is quite charm.
As you say he does enjoy the game and he is very passionate about it but I think he also knows how to relax off the pitch as well which is very important.’
Soft Sombrero Moment May 2002
Henrik on the World Cup and Dreadlocks…
Diegos: ‘Your club chores are over and now you can look forward to the World Cup.
The Diegos can see by you going the neatly cropped look rather than the less manageable dreadlock look, that you are taking the competition very, very seriously.
With little over a month before the big tournament in Japan / Korea, how is Sweden’s World Cup preparations going?”
Larsson: ‘We haven’t really started seriously getting the squad together yet.
From here I go to Sweden to meet up with the team and go for our first session together. We go over to Japan towards the end of May.
As far as my hairstyle is concerned, I shaved my head last season so it’s nothing new really but I guess as you guys say, it is more manageable”
Henrik would Celtic kick arse in the EPL?
Diegos: ‘Sweden is paired with England in the so-called ‘Group of Death’ and before I go on to ask about how you are going to beat them, there has been some talk of both Rangers and Celtic joining the English Premier League in the near future.
How do you think both teams would go in one of the most strenuous and tough competitions in the world?”
Larsson: ‘We would certainly finished in the top half of the league; I’m quite confident of that.
But as far as Celtic joining the EPL, I’ve got two years left on my contract and I don’t think it will happen within that time.
With so much uncertainty it’s difficult for me to speculate about this.’
Diegos: ‘From a week to week perspective in Scotland, do you find it difficult to get motivated for games given that the SPL appears to be just a two horse race between Celtic and Rangers?”
Larsson: ‘You guys should get over to Scotland to watch the game and I think you would get a pleasant surprise about how tough the competition is.
Everyone says that it’s between Rangers and Celtic but I can vouch that there are no easy games.
If you are not 100% focused you won’t win a game, it’s as simple as that.”
Soft Sombrero Moment May 2002
Larsson on the Group of Death and the Godfather…
Diegos: ‘On the World Cup the ‘Group of Death’ also includes Argentina and Nigeria. It’s an awesome challenge for all the teams to qualify from this group.
Exclusive to fourdiegos.com can you divulge the Swedish strategy for us?”
Larsson: ‘It certainly will be tough. If you look at the teams – England, Argentina and Nigeria – you can’t get much tougher than that.
Argentina for me is the favorite to win the whole World Cup so I believe they will probably win the group. Then there are the rest of us. It will come down to form on the day.
We have great respect for the teams we have to play but at the same time we have to be positive and have faith that we will be able to achieve something special.
We will have to just wait and see and take one game at a time and hopefully with a little fortune we can do something in the Group of Death.”
Diegos: ‘One of the interesting features of the Group of Death is that the ‘Godfather’ of Swedish football, Sven Goran Eriksson is also the manager of England.
What’s it going to be like having a fellow Swede trying to knock you out of the World Cup and will be looking for any favors from Sven if England have secure qualification but you guys are struggling?’
Larsson: ‘No I don’t think we can depend on any favors from anybody.
As you guys put it so well, yes Sven is the ‘Godfather of Swedish Football’.
He has done tremendously well wherever he has coached around the world and now he is doing brilliantly with the England team.
It certainly won’t be strange for us to face him. I think it will be more strange for him to be leading England again us.”
Soft Sombrero Moment May 2002
Henrik on Viduka and Aussie Barbeques…
Diegos: ‘We certainly did pay attention to Scottish footy when Mark Viduka was your strike partner at Celtic last season.
He has since gone on to be a big star with Leeds in the EPL. The Diegos are wondering whether you miss Mark’s backyard barbeques since his departure?’
Larsson: ‘Mark was a great player when he was at Celtic so his performances for Leeds haven’t surprised me.
As far as the barbeques are concerned, I wouldn’t know.
He never invited me for one even though we lived in the same street but then again I’m not sure a Swedish bloke like me could handle a full blown Aussie barbeque anyway.”
Soft Sombrero Moment May 2002
Henrik on the future…
Diegos: ‘You’ve got two years left on your contract with Celtic.
Have you got plans to move anywhere else at the end of the current deal?”
Larsson: ‘I intend to fulfill the remainder of my contract. When that is over my son will be seven years old and that is when they start school in Sweden.
I would like him to be educated in Sweden. Having said that, you should never say never.
You never know how you are going to feel when you are finished at a certain place but I miss my friends and family back home and I’m looking forward to spending some more time with them.”
Diegos: ‘How about Scotland? It seems to have been good for your career?
Larsson: ‘For me it’s been working out perfectly.
Before I came to Scotland I wasn’t a regular in the Swedish team. Now I’m a regular and have won the Golden Boot.
It has been good for me. We’ve won the championship a few times and we currently have a brilliant team and a top manager.
I thought we could do a little better in Europe this season than last season but it wasn’t really to be.’
Soft Sombrero Moment May 2002
Henrik on Celtic and Europe…
Diegos: ‘Traditionally Scottish teams have struggled in Europe.
Although Celtic performed well in the Champions League this season they were unable to go all the way and trouble some of the other big teams in the competition.
What is it that Celtic needs to take the next step? Is it experience? A different quality of player?”
Larsson: ‘I think if you look at the results I think it’s just experience.
We won every game at home but only got a couple of draws away.
I don’t know whether we are used to just playing for the result when we need to.
So I’m hoping we will learn from this and do better when we get the next opportunity.”
Soft Sombrero Moment May 2002 |