Swedish veterans join finals team

Four former Swedish internationals have been enlisted as ambassadors for the four cities hosting the UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

Star lineup
These local ambassadors will supplement the work of the overall tournament ambassador, striker Henrik Larsson, by representing their home towns in the build-up to, and during, next summer's final round. Marcus Allbäck will be assigned to Gothenburg, Niclas Alexandersson will represent Halmstad, while Roland Nilsson and Patrik Andersson have been appointed ambassadors to Helsingborg and Malmo respectively.

Still playing
Between them, the local ambassadors have an aggregate of 395 Sweden caps, with the 35-year-old Allbäck being the only one still playing professionally. He returned to Gothenburg, and boyhood club Örgryte IS, in the summer from FC København. The former AS Bari, SC Heerenveen, Aston Villa FC and FC Hansa Rostock forward retired from the national team after UEFA EURO 2008™ – his fourth major championship – having scored 29 goals in 74 games.

Centurion
Niclas Alexandersson enjoyed an even longer international career, spanning 109 matches and four final tournaments, the last of which was the EURO in Austria and Switzerland. He hung up his boots at the close of the Allsvenskan season in November, having spent his last five campaigns with IFK Göteborg. Originally a Halmstads BK player, the right-sided Alexandersson tasted English football with Sheffield Wednesday FC, Everton FC and, briefly, West Ham United FC.

European champion
Another shining light of the last two decades of Swedish football was Patrik Andersson, part of Tommy Svensson's Blågult side that reached the EURO '92 semi-finals before taking third place at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. As well as earning 96 international caps, the centre-back also picked up the UEFA Champions League trophy, helping FC Bayern München defeat Valencia CF on penalties in the 2001 final. Having started out and finished with Malmö FF, the 37-year-old also counted Blackburn Rovers FC, VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach and FC Barcelona among his clubs.

Ever-present
Roland Nilsson was the right-back in Sweden team that made such an impact in the United States, playing every minute of that finals campaign; indeed, his overall record of 116 appearances is bettered only by former goalkeeper Thomas Ravelli. Now coaching Malmö, the 45-year-old began playing at Helsingborgs IF before his big break with the Göteborg side that lifted the 1987 UEFA Cup. He would return to Helsingborg, in between his nine English seasons with Sheffield Wednesday and Coventry City FC. Fair to say then that Gothenburg, Halmstad, Helsingborg and Malmo will be in experienced hands come the summer.