Sweden friends hoping to scratch ten-year itch
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
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"To share this with my closest friends means everything," says Julia Zigiotti Olme as Sweden prepare to meet England in the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 quarter-finals.
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Ten years ago, Filippa Angeldahl, Nathalie Björn and Julia Zigiotti Olme stood at the UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship summit with gold medals around their necks. Now, joined by their close friend and long-time team-mate Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, they are chasing another title – this time as central figures in Sweden's senior team at UEFA Women's EURO 2025 in Switzerland.
All born in 1997, the four players have grown up side by side in the national set-up, rising through the ranks together. This summer, they have once again stood shoulder to shoulder in the starting 11, with shirt numbers 14 (Björn), 15 (Zigiotti Olme), 16 (Angeldahl), and 19 (Rytting Kaneryd) lining up in sequence as the national anthem echoes across the stadium.
"It's really cool," Zigiotti Olme tells womenseuro.com. "It's something we dreamed of when we were in the Under-15 national team together. It's fun to have your closest friends in this situation and to share all the experiences with them."
The bond between them goes far beyond football though. Björn and Angeldahl have known each other since the age of five, growing up together in Uppsala. They later attended the same school as Zigiotti Olme. Rytting Kaneryd, from Kolsva, joined the group during national team camps as a teenager – and quickly became part of the inner circle.
"We all met when we were 15 at our first national team camp," said Rytting Kaneryd. "What stood out was our winning mentality and drive to constantly improve. Talent helps, of course, but in the end it's the mental side that really makes the difference."
For the players, 2025 is not just any summer. "It's been ten years now," said Björn. "And I think the final this year is on the same date as the one in 2015. So we said it would be really cool if we could go all the way and tie it together in a beautiful way."
The U19 title remains a landmark moment for Zigiotti Olme. "It's very difficult to choose a favourite memory but we won the European Championship with the Under-19s exactly ten years ago, so that's of course a memory that stands out."
Their friendship is a constant source of strength. "They're absolutely my closest ones," Zigiotti Olme added. "You can always go to them if you're going through a tougher period or having a bad day – they're there. We help each other, push and support one another."
Their support shows in everything they do, from tactical advice to goal celebrations to simply being there for each other off the pitch. As Sweden now fight for a place in the 2025 semi-finals, the golden journey continues. Shoulder to shoulder, singing the anthem, Angeldahl, Björn, Zigiotti Olme, and Rytting Kaneryd are chasing one more triumph. And this time, they are doing it on the biggest stage of all.
