Latest Sweden Soccer News

GENEVA (AP) _ UEFA awarded Sweden a 3-0 victory over Denmark on Friday after last week's European Championship qualifier was abandoned because a Danish soccer fan attacked the referee. Denmark midfielder Christian Poulsen was also banned for three competitive internationals, after punching Sweden striker Markus Rosenberg in the stomach during the same match on Saturday. In addition, UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body fined the Danish Football Association 100,000 Swiss francs (C$86,000) and ordered it to play their next ...

Arsenal midfielder Fredrik Ljungberg received the Golden Ball award as Sweden's player of the year on Monday. Ljungberg, who also won the award in 2002, helped Sweden advance to the second round in the World Cup in Germany by heading in the winning goal against Paraguay in group play. He was also a leading figure when Arsenal reached the Champions League final, where it lost to FC Barcelona. ``I am ...

Fredrik Ljungberg will miss Sweden's European Championship qualifier at Iceland on Wednesday after injuring his calf during a 2-0 win against Spain on Saturday. The Arsenal midfielder underwent an MRI test Monday and will travel to London for treatment, the Swedish Football Association said. It did not speculate on when Ljungberg will be fit. Sweden is already missing midfielders Anders Svensson and Tobias Linderoth for the Group F game. Svensson ...

Strikers Johan Elmander and Marcus Allback scored, and goalkeeper Rami Shaaban made several key saves to lead Sweden past Spain 2-0 in a European Championship qualifier on Saturday. It was Sweden's third straight win in Group F and the Scandinavians retained first place with nine points. The defeat was a second straight for Spain, which lost 3-2 to Northern Ireland last month. Spain had much of the early possession, but Sweden took the lead on its first offensive move ...

Luis Aragones' job as Spain coach is not dependent on his team's result against Sweden in Saturday's European championship qualifier at Solna. Spanish soccer federation president Angel Maria Villar says Aragones has his organization's ``full and absolute support.'' ``We have always believed that Luis Aragones is the ideal person to lead the national team,'' Villar was quoted as saying Saturday by sports daily Marca. ``We support him, he is the man in whom the federation has placed its ...

Spain heads into Saturday's European Championship qualifier against Sweden without captain Raul Gonzalez and with coach Luis Aragones' job on the line. The veteran Spanish coach is desperate for a good result against Group F leader Sweden, which will play without Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Rasunda stadium outside Stockholm. Aragones offered his resignation after last month's humiliating 3-2 loss to Northern Ireland but the Spanish soccer federation rejected ...

Kjell Jonevret quit as coach of defending Swedish champion Djurgarden on Friday. His resignation had been widely expected with the eighth-place team trailing leader Elfsborg by nine points with six games remaining, attracting criticism from fans and the media. Djurgarden also missed the Champions League after losing a qualifier to Slovakian club Ruzomberok. It also risks missing this year's Royal League, a winter series that consists of the top four ...

Defender Olof Mellberg and midfielder Christian Wilhelmsson were recalled to Sweden's 21-man squad Tuesday after being dropped last month for violating team curfew. Mellberg and Wilhelmsson were included by coach Lars Lagerback for the 2008 European Championship qualifiers against Spain on Oct. 7 and Iceland on Oct. 11. Mellberg, Wilhelmsson and striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic were sent home two days before a Sept. 6 qualifier against Liechtenstein because they broke curfew ...

Sweden goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson may be sidelined for another month with a knee injury. Isaksson, who missed nearly four weeks after having foot surgery, injured a knee ligament in practice Sunday, making him doubtful for Sweden's two European Championship qualifiers next month, Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported. Isaksson missed Sweden's first two Euro 2008 qualifiers against Latvia and Liechtenstein after surgery to remove a loose piece of bone in his ...

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has pulled out of Sweden's squad for two 2008 European championship qualifiers next month because he had been disciplined for breaking curfew. Coach Lars Lagerback said Friday that the Inter Milan striker won't play against Spain on Oct. 7 or Iceland on Oct. 11 because he had been dropped for Sweden's 3-1 win against Liechtenstein on Sept. 7. Lagerback dropped Ibrahimovic, midfielder Christian Wilhemsson and defender Olof Mellberg ...