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Ljungberg's Career
Early Days in SwedenKarl Fredrik "Freddie" Ljungberg was born on 16 April 1977 in Vittsjö, Hässleholm, in southern Sweden. He started his career at Halmstads Bollklubb in Sweden's Allsvenskan, a club once managed by Fulham manager Roy Hodgson. Halmstads, known as HBK, are a very successful club given their size. Despite coming from a town with a population of just 55,000, HBK have won the Swedish cup once and the Championship title four times, the last in 2000. Founded in 1914, they play at the 16,000 capacity Örjans vall. There he played 79 games between 1994 and 1998. He made his debut for Sweden against on January 24, 1998 ironically against the USA. He didn't score but netted the first of his 14 Swedish goals against rivals Denmark some months later. Overall, he played 71 times for Sweden.
Good Old Arsenal
Reputedly after watching him on television participate in a 2-1 victory over England in Stockholm, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger signed him despite never having seen him play live. He moved to London to play for Arsenal FC in the English Premier League, playing 328 games and scoring 72 goals. His career flourished and he became a regular fixture in both Wenger’s Arsenal team and Sweden under both Tommy Söderberg and Lars Lagerbäck.
He was an instant hit with his new fans in London, scoring just seconds into his debut and against Manchester United as well. However he then suffered some injury problems, notably with his ankle and abdomen and thus plagued his career. Once fit again, he played behind the front two strikers in a position known as ‘the hole’, but also could be switched to either flank as circumstances and the opposition’s weaknesses dictated. He won two league titles with Arsenal in 2003 and 2005, and three FA Cups, becoming only the third player to score in consecutive finals. In 2001 he scored in the defeat by Liverpool and then grabbed one of the Cup Final goals as Arsenal defeated London rivals Chelsea 2-0. In fact Ljungberg excelled on the big occasions, scoring twice against Italian giants Juventus in the Champions League, a winner at Anfield home of Liverpool and against Manchester United again at Highbury Stadium, then Arsenal’s home ground. In 2002, Arsenal won the famed double of League and FA cup and Ljungberg was named England’s Player of the Season.
However, injury problems continued and he occasionally fought severe bouts with migraines. In 2005 a mysterious persistent hip injury led to fears he may have contracted cancer, which were unfounded. It turned out that he was suffering from blood poisoning caused by his large tattoos. The last high point of his Arsenal career came in 2006, in the Champions League Final in Paris. Despite a persistent ankle injury Ljungberg played in the 2-1 defeat by Barcelona.
Briefly Blowing Bubbles?
Arsenal became increasingly frustrated with his health and in July 2007 he made the short trip to West Ham United, a smaller club in the Eastern part of London, supposedly on a four year contract. It was ill fated. In his 25th game, a freak incident saw Newcastle’s Steven Taylor fall on Ljungberg breaking a rib. That was April 2008 and four months later, his contract with West Ham was terminated by mutual agreement according to West Ham’s official website. Ljungberg was just 31 and there was speculation that he may retire. He had made 22 starts and three substitute appearances.
He's Here - Sounders FC Sign Freddie Ljungberg
Freddie Fever Hits Seattle as Swedish Legend Arrives
October 28 2008
Call Me Number 10
Photo: Joe Armand
Ljungberg’s arrival signals the end of months of speculation about who Sounders FC would sign as their Designated Player, or indeed whether they would even sign one at all. Houston Dynamo and Columbus Crew are currently the two most successful clubs in the MLS and both have opted to play without one. Ljungberg’s salary is $2.5m a year and he is contracted to Seattle Sounders FC for two years. Ljungberg's contract with Sounders FC would make him the third-highest paid player in Major League Soccer behind only Beckham and Chicago Fire midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco.
The day's proceedings opened with a 5 minute video presentation outlining a brief history of the Sounders FC to date. Kevin Calabro spoke first, introducing the participants: majority shareholder Joe Roth, minority shareholder and general manager Adrian Hanauer, head of Vulcan Sports & Entertainment Tod Leiweke, and finally the guest of honour, Freddie Ljungberg .
Leiweke spoke next, telling the audience of his pleasure at the way things were turning out. "It’s bigger than we dreamed," he said, adding this a "momentous day in the history of Sounders FC" and restated the franchise aim to make Seattle the 'epicenter of soccer in North America'. He recounted the uniqueness of the TV deal and went on to pay tribute to "the amazing support for soccer in the city", reminding everyone how instrumental the supporters were in finding the right name, Sounders FC. "We are sitting on over 17,000 season tickets, we believe when we're done we're gone to have well north of 20,000 leading every team in the league." He then uttered the statement that will bring joy to the hearts of all Seattle Football fans but perhaps more so the top brass at the MLS when he said "I hereby project that every game will be sold out".
Majority shareholder, Joe Roth spoke next adding, “We’re in the right city, with the right ownership, with the right general manager, with the right goalie, and now what we have is a great European soccer player, who is going to shore up the center of our team. It's been my promise to the people of Seattle that we wouldn't come across as a struggling expansion team. Our goal is to come out with an expansion team that makes the play-offs. We looked far and wide for a designated player who would represent the spirit of our team. In Freddie Ljungberg, we found it. A proven international star at Arsenal and captain of the Swedish National Team, Freddie is the exciting, creative force we need and we are sure the Seattle fans are in for a great treat.”
He also addressed head on the skepticism that signing Ljungberg was not 100% a football signing, stating passionately "This is not a gimmick, we don’t need anyone to come here to sell tickets".
"Character, Intelligence, and Competitiveness"
Adrian Hanauer was clearly delighted and seemed to be enjoying the event more than anyone. Looking relaxed, he described the process of procuring a signature of such a high profile player. He stressed that "character, intelligence, and competitiveness" were important factors in persuading him that the club wanted Freddie. "Character is the foundation on which we will build this franchise."
Referring to Ljungberg's competitiveness, he added, " He is a player who's been a winner at every level. In nine years at Arsenal, he never finished lower than fourth in the league. But what really the game changer for us and Freddie was when we spent some time together. He talked about the team, fitting into the group and his ability to teach. It was clear his character was the type we wanted around this organisation. It's clear that he is a super intelligent young man and he asks thoughtful and probing questions."
At that point a video of Freddie Ljungberg was shown, after which Calabro uttered the words "Freddie, Welcome to Seattle".
"I feel so welcome by everybody" Freddie replied. He spoke of the huge soccer interest in this region and the level of ticket sales, adding "I am really happy to be here".
At that point, the press were allowed to ask questions and needless to say, there were questions about his fitness. "I feel very good," he said when asked about his injuries. "Last season I had small injuries in the fall, and after Christmas, I felt very good. The only problem was someone jumped on my rib cage, and I cracked a rib at the end of the season. I played in the Euro’s and I feel great. During this little break I’ve had, I’ve been training quite hard to keep fit. It all feels good."
Responding to criticisms in the English press, he said "Of course there will be mixed reactions. I know how it works. When David (Beckham) went to the MLS; that's how the Europeans see the MLS that maybe the league is not that great. I think that isn’t true. Now David may be gone to Milan for a stop. I think in Europe we look at, if he can crack it in Milan; he’s still doing very well, and shows that MLS is a good level if he can do that."
Turning to the subject of criticism of himself, he said "Me personally, I’m coming here because I want to play football, and I see this as a great experience. I want to make this league better and develop it, like all these guys here (pointing at Hanauer, Leiweke and Roth) want to do as well. I’ve had three months to think about my future a lot. I wanted to feel the reaction from people around me about the MLS. People then said, ‘you should stay three more years at least in England or in Europe to play in the top flight, and not go already to the MLS’. For me, I felt if I was going to do this, it’s a sincere thing, and really help the people over here with soccer, I should go now. I shouldn’t go in three years time when I’m past my peak. I feel really happy to be here."
Joe Roth chimed in at that point adding "I think the mixed reaction in the English press is a great victory. They probably had a mixed reaction to the end of World War 2!"
Ljungberg said he hadn't talked to other players in the MLS before signing but did watch some games on TV. "I was thinking a lot about my future this summer. The only thing I was a little concerned about was how would the MLS grow, what the level would be and the interest. You see that the level is going up. I think it was the right time I'm really happy. Most players advised me to stay three more years in Europe and play at the top flight, and then come but if you're going to take the MLS seriously, and make it into a really good league and develop it, then you should really come now not in three years time." Between now and the end of the season, Ljungberg will head back to London the day after the press conference, returning to the Pacific Northwest permanently in mid January, (although an interim visit to find a house may come in the meantime). He'll train and would be interested in playing if insurance allows. "I stepped up my training about a month ago to see how my body would react and it feels very good. It shouldn't be a problem. It's not hard for me to get fit."
Ljungberg to Play Central Midfielder?
It was also revealed that Ljungberg will play in a central midfield role when the season begins in the spring of 2009 if he has anything to do with it. Hanauer reminisced that the two opinions converged on this aspect relatively early, observing "Interestingly Chris Henderson, our technical director, and I have had numerous conversations, watched a lot of video, and had come to the conclusion ourselves that we thought Freddie would make a spectacular attacking center midfielder. The first time we got together, coincidentally, both Freddie and I sort of brought that up at the same time, and both agreed that it would a good idea. So to echo Freddie’s comments, I’m sure the manager will have some role in it, but certainly that’s where we see him as well."
Fan Reaction
"I'm Really Happy to be Here"
Photo: Joe Armand
Greg Mockos, Leader of the Emerald City Supporters Club added, "I'm excited for the opportunity to see Freddie, a player who was a winner, coming to a town in which there is a sophisticated soccer fanbase, that understands quality soccer and has a tradition of winning. We look forward to getting behind him 110%."
Mati Bishop, co-host of KJR Radio's Seattle Soccer Show acknowledged that the signing could work in one of two ways for Seattle "Sounders FC are taking a risk with the signing of Ljungberg. If he performs, the signing will pay huge dividends by showing they are savvy and able to out maneuver many of the largest clubs in the world within the transfer market. If he does not perform, it will further the stereotype that MLS (and now Seattle) is where players come to play when they no longer have the ability to compete for a spot in Europe," he said. His co-host, Matt Gaschk covered the Sounders for the Post-Intelligencer for five years. He was quick to point out a factor of special interest to Prost Amerika which has already been borne out by the international coverage in advance of the event. "Freddie brings several unique elements to the Sounders that will make him successful in the Seattle market. He is a charismatic leader (as evidenced by his captain's title with Sweden), a winner and a damn fine footballer. He certainly fits into the attacking dynamic the club has said they want and fits the mold of creating an international buzz around the team."
Paul Wacker, Senior Admin of the Facebook Group 1,000,000 SeattleSoundersFC Fans , said, "After a week of rumors and reported sightings of Freddie Ljungberg I am excited that the Sounders FC were able to complete the deal. It looks as though they were able to get a significant player without breaking the bank and bringing in more of the international presence they are looking to put on the field."
MLS Commissioner Don Garber was quoted as saying, “Freddie Ljungberg is a world-class player who has played at the highest club and international levels of the game and who, at 31, still has a lot to give. He is an attacking player who will bring his flair and creativity to the MLS stage and is also a consummate professional off the field. We are delighted to welcome Freddie to MLS. Seattle Sounders FC have shown great vision since they have announced the formation of the club in 2007. This is another step toward creating the first-class team that will draw the attention of the dedicated supporters in the city and throughout North America."
How do you think Freddie will do in Seattle? Vote in the poll.
The Designated Player Rule (colloquially known as the Beckham rule) allows MLS teams to sign star players in the international market. Of the player’s salary, only $400,000 would count against the team’s salary cap. The cap this season is $2.2 million. Each MLS team is allotted one Designated Player, however a second DP slot may be acquired via trade (New York and Washington each have two). Ljungberg will be the seventh DP in Major League Soccer. David Beckham became the first in 2007. The others are Juan Pablo Angel of New York, Luciano Emilio of D.C. United, Marcelo Gallardo of D.C. United, Argentina Claudio Lopez of Kansas City Wizards and Cauahtomac Blanco of Chicago Fire.
Not A Seattle Beckham?
Many observers will already be comparing this signing to the LA Galaxy's much ridiculed acquisition of David Beckham. The Los Angeles side failed to make the play-offs and the quality of their performances this year cast doubt in some minds on the wisdom of hiring a Designated Player. MLS's two most successful sides, Columbus Crew and Houston Dynamo both went 2009 without one, as did several other sides. Galaxy did however recap their money in replica shirt sales. This in turn led others to suggest finance and PR was the motivation for his acquisition rather than anything he could do on the pitch.
Everyone at the press conference was at pains to emphasise the differences. Ljungberg harbours no ambition to represent his country any further. Beckham's traveling back to England from the west coast to play in England's World Cup qualification games has been a source of great tension between the Galaxy and the Football Association in London. Ljungberg has announced his retirement from international football and one source of tension has been reduced.
The Rest of the Squad - A Timetable
Ljungberg joins Kasey Keller, Sebastien Le Toux and Gambia's Sanna Nyassi on the Sounders FC team roster. The final squad will consist of 28 players, one of whom will emerge from the open-tryouts starting in November. Other members will be added in a 10-round 2008 MLS Expansion Draft scheduled for the afternoon of Wednesday, Nov. 26. Seattle Sounders FC may not claim more than one player from any given team in MLS - four teams will not have a player taken in the expansion draft.
Commenting on the likely promotion of the current Sounders players, Adrian Hanauer commented, "The players come back today from Argentina and it's likely that given the MLS Discovery process that it won't happen until after the expansion draft just from the way the league is going to require us to go through the appropriate process, so it could be early December. They're free to hunt other opportunities outside of MLS. We're going to do more one on ones as they come back from Argentina and give them more specific information."All 14 MLS teams are required to submit their lists of protected players to the League by 3 p.m. ET on Monday, Nov. 24. The League will distribute a list of the players available in the expansion draft that day. At the conclusion of the Expansion Draft, results will be posted on MLSnet.com and teams may resume trading. The expansion draft details and rules can be found on the MLS site. After that comes the MLS Superdraft in January 2009. Sounders FC have been carefully scouting college talent in preparation for this. The draft will take place in St. Louis. Sounders FC have the first pick overall and in each round unless they decide to make a trade. Later that month, the FIFA transfer window opens.
Välkommen till Seattle - Welcome to Seattle, Freddie
Ljungberg looked relaxed and happy to be in Seattle. Already an accomplished media performer, he handled questions comfortably in both English and Swedish.
Asked the obvious question how he felt to be in America, he answered, "I want to mostly say that I’m really happy to be here. I feel so welcomed by everybody, walking around the city a little bit, and all the people here. Especially when I spoke to you all, the interest of soccer they have in this region of the U.S., we talked about it.
You see it here already how many tickets are sold, and we haven’t even started playing yet. For me, that’s a major thing. If I’m going somewhere, I want people to be affected about it and have an interest in what I’m doing and what we’re doing. For me, that’s very important. I’m spending a lot of time with these guys here, and talked about the future and everything around the city, and everything they want to do, and it feels really great. I’m really happy to be here. I hope it works out well.”
On Seattle
"I have relatives up in Vancouver that I knew about a little bit beforehand. I’m original Swedish. I lived at waterfront when I was young. Even if I loved London, I would miss the water a little bit. We talked about a lot. It’s quite similar to the Swedish nature. I came up here afterwards to look at it, and get my own opinion. I really liked it. For me, that’s very important. That’s why I stayed in London for ten years. I haven’t moved. I could’ve gone anywhere I wanted, but I need to feel happy where I am. And that’s why I wanted to go up for a couple of days, and feel that, and I’m really happy, and I think I’ll be happy here.”Seattle is a commercial, cultural and advanced technology hub of the US Pacific Northwest, and boasts Starbucks, Microsoft and Boeing among its largest employers. It is a major port city for trans-Pacific and European travel and trade. The main industries are aerospace, technology, tourism and agriculture and Puget Sound is home to 10 Fortune 500 Companies.
- To show his loyalty to Arsenal and
perhaps endear himself to the Highbury faithful, he coloured a strip of his
otherwise blond hair red in 2002. In his career, he has sported worn his hair
blond, in a crewcut, greased back, in a mullet and even shaved it all off.
- In 1998, Ljungberg came sixth in Sweden's most handsome man contest.
- Ljungberg says he is allergic to red wine.
- His nickname is Sid, due to his love of punk music the fact that he looks a
bit like Sid Vicious.
- Between 2003 and 2007, Ljungberg was the exclusive model for Calvin Klein Underwear.
Seattle has a population of 586,200 with a total 3,524,000 of in the Greater Seattle area. (Sources US Census Bureau). With the Port of Seattle receiving traffic from Asia on a daily basis, and the Canadian border so close, Seattle is anything but insular. A cosmopolitan population is heavily Democratic and very liberal, perhaps as close to a European frame of mind as you can get in the USA. Seattle regularly comes first in US wide polls to find the smartest population in the country. A US Census Bureau report in 2006, ranked Seattle first with 52.7% of its residents age 25 or older have completed a bachelor's degree or higher. It is top of the league even if measured in other ways, having been ranked as the most literate city in the United States by Central Connecticut State University, beating out Minneapolis, Washington and Atlanta. That rating was based on such things as the number of booksellers, libraries and newspaper circulation - as well as educational attainment. Seattle is the eighth-wealthiest city in the nation measured by household income. San Jose is first.
Seattle people are known for their heavy consumption of coffee and their are many coffee houses dotted around its neighbourhoods. Some of those neighbourhoods have successfully retained their individual character despite the strip-malling of the rest of the nation, and areas such as Fremont, Capitol Hill and Ballard, which was settled by Scandinavians, have a unique and quirky feel. He will be surprised to learn there is a massive statue of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin in Fremont.
For a guide to Seattle's neighbourhoods, please visit the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau website. A popular misconception is that it rains all the time in Seattle. In fact, Seattle gets less annual rainfall per annum than New York City, Boston, Houston, Miami, and Washington DC.
Welcome to Seattle Freddie!
You can hear the author talking about Freddie's arrival in Seattle and other issues KJR950's Seattle Soccer Show online.