Aston Villa defender Victor Lindelof has apologised for his sarcastic thumbs-up gesture towards Swedish supporters following the national team's defeat to Kosovo. The 31-year-old faced backlash after his reaction at Ullevi Stadium, which came before manager Jon Dahl Tomasson was sacked in October.
Sweden's loss to Kosovo left them bottom of World Cup qualifying Group B, prompting frustration from fans. Lindelof admitted he was emotional after the match and that his comments in post-match interviews were not his best.
“I had a lot of emotions in my body, I was irritated and angry about many different things,” Lindelof said. “I said what I said in the moment and it was perhaps not my absolute best statement. If they got angry, I apologise for that. But football is about emotions, and I said what I said.”
The defender acknowledged fans' right to express disappointment, adding: “Everyone has the right to express themselves exactly as they want. It was their way of showing that they were disappointed. They want us to perform and win. We all – players and fans – have high demands and that's how it should be in the national team.”
Lindelof stressed that the criticism shows supporters care deeply about the team's success. “They also want to go to the World Cup and experience Sweden in a major championship again. It just means that they are invested in us and it's positive that they care about us,” he said.
