In the afternoon I went shopping and happened to see groups of parents waiting outside the football ground for their daughters to finish training. This is not a common scene, as schools here are usually very close to where people live, but Norrköping only has one training ground, which is also the field for the adult teams.
I have just heard that Chinese footballer Afrden Asqer has ended his loan contract with Mjällby AIF early and has not played any official matches. Although Samuel Adegbenro, the Allsvenskan’s former top scorer, had a disappointing season with Beijing Guoan, the number of Chinese players who can really break into the Swedish league can probably be counted on one hand.
Among my footballing friends who play together at the weekends is a father and son. The son, about ten years old, trains in Norrköping. His every move is much more sensible than others, and soon he probably won’t play with us anymore. For the kids who play football here, it can be a lifelong hobby, even if they don’t become professionals.
Originally, I thought I could return to the scene when the Chinese players arrived in September. The appeal of the Nordic teams is not their overall level of skill, but their steady development system. As for when they will produce another genius like Ibrahimovic or Haaland, it’s probably not something that can be “planned”.