Stina, thinking back to that day in Lisbon last May, what are your memories of the match itself?
I just remember that we had a really good game. Even though it was such an important match, there was no stress in the team. I felt like we came into the game incredibly well prepared and you could see that in the way we played. I came on from the bench and I knew exactly what they wanted from me to finish the match. I just wanted to come on and give it my all.
How did it feel to come onto the pitch alongside Beth?
I can’t remember if we said anything special to each other before we came on, but I really love playing with Beth. We’ve had moments where we have a really good connection, so I was really happy that we could find that moment in such a big game. It was pretty nerve-wracking standing there, waiting to come on, but I felt safer doing it with Beth.
How did scoring that goal make you feel?
It meant so much to me. Beth saw the opportunity to play me in and it must have taken only a millisecond for her to see my run and then make that decision, but that’s such a strength of her game. Beth is so good in those situations.
At first I was a bit scared that they were going to call it offside because I wasn’t 100 per cent sure! But when the goal was officially given, it was just pure happiness. I was just so happy.
The Champions League final was, for sure, one of the biggest matches I’ve ever played. Beforehand, I was obviously a little nervous because that game meant so much and there was nothing I wanted more than for us to win. But I also had such a good feeling – I think we all did! It was also very important for me to win the Champions League with Arsenal. Now we’ve achieved it, it’s something I will always bring with me.
Everything around the final was so special and quite hard to explain. Rather than feeling completely satisfied, I felt for sure that I would love to do it again! When you achieve something like that, you never know if it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience or not.
If you’re playing a final, there’s nothing you want more than to win that game. It’s so inspiring as a footballer because those trophies, the recognition – they’re what we play for. The fact that I was able to give something to the team that day when we really needed it was amazing. It doesn’t have to be in a Champions League final – scoring for Arsenal is always a good feeling.
Do you remember what was going through your brain when the final whistle blew?
I just remember it was so overwhelming – I didn’t know what to do! It was hard to realise that we actually won and that took some time to sink in. There was one short moment where I was crying but it was a feeling of pure joy that I don’t think I’ve ever had before.
Who was the first family member you spoke to after the win? Can you remember how they felt?
It was really special to have my dad and my partner, Erik, in the stands. When they came onto the pitch afterwards we had a moment I will never forget. I was so happy they could be there to watch it and that we could share the celebrations together.
My dad has been there for my whole journey. From the day I started to play football to the day I won the Champions League, he’s followed me everywhere. Ever since he came into my life, Erik has travelled all over to support me too, so it was amazing to have them with me in that moment.
All of us – the team, the staff and everyone’s family – walked over to the corner where all the Arsenal supporters were, and we sang all the songs with them. I was trying to enjoy it as much as I could and take in every second with the team, with the supporters, and my family.
I called my mum, brother and sister straight after the game and they were obviously so excited. Then, when I was back in Sweden a few days later, we got to speak about everything that had happened. They were very interested to hear all about the celebrations!
What was it like to win the Champions League with your Arsenal team-mates?
That was also something I was so happy about, because my team-mates are such a big part of my love for Arsenal. We know how much quality we have in this team and when it comes to the league, I feel like it’s only been small details that have stopped us from winning it. So for us to go to the biggest game many of us have ever played and win it, that was incredible. And in the celebrations after, I was just so happy to be with the girls. We all enjoyed it so much.
"we had some tough games before going to lisbon, and i think it helped us so much"
Including the game and all the celebrations, what was your absolute favourite moment?
That’s a really hard question! It’s so tough to pick one moment from the game itself, to the celebrations after, to coming back to London and lifting the trophy in front of the supporters at the Emirates. They all felt amazing.
Before we went on stage in front of the Emirates we didn’t really know how many people were going to be there. As soon as we finally got up there and saw everyone who had come to celebrate this win with us, it felt so huge. You could just tell how much our supporters care about this club. We achieved it with them.
That was also a moment when I had to remind myself that we had actually won the Champions League. It’s the biggest thing you can achieve with a club. So, that Monday was a really, really good day in so many ways.
Was it difficult switching focus to your international team straight after the Champions League win?
It all went so quickly. We played the game, we celebrated, we came back to London and then suddenly, everyone was flying off to different places. We had to quickly switch off from Arsenal and focus on our international teams, because so many of us had another big tournament coming up.
I remember I just wanted to stay in that feeling for a bit longer. We all worked so hard to win that tournament, so when it’s over you want to enjoy it for as long as possible. I wish there had been a bit more time to spend together as a team, because we didn’t want to let that moment go. Even though the celebrations out in Portugal and in front of the Emirates were perfect, I wouldn’t have minded an extra day or two!
Do you have a special place for your medal? Where is it right now?
It’s actually in Stockholm. That’s where I’m keeping it for now, but I do have a plan to frame it next to my match shirt.
When did you first discover the Women’s Champions League?
I can’t remember exactly how old I was, but I remember Umea and Tyreso – the two Swedish teams that were in the competition when I was growing up. I probably didn’t fully understand the importance of the Champions League until I was an adult.
Was it inspirational to hear from the Arsenal squad who won it back in 2007?
It was so inspiring to hear from them and to know more about their experience in the Champions League. We obviously had that big game ahead of us and when they came to the training ground, they brought some extra encouragement. They made us feel like we could do it too. It was just the right experience for the team to have going into the final.
How important was that preparation time before the final?
Very. We had some tough games before going to Lisbon, and I think it helped us so much going into the final, knowing that our journey hadn’t always been easy. We’d been through some hard times in the Champions League, like going 2-0 down to Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. It wasn’t always perfect and we didn’t always get the results that we wanted straight away, but we kept coming back from them. I think that made us really strong as a group, because we knew what we could achieve when it mattered the most.
How does that mentality now help us in this year’s competition?
I think it’s a massive part of us coming into these games. I do think that other teams know now that, on our day, we can beat anyone. But we know that too. Our experience from last season shows that we should really trust the process. It’s not easy to take a setback and not be too disappointed by it, because anything can happen and football can change very quickly. I think we’ve developed a really strong team perspective.
Does winning the Champions League give you fuel to win more trophies this season?
For sure. Ever since the day we won the Champions League I’ve just felt like it’s something I want to do again. I think it made me even hungrier, because now I actually know what it feels like to win. Before winning, I had no idea how happy you can be in a moment like that and how much it means for us as players, for the supporters, for the staff, for everyone in the club. It’s something incredibly special. So now, we will work really hard as a group to make it happen again because everyone keeps dreaming about doing it one more time.