The last few weeks have not been easy for Roony Bardghji.
The young Barcelona winger has found himself at the centre of growing speculation both at club and international level, with questions being raised about his attitude after his omission from Sweden’s squad for the World Cup.
Reports emerging from Sweden had suggested that Bardghji’s absence was linked to concerns over his behaviour within the national team environment.
Those rumours gained attention, especially as the youngster was already struggling for regular minutes at Barcelona following a frustrating end to the campaign.
Bardghji’s side of the story
Until now, Bardghji had chosen to remain silent. However, the winger has finally decided to publicly address the situation and strongly reject the stories circulating about him.
Roony Bardghji, Sweden and Barcelona player
Roony Bardghji will not play at the World Cup. (Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty Images)
Speaking in an interview with Expressen (h/t SPORT), the Barcelona player explained why he initially avoided commenting on the controversy.
Bardghji made it clear that he respected the decision taken by Sweden manager Graham Potter despite his disappointment.
“I decided not to comment on my failure to be selected for the World Cup, as I understood it was simply a decision by Graham Potter.
“I have always respected my managers’ decisions, whether I agreed with them or not,” he said.
Denies rumours of probable tension
After remaining quiet for several weeks, Bardghji admitted that he eventually felt forced to respond publicly because of how far the rumours had spread.
Roony Bardghji, Sweden and Barcelona player
Roony Bardghji has denied any tension within the national team. (Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty Images)
The winger insisted that the stories surrounding his conduct were completely inaccurate and stressed that he remained fully supportive of the Swedish national team despite not featuring in the match.
“I realised I had to speak out because the rumours spread in that article were completely unfounded.
“I was very happy and proud that we qualified for the World Cup, even though I didn’t play in the match.
“I still feel part of the team. All those rumours that have been circulating about me are nonsense.”
The Barcelona youngster also rejected suggestions that there had been tension after Sweden’s qualification celebrations.
Instead, he described enjoying the evening with his teammates and compared it to celebrating success with Barcelona.
“Contrary to what was said, I really enjoyed the post-match dinner. We celebrated with my teammates, just as I did after winning La Liga with Barcelona last week,” he concluded.