Swedish defensive specialist
Thu, 01/06/2023, 10:59
Introducing FC Bayern's new signing Magdalena Eriksson
FC Bayern Women have secured a prominent addition to their back line in the form of Sweden international Magdalena Eriksson. The 29-year-old defensive all-rounder is moving from Chelsea to the Bavarian capital for the coming season. We take a closer look at the Scandinavian In our profile.
Defensive thinker and driver
Between 2017 and 2023, Eriksson played for Chelsea, where she developed into one of the best defenders in the world.
Whether in the air or on the ground: A highly experienced defender, Sweden's Magdalena Eriksson, will be part of the FC Bayern Women's team from the coming season. Eriksson, who her teammates like to call "Magda", is characterised by her flexibility, among other things. Born on 8 September 1993, the Swede can be deployed both at full-back and centre-half. In addition, Eriksson excels with good positional play and great tackling skills, as well as her composed build-up play. If you were to ask "Magda" herself, she would describe herself as an "aggressive and tough defender who tries to bring the necessary composure and control to the game." The defensive specialist, whose childhood idol is former Spanish World Cup winner Carles Puyol, is regarded as a tactician and point of contact who likes to take responsibility both on and off the pitch.
Via Stockholm and Linköping to the English Super League
Instructive years: Eriksson pulled on the Linköping FC jersey from 2013 to 2017.
The 1.73-metre tall Eriksson's footballing career began at Stockholm suburban club Enskede IK. In 2009, she moved to the youth team of first division club Hammarby IF. Just two years later, the Stockholm native made her debut in the Damallsvenskan, the highest level of Swedish women's football. After her club was relegated, the defender moved to Djurgården IF, another top flight club based in the Swedish capital. Eriksson would spend another season there before making the move to Linköpings FC in 2013.
In 2016, Eriksson celebrated the first league title of her career with Linköpings FC.
Eriksson continued to develop at Linköping and was soon regarded as one of the best defenders in the league. The now 29-year-old played for five years in the province of Östergötland and won three major trophies with her team. In addition to the two cup victories in 2014 and 2015, the defensive specialist also celebrated the first league title in the club's history in 2016.
Success story with the Blues
Always chasing trophies: Eriksson won the FA Cup twice with Chelsea in the past five years, most recently in 2022 in a 3-2 win over Manchester City at London's Wembley Stadium.
After four and a half years at Linköping, Eriksson decided to move to Chelsea in the summer of 2017. Not only did she experience the most successful phase of her career so far with the Blues, but the move to England also helped her to further develop her game. Eriksson played a leading role in the team right from the start and won the league and cup double in her debut season. The Swede, who captained the side from the 2019/2020 season onwards, also celebrated numerous successes with Chelsea in the years that followed, securing four league titles in a row from 2020 to 2023 and winning the FA Cup three times (2021, 2022, 2023).
All good things come in fives: After 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2022, Eriksson won her fifth league title with Chelsea this season.
Only in the Champions League has the winner of the 2020 Diamantbollen (Diamond Ball, the award for Sweden's best female footballer) yet to hit the jackpot. She was knocked out at the semi-final stage with the Londoners in both 2018 and 2019, and Chelsea lost out to Barcelona in the final in in 2021.
Two-time Olympic silver medallist and European Under-19s champion
Eriksson secured a second silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics alongside the two former Bayern players Hanna Glas and Fridolina Rolfö.
Eriksson has been a senior Sweden international since February 2014 and has been capped 92 times to date. The 29-year-old progressed through all the youth teams and won the U19 European Championship title with the Damlandslaget in 2012. In addition to a third-place finish at the 2019 World Cup, she also secured two Olympic silver medals at the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro (2016) and Tokyo (2020). Eriksson now intends to continue her hunt for trophies at FC Bayern.
Check out our video on the signing of the two newcomers Harder and Eriksson:
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