Magdalena Eriksson: A role model beyond 90 minutes

Describing Magdalena Eriksson is anything but easy: too multi-layered, too interesting is the personality behind the footballer wearing the number 5 for FC Bayern Women. Perhaps her attitude to life, her approach to so many things, can best be summed up in a lyric from a song. A line that not only suits her, but which she also wears on her skin, tattooed on her forearm. “Don't criticise what you don't understand.” The line comes from Bob Dylan's “The Times They Are A-Changing”, a musical manifesto for change, openness and the willingness not to judge the world too quickly. 

For Eriksson, this sentence is not just a quote, but a principle. “I like the message,” she says. “You should always inform yourself about everything before you judge it – about people, about cultures, about things you maybe don’t immediately understand.” When the Swede says this, it doesn’t sound didactic. It’s more the voice of a person who’s used to viewing things from a distance before she acts. And that’s exactly what this woman does week after week in the centre of defence for Bayern Women.

The architect of the defence

There are some players who stand out through dribbling or goals; through moments that are replayed in highlight reels. And then there are players such as Eriksson, whose influence is more subtle but often more crucial. Since her arrival in 2023, the 32-year-old has operated like an architect in the Munich defence. While others hunt the ball, she organises everything. She can often be heard shouting “weiter, weiter” (“keep going”) – two words in one breath. It’s her favourite command on the pitch, she says with a grin.

Eriksson conceives her role as a footballer as more than just a sporting one. To her, responsibility does not end with the final whistle. For example, she is involved in the Common Goal project, an international network of men’s and women’s footballers who donate a portion of their salaries to charities. In addition, she met FC Bayern’s first queer fan club, “Queerpass Bayern”, together with her partner Pernille Harder. These are just two examples.

This is not activism in the classic sense for the Swede, but more a logical consequence of her career. “As a footballer you have a platform,” she explains. “And with that, a responsibility too.” A lot of young people watch them. Particularly girls, who themselves have dreams of one day playing football on the big stage. “We can show how the world should be,” adds Magda. “Or at least, how we hope it could be.” It’s an idea that carries over into her game remarkably smoothly. There too, she tries to bring order and open up opportunities.

Rare luxury of a break

When we meet her at the FC Bayern Campus, she appears relaxed. Following her retirement from the Swedish national team at the end of last year, the international break afforded her some rare time. “It feels different, I miss it but the reason behind my decision was to get these short breaks,” she explains. Instead of travelling it was individual session with head coach José Barcala, technical fine-tuning that is often put on the back burner during day-to-day team life. “I had three sessions just on touch and technique.”

When Eriksson speaks about these sessions, her eyes light up. You immediately notice how absorbed she is in this game. It’s the little details that drive her on, that desire for perfection. Her perspective has long since gone beyond that of a mere player. “I love watching football. I love paying attention to the details.” A future on the sidelines sounds less like an option than a plan for her. “It's clear to me that I will work in football after my career – maybe I'll become a coach.” And it fits with the image people in Munich have of her. As assistant coach Clara Schöne recently said: "If anyone could be a coach one day, it would definitely be Glódís, Pernille or Magda.”

London – the place of growing up

Eriksson spent her youth and her early professional years in Sweden. She took the first big step of her career at the age of 22, stepping out of her comfort zone and moving to Chelsea in London. It was a time of major change in English women’s football: the league was becoming more professional, investment was increasing, and the crowds were getting bigger and bigger. “Germany probably had the better teams at that time, but something new had just started in England,” reflects Magda. She became part of this increasing professionalisation. Over the years, she developed into a central figure in the Blues’ defence, even taking on the captaincy in 2019. Trophies followed: league titles, cup successes.

But even more important was her personal maturity. “I arrived at 22 and left at 29,” she says. “I grew up in that time.” London was not just a place of work for her. It was a university of life. Then in summer 2023, a new chapter began: Eriksson signed for Bayern, along with Harder. A decision that combined sporting ambitions with personal angles. Munich, says Eriksson, reminds her in many ways of Stockholm: the architecture, the closeness to nature, the somewhat quieter atmosphere compared to London. She also found a new challenge in the Bavarian state capital.

Hamburg & title defence hopes

There are titles that you expect, and some that you long for. Eriksson has won a lot since her move to Bayern: three Bundesliga titles, two Supercups – and all that in just three and a half years. But the title that she waited for the longest was the DFB Cup. “I was incredibly disappointed about that,” she says about the defeat in the final in her first year, when the Munich girls lost to Wolfsburg. “The cup is so special. Because we lost that final in my first year, it meant so much that we won it last May.”

The path to that same success was a dramatic one: a spectacular quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt, which was decided in extra time. And then the semi-final against Hoffenheim, when a Harder hat-trick produced a comeback from 2-0 down. The final victory against Werder Bremen was a moment of fulfilment for Magda. “We experienced wonderful moments, I can still picture the images from Cologne.”

Now they face another team from the north in Hamburger SV (kick-off at 18:30 CET on Wednesday). The next cup act takes the holders to the Volksparkstadion. Eriksson knows that such games are rarely straightforward. “It’s going to be a tough road, but it’s on us to bring our best performance. In the cup, a single moment is often enough to tip a game.” That’s also why she’s viewing the task with respect  – and with anticipation for the opponents. “I followed HSV’s journey in the cup last year, watched the match against Bremen at the sold-out Volkspark. That made me want them to get promoted.”

At the same time, the circumstances are challenging. “We’ve only had two days to be able to prepare for this game,” explains the Swede. “Everyone’s been away in different places, so we have to get together quickly.” Despite the clear scoreline in the league match, she warns: “When we play at the Campus, teams often defend a lot. But now it’s in Hamburg, in their big stadium, it’s a cup game – they’re going to give everything they have.” But Magda and her teammates also want to do just that. To get a step closer to the big target of Cologne. 

🏟️💫 For FC Bayern Women’s Champions League match against Manchester United at the Allianz Arena, 10,000 tickets have already been sold – get yours here!

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