It was at the end of the first half away to Djurgården that Oliver Berg went on a tough tackle from Jacob Une Larsson. Djurgården’s centre-back hit Berg’s foot and the Malmö FF star was immediately forced into a substitution. He was helped to be led away to the substitutes’ bench.
After the 1-0 victory, Berg left Tele2 Arena on crutches.
– I haven’t seen a replay of it. I can’t handle seeing such situations in retrospect. But the feeling was that it was quite hard when I got it, says the Norwegian about the situation.
He doesn’t know how bad it is.
– No clue. We’ll see. I’ll take some pictures and we’ll just see.
– It felt like the leg came off, but I no longer know what the status is. We have to take two or three days to take some pictures and then we’ll see. I don’t want to dig too much without knowing something. I have to look at it positively though. If there is a negative response, I have to process it then and there.
Even if the feeling in the situation was as he describes above, Berg does not think that anything is broken.
– It may not feel like it, but we’ll x-ray it tomorrow to be on the safe side.
– The doctors have said that it is a serious sprain on the inside and that there are “remaining” a couple of studs on the outside.
He also says:
– It hurts now. I’m tightly wound.
Think you’ll miss the cup final (next Wednesday)?
– I have no idea. I don’t know what to hope for.
Malmö FF coach Henrik Rydström calls the tackle on Berg “disgusting” and “shameful”. But Une Larsson got away with something short.
– I have heard that the judges said something during the break that it was a wrong decision. That it was a red card, says Berg.
The judge has said it was wrong?
– Yes, that’s what I’ve heard. But I haven’t talked to him myself.
Une Larsson apologized to Berg after the match.
– He is a nice guy so it was a good excuse he gave.
To Football Channel, Une Larsson says:
– I’ve seen it myself and it’s certainly not the prettiest tackle I’ve made. I spoke to Oliver afterwards and apologized. I think that is obvious. So I have to be happy that I managed to escape short.
Referee Mohammed Al-Hakim declined an interview as he walked through the mixed zone after the match.
