Albin Ekdal

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Albin Ekdal
Albin Ekdal 2018.jpg
Ekdal playing for Sweden at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Albin Ekdal[1]
Date of birth (1989-07-28) 28 July 1989 (age 32)
Place of birth Stockholm, Sweden
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Sampdoria
Number 6
Youth career
1996–2006 IF Brommapojkarna
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2008 IF Brommapojkarna 24 (0)
2008–2010 Juventus 3 (0)
2009–2010 → Siena (loan) 26 (1)
2010–2011 Bologna 22 (1)
2011–2015 Cagliari 114 (8)
2015–2018 Hamburger SV 54 (1)
2018– Sampdoria 107 (3)
National team‡
2004–2006 Sweden U17 18 (5)
2007–2008 Sweden U19 8 (2)
2008–2010 Sweden U21 12 (2)
2011– Sweden 65 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:01, 27 November 2021 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14:21, 16 November 2021 (UTC)

Albin Ekdal (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈǎlːbɪn ˈêːkdɑːl]; born 28 July 1989) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A side Sampdoria and the Sweden national team. Formed at IF Brommapojkarna, he has spent most of his career in Italy, where he has made over 200 Serie A appearances. He has represented Cagliari, Juventus, Siena, Bologna, and Sampdoria in the competition. He also spent three years in Germany's Bundesliga with Hamburger SV. Ekdal made his senior international debut for Sweden in 2011, and has since then earned over 60 caps for the nation. He has represented his country at UEFA Euro 2016, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2020.

Club career[]

Brommapojkarna[]

Albin Ekdal started his professional playing career with Brommapojkarna at the beginning of the 2007 Allsvenskan season. He played mainly as a central midfielder but also as an attacking midfielder or right midfielder.

Juventus[]

On 23 May 2008, Ekdal signed a four-year contract with Juventus of Italy's Serie A.[2] He made his Serie A and club debut on 18 October in a 2–1 away defeat to Napoli, coming on as a substitute in the 75th minute for Christian Poulsen.[3]

Loan to Siena[]

On 15 July 2009, fellow Italian top-flight club Siena signed Ekdal on loan for a season.[4] He made 27 appearances for the Tuscans, who were ultimately relegated at the end of the season, and scored once, in a 4–3 loss away to eventual treble winners Inter Milan on 9 January 2010.[5]

Bologna[]

On 28 June 2010, Juventus sold 50% of their ownership rights of Ekdal to Bologna. As per the deal, the two clubs would agree at the start of each season who would have him as a player.[6] He played 23 total games for the Rossoblu and scored on the anniversary of his last goal, to open a 2–0 win at Bari.[7]

Cagliari[]

Ekdal with Cagliari in 2012

On 23 August 2011, Ekdal was sold to fellow Serie A team Cagliari on a three-year deal for €3 million.[8]

On 28 September 2014, Ekdal scored a hat-trick as Cagliari won 4–1 at Inter Milan.[9]

Hamburger SV[]

On 18 July 2015, German club Hamburger SV signed Ekdal from Cagliari on a four-year deal for €4.5 million with wages of €600,000 per season.[10] He was given the number 20 shirt.

He played 57 games for the side in total, who struggled against relegation in each of his three years with the team, ending with their ultimate descent into the 2. Bundesliga in 2018. He scored once for the team from Hamburg, the only goal of a home win against Hertha BSC on 5 March 2017.[11]

On 21 January 2017, Ekdal received the first red card of his career, after 33 minutes of a 1–0 loss at VfL Wolfsburg.[12]

Sampdoria[]

On 14 August 2018, following Hamburg's relegation from the Bundesliga, Ekdal returned to Serie A by signing for Sampdoria.[13]

International career[]

Ekdal (left) and Pierre Bengtsson playing against Spain in October 2019

Ekdal made his debut for Sweden on 10 August 2011 in a friendly game away to Ukraine in Kharkiv. He came on as a 60th-minute substitute for Sebastian Larsson in a 1–0 win.

Ekdal was named in Sweden's 23-man squad for UEFA Euro 2016 in France, despite a deep cut in his back from celebrating Hamburg's recent Bundesliga survival putting his involvement at risk.[14] He played each match as the Swedes came bottom of their group.

In June 2018 Ekdal was named in Sweden's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[15] He played all five games of a run to the quarter-finals.

Ekdal was included in Sweden's 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2020.[16]

Personal life[]

He is the son of Lennart Ekdal, an award-winning Swedish journalist, TV personality and newscaster known for his work for the newspaper Dagens Nyheter and the financial magazine Veckans Affärer, as well as hosting TV shows such as Kalla fakta, Halvtid för Reinfeldt, Kvällsöppet med Ekdal & Hakelius and Hetluft.[17][18]

Ekdal's younger brother, Hjalmar Ekdal, is also a professional footballer who plays for Swedish first tier club Djurgårdens IF.[19]

On 13 March 2020, Ekdal tested positive for COVID-19, amid its pandemic in Italy.[20]

Career statistics[]

Club[]

As of match played 27 November 2021[21]
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brommapojkarna 2007 Allsvenskan 15 0 – – – 15 0
2008 Superettan 9 0 – – – 9 0
Total 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 24 0
Juventus 2008–09 Serie A 3 0 0 0 0 0 – 3 0
Siena (loan) 2009–10 Serie A 26 1 1 0 – – 27 1
Juventus 2010–11 Serie A 0 0 0 0 1 0 – 1 0
Total 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 0
Bologna 2010–11 Serie A 22 1 1 0 – – 23 1
Cagliari 2011–12 Serie A 30 1 1 0 – – 31 1
2012–13 Serie A 31 1 3 0 – – 34 1
2013–14 Serie A 22 1 1 0 – – 23 1
2014–15 Serie A 33 5 1 0 – – 34 5
Total 116 8 6 0 0 0 0 0 121 9
Hamburger SV 2015–16 Bundesliga 14 0 1 0 – – 15 0
2016–17 Bundesliga 21 1 2 0 – – 23 1
2017–18 Bundesliga 19 0 0 0 – – 19 0
Total 54 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 57 1
Sampdoria 2018–19 Serie A 32 0 1 0 – – 33 0
2019–20 Serie A 32 0 1 0 – – 33 0
2020–21 Serie A 32 2 1 0 – – 33 2
2021–22 Serie A 11 1 1 0 – – 12 1
Total 107 3 4 0 0 0 0 0 111 3
Career total 330 14 15 0 1 0 0 0 346 14

International[]

As of match played 14 November 2021.[21]
National team Year Apps Goals
Sweden 2011 1 0
2012 1 0
2013 5 0
2014 6 0
2015 7 0
2016 8 0
2017 4 0
2018 10 0
2019 8 0
2020 5 0
2021 10 0
Total 65 0

Honours[]

Individual

  • Swedish Midfielder of the Year: 2013,[22] 2014,[23] 2015[24]
  • Stor Grabb: 2016[25]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia – List of Players" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 4 June 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  2. ^ Albin Ekdal signs 4-year contract with Juventus Archived 26 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Al San Paolo Amauri illude la Juve, ora per Ranieri si fa buio pesto". La Repubblica (in Italian). 18 October 2008. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  4. ^ Mancini, Riccardo (15 July 2009). "Ekdal in prestito al Siena" (in Italian). Tutto Mercato Web. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  5. ^ "Search Results Web results Serie A: Inter 4-3 Siena". Inter Milan. 9 January 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  6. ^ "Albin Ekdal flyttar till Bologna". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). 28 July 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  7. ^ "Ekdal apre, Di Vaio chiude, Il Bari crolla: è tutto da rifare". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 9 January 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  8. ^ "Accordo con la societa' Cagliari Calcio relativo al calciatore Albin Ekdal" (PDF) (in Italian). Juventus F.C. 23 August 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  9. ^ "Inter 1 Cagliari 4: Ekdal hat-trick inspires sensational away win". Four Four Two. 28 September 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  10. ^ "Hamburg announce Albin Ekdal signing". Soccernews. 18 July 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  11. ^ "Ekdal gives Hamburg's survival hopes boost; Freiburg edge Eintracht". ESPN FC. PA Sport. 5 March 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  12. ^ Fredriksson, Emelie; Jönsson, Fredrik. "Albin Ekdal fick karriärens första röda kort". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  13. ^ "Ekdal arrives from Hamburg on a permanent deal". U.C. Sampdoria. 16 August 2018.
  14. ^ "Injury doubt Ekdal included in Sweden's Euro 2016 squad". Goal. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  15. ^ Crawford, Stephen (4 June 2018). "Revealed: Every World Cup 2018 squad - Final 23-man lists". Goal. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  16. ^ "Sweden Euro 2020 squad: Full team profile". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  17. ^ "Lennart Ekdal prisad för sin journalistik – Kvällsöppet – tv4.se". Archived from the original on 23 February 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  18. ^ "Sveriges Radio – Sidan finns ej". Retrieved 17 June 2016.[permanent dead link]
  19. ^ ""Försämrar inte chansen att få hem Albin Ekdal"" (in Swedish). Expressen. 4 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  20. ^ "COVID-19: Sampdoria statement, 13 March 2020". U.C. Sampdoria. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  21. ^ a b Albin Ekdal at Soccerway
  22. ^ "Årets mittfältare 2013: Bachmann och Ekdal — fogis.se". fogis.se. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  23. ^ "Årets mittfältare 2014: Ekdal och Seger — fogis.se". fogis.se. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  24. ^ "Årets mittfältare 2015: Seger och Ekdal — fogis.se". fogis.se. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  25. ^ "Stora Grabbars Märke - Svensk fotboll". www.svenskfotboll.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 29 September 2021.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""