The Swedish media are hugely interested in Pontus Jansson’s career at Leeds United. That the defender quickly became a cult hero has been met with a great deal of pride in Sweden, and so it’s continually covered.
When Leeds United fans came up with a chant for the defender, that was of course another source of pride in Sweden and underlined a couple of national characteristics that the Swedes like, especially in the south where Jansson is from.
National newspaper Aftonbladet repeatedly print the player’s Leeds chant in full, without asterisks, as if to ram the point home.
When a Swedish journalist from Wenstrom travelled to Leeds to speak to Jansson last week, the footballer couldn’t help but show him a t-shirt he keeps at home, with the chant printed on it.
It’s just one part of the English football culture that Jansson is enjoying, and he’s taken to life in the Championship perfectly: “Fully packed stadiums, nice atmospheres. Many teams play nice football, at least the top teams that play passing orientated football and are able to play from the back. The epithet of the Championship, to just hoof it forward and fight for it… of course there’s a few of those teams too, but there are more teams that try to play beautiful football than the opposite, so I’ve been positively surprised.”
Should Leeds United go on to achieve Premier League promotion, and Jansson continue his cult hero status at the club, then the Swedish media may even have to send someone to the city full time, such is the interest.
