Ludwig Augustinsson

Ludwig Augustinsson
Personal information
Full name Hans Carl Ludwig Augustinsson
Date of birth (1994-04-21) 21 April 1994
Place of birth Stockholm, Sweden
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Left-back
Club information
Current team
 Copenhagen
Number 3
Youth career
1999–2011 IF Brommapojkarna
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2012 IF Brommapojkarna 30 (2)
2013–2014 IFK Göteborg 29 (1)
2015– Copenhagen 64 (3)
National team‡
2009–2011 Sweden U17 12 (0)
2011–2013 Sweden U19 9 (0)
2012– Sweden U21 19 (0)
2015– Sweden 6 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 3 December 2016.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11 November 2016

Hans Carl Ludwig Augustinsson (born 21 April 1994 in Stockholm) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays for Danish Superliga club F.C. Copenhagen as a left-back.

A product of Brommapojkarna's academy, he played two senior seasons with the club before leaving for IFK Göteborg in 2013. With an injury-filled first year, his breakthrough had to wait until the 2014 season, in which he was named the best left back of the campaign. A move to Copenhagen followed in January 2015 for an estimated record fee of €1.4 million. He has ended up being club champion once, with Copenhagen in the 2015–16 season, and runner-up three times with his teams; in Superettan 2012, Allsvenskan 2014 and in Danish Superliga 2014–15. He has won three domestic cup titles, both with IFK Göteborg 2012–13 and with Copenhagen 2014–15 and 2015–16.

Augustinsson was part of the Sweden U21 squad that qualified and later won the European U21 Championship in 2015, playing all five games in the main tournament and scoring in the penalty shootout against Portugal in the final. He has been capped six times for Sweden, making his first appearance in January 2015, and was part of Sweden's Euro 2016 squad.

Club career

IF Brommapojkarna

Augustinsson started his football career at age six with Stockholm side IF Brommapojkarna.[1] He was notable throughout his youth years, being the captain for the team's U17 squad and having trials with clubs such as Borussia Mönchengladbach and Sampdoria.[2] After advancing through the youth ranks, he earned a spot in the first team as a 16-year-old in 2011[3] and made his debut in Superettan later that year.[4] With four appearances in his debut season, including his senior debut in the domestic cup,[5] he came to play almost every game the following year, ending up with two goals and four assists.[6] With two senior seasons and 30 league games for Brommapojkarna, Augustinsson moved to IFK Göteborg in January 2013, turning down offers from several other professional clubs.[7][8]

IFK Göteborg

Ludwig Augustinsson playing for IFK Göteborg

The move to top team IFK Göteborg went well and Augustinsson played most of the games during the pre-season. When Svenska Cupen began in March, he was first-choice as left-back and played two games in the group stage. IFK Göteborg later won the cup against Djurgården in the final. Just a couple of weeks before the start of 2013 Allsvenskan, he picked up a knee injury while playing for Sweden U21 which kept him out of action for five months.[9] On his Allsvenskan debut on 25 August 2013 in an away match against Malmö FF he suffered another injury, which meant that he would be out for the rest of the season.[10]

Augustinsson came back from his second injury in time for the first competitive match in 2014, against Värnamo in Svenska Cupen in early March.[11] He scored his first goal in Allsvenskan on 24 September in the 2014 season, when IFK Göteborg won away against Örebro SK by 4–3.[12] He played 28 league games that season, without being substituted, and assisted for three goals.[6] He later earned a spot in Allsvenskan's Team of the Year 2014 – voted by supporters of the SvenskaFans.com website.[13]

Copenhagen

Augustinsson transferred to F.C. Copenhagen on 5 January 2015 after signing a 4.5-year contract on 6 June 2014.[14] The deal was made so he could be the replacement for Pierre Bengtsson at the left-back position when Bengtsson's contract ended with Copenhagen on 31 December 2014. The transfer fee was estimated at 13 million SEK (approximately €1.4 million), which made him the most expensive wing-back ever bought from Sweden.[15]

2014–15 season

Having played every exhibition game during the winter break for Copenhagen, Augustinsson made his Superliga-debut against Vestsjælland when the season restarted in February. He assisted the first goal of the game and scored later himself, playing a key role in the team's 2–0 victory. Ekstra Bladet described it as "the dream debut" and manager Ståle Solbakken said it was the best debut since his own debut for Copenhagen against rivals Brøndby back in the year 2000.[16]

He came to play 15 league games during the spring season, helping the team reach the second place in the league. He was noted for six assists, which placed him third in the assist-table and which made him the defender with the most assists of the 2014–15 season – despite playing less than half of the games.[17] Defensively Copenhagen only conceded goals in six games, with many experts claiming that he was one of the best players of the spring season.

Augustinsson played regularly in the Danish Cup as well throughout the spring, and scored a match winning 1–0 goal from a free kick against Esbjerg in the second game of the semifinals.[18] Copenhagen later won the final in May against Vestsjælland, with him providing an assist in the team's 3–2 win.[19] The cup win was his second title of his career and his first for the club.

2015–16 season

The 2015–16 season was Augustinsson's most successful season in his career, winning his first domestic league title and securing his third domestic cup victory. Being rumored with moves to top teams, such as Liverpool,[20] after winning the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, Augustinsson stayed in Denmark and played his first complete season for Copenhagen.

In the league, Augustinsson played every minute of the first 30 games, until he was rested for the final two away games when the trophy was already secured in the middle of May.[21] He assisted to nine goals throughout the campaign, placing him as tied leader with Nicolaj Thomsen and Rasmus Falk.[22] Ekstra Bladet ranked him as one of the five best players for Copenhagen, awarding 5 of 6 stars for his performance, citing an improvement compared to the spring part of the season.[23]

International career

Youth national teams

Augustinsson represented Sweden U17 and Sweden U19 21 times between 2009–2013.[24] He has made 19 caps for Sweden U21 since 2012 and is still eligible to play for the team. His biggest success came for the U21-team, when they manage to qualify to the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and later win the tournament, whilst being a key player in Håkan Ericson's squad.

In 2016, Augustinsson was denied joining Sweden U23 squad for the 2016 Olympics in August by his club Copenhagen.[25]

European U21 Championship

Outstanding throughout the tournament and exceptional in the final, where he forced the livewire João Mário into his most ineffective performance of the competition. Showed his commitment and drive (and not to mention fitness) with one final lung-bursting charge into the box in the 121st minute of the game and slammed home his penalty in the shootout.

“
”

— The Guardian about Ludwig Augustinsson's performance in the tournament.[26]

Sweden managed to qualify to the European U21 Championship in Czech Republic for the first time since 2004 after a successful qualification. In an exhibition game against Portugal U21 in early 2013, Augustinsson injured his knee and was later out for the rest of the year,[9][10] which meant he missed most of the qualification games. He was however Håkan Ericson's first choice at the left-back position when he was available and was part of the squad in the games of 2014.[27]

Augustinsson played every game in the group stage of the main tournament.[28][29][30] Before the second game against England, in which Sweden lost, his claim that English players were 'overrated' received a lot of attention in English media[31] at a time when interest from Liverpool was reported.[20]

Sweden however managed to advance from the group, thanks to winning against Italy and drawing against Portugal. After knocking out Denmark in the semi-final by 4–1, Sweden were to play Portugal again in the final. In a goalless match, the first kept clean sheet of Sweden in the tournament, the final had to be decided by a penalty shootout. Augustinsson scored his penalty and Sweden won by 4–3. He received international praise for his final performance, described as "outstanding".[26] He earned a spot in The Guardian's 'Team of the Tournament'.[26]

Senior national team

Augustinsson debuted with Sweden in January 2015, when he started both games in their friendlies against the Ivory Coast[32] and Finland.[33] Sportbladet rated him as the best Swedish player of those two games.[34]

He received his second call-up in March 2016, playing 90 minutes in Sweden's 2–1 loss against Turkey.[35] On May 11, Erik Hamrén announced that Augustinsson was going to feature the Euro 2016 squad.[24]

2016–present

He remained as unused substitute, behind Martin Olsson, throughout Sweden's disappointing group stage at Euro 2016. Following Hamréns resignation and Janne Andersson's arrival later that summer, Augustinsson got bigger competition when Oscar Wendt re-joined the squad after conflicts with the former head coach.[36] With Andersson's experimenting of the two veterans at the left-back position in the beginning of the World Cup qualification,[37][38] Augustinsson opened possibilities to join the Sweden U21 squad, for which he still was eligible to play.[39] Andersson however kept him in the senior squad and Augstinsson came to play the final 30 minutes against Bulgaria in the qualifier in October.[40]

Style of play

Augustinsson is often referred as a modern wing-back, whose qualities is in his offense, possession, pace and a good left foot.[7][41] He started out as a central midfielder, but changed position to left-back at age eleven due to tough competition in the midfield.[42] He has always been a specialist in set pieces and takes a lot of corners and freekicks.[43][44] His role models on the football pitch is former left back Gareth Bale and David Alaba.[45]

Personal life

Ludwig is the firstborn and grew up in a sports-oriented family in the central parts of Stockholm. His father Hans played football in Swedish Division 1 and his mother Elisabeth played volleyball on an international level for Sweden. His younger brother Jonathan currently plays for Djurgårdens IF in Allsvenskan, also as a left-back.[46][47]

The family was part of a national-wide debate in the summer of 2015, about more Swedish national players coming from well-educated families in wealthier neighborhoods. Critics have stated that players like Augustinsson are successful today because of the amount of money the families invest in private training sessions.[48]

Together with his good friends and former teammates from his time in Brommapojkarna, John Guidetti and Simon Tibbling, he is a teetotaler and has never been drunk.[42] Ludwig attended primary schools Aspuddens skola and Nybohovsskolan, both with focus on football.[49][50]

Although he has been playing football his entire life, he tried out ice hockey in his youth and was part of AIK IF.[1] He is a lifelong supporter of Manchester United and dreams of playing for the club one day.[42]

Modeling

In December 2015, Augustinsson featured in NLY Man's Christmas campaign "The Next Generation".[51]

Career statistics

Club

As of 29 November 2016[52]
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
IF Brommapojkarna 2011 Superettan 3010—40
2012 Superettan 27200—272
Total 3021000312
IFK Göteborg 2013 Allsvenskan 10300040
2014 Allsvenskan 2815050381
Total 2918050421
Copenhagen 2014–15 Danish Superliga 15141—192
2015–16 Danish Superliga 3113040381
2016–17 Danish Superliga 17100110281
Total 63371150854
Career total 12261612001587

International

As of 11 November 2016
National teamYearAppsGoals
Sweden
201520
201640
Total60

Honours

Club

IFK Göteborg
Copenhagen

International

Sweden U21

References

  1. 1 2 "Augustinsson om det enorma fotbollsintresset" (in Swedish). Göteborgs-Posten. 9 February 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "Ludwig siktar högt" (in Swedish). TipsElit. 23 July 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  3. ↑ "Silly Season 2011/2012" (in Swedish). SvenskaFans.com. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  4. ↑ "Ludwig Augustinsson". Soccerway. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "Brommapojkarna 3-1 Gefle" (in Swedish). Soccerway. 12 May 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Ludwig Augustinsson" (in Swedish). SvenskFotboll. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Augustinsson in, Bärkroth ut" (in Swedish). IFK Göteborg. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  8. ↑ "Klart: Augustinsson går till IFK Göteborg" (in Swedish). Sportbladet. 6 January 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Augustinsson borta fem månader" (in Swedish). Göteborgs-Posten. 28 March 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  10. 1 2 "Första matchen sen mars – skadad igen" (in Swedish). Sportbladet. 25 August 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  11. ↑ "IFK Göteborg vs. Värnamo 2 - 0" (in Swedish). Soccerway. 1 March 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  12. ↑ "Örebro - IFK Göteborg" (in Swedish). SvenskFotboll. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  13. ↑ "Årets lag - Vänsterback" (in Swedish). SvenskaFans.com. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  14. ↑ "Ludde till FC Köpenhamn efter säsongen" (in Swedish). IFK Göteborg. 6 June 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  15. ↑ "Blåvitt sålde talangen för en rekordsumma" (in Swedish). Expressen. 8 June 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  16. ↑ "Ståle om ny svensker: Bedste debut siden...MIG!" (in Danish). Ekstrabladet. 22 February 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  17. ↑ "Assists, top 20, 2014/2015" (in Danish). SuperStats.dk. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  18. ↑ "Esbjerg fB – FC København (30. april 2015)" (in Danish). bold.dk. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  19. ↑ "FC Vestsjælland – FC København (14. maj 2015)" (in Danish). bold.dk. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  20. 1 2 "Agenten bekräftar: Liverpool ute efter Augustinsson". Fotbollskanalen. 28 June 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  21. ↑ "Svenska landslagstrion får ledigt av danska toppklubben" (in Swedish). Fotbollskanalen. 21 May 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  22. ↑ "Assists, top 20, 2015/2016" (in Danish). SuperStats.dk. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  23. ↑ "Så meget har de bidraget til guldet: Disse FCK-stjerner gik forrest" (in Danish). Ekstra Bladet. 29 May 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  24. 1 2 "EM-truppen uttagen" (in Swedish). SvenskFotboll.se. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  25. ↑ "Ingen Augustinsson i OS" (in Swedish). Göteborgs-Posten. 13 January 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  26. 1 2 3 "European Under-21 Championship: our team of the tournament". The Guardian. 1 July 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  27. ↑ "Avbräck i U21-landslaget inför ödesmatchen" (in Swedish). SvT. 9 September 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  28. ↑ "Sweden surge leaves Italy defeated". UEFA.com. 18 June 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  29. ↑ "England beat Sweden through late Lingard goal". UEFA.com. 21 June 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  30. ↑ "Last-gasp Sweden join Portugal in U21 EURO semis". UEFA.com. 24 June 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  31. ↑ "England U21s are 'overrated', says Sweden defender Ludwig Augustinsson ahead of European Championship Group B clash". Daily Mail. 20 June 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  32. ↑ "Startelvan mot Elfenbenskusten" (in Swedish). SvenskFotboll.se. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  33. ↑ "Startelvan mot Finland" (in Swedish). SvenskFotboll.se. 19 January 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  34. ↑ "Har en väldigt, väldigt hög nivå" (in Swedish). Sportbladet.se. 20 January 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  35. ↑ "Turkiet-Sverige 2-1" (in Swedish). SvenskFotboll.se. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  36. ↑ "Wendt tillbaka i landslaget" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. 23 August 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  37. ↑ "Wendt tillbaka: "Jättekul"" (in Swedish). Sydsvenskan. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  38. ↑ "Janne om startelvan mot Bulgarien" (in Swedish). SvenskFotboll. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  39. ↑ "Bänkade – då kan de hjälpa U21" (in Swedish). Sportbladet. 8 October 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  40. ↑ "Sweden v Bulgaria". BBC Sport. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  41. ↑ "Ludwig Augustinsson "Jag är 100 procent fotboll"" (in Swedish). SvenskaFans. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  42. 1 2 3 "Guidetti fick U21-stjärna att skippa alkohol: "Har blivit arg när de pushat på"" (in Swedish). Fotbollskanalen. 16 November 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  43. ↑ "Augustinsson fortsätter producera framåt: Stabilt" (in Swedish). Sportbladet. 10 February 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  44. ↑ "Blåvitts sätt att spela är kanon för mig" (in Swedish). Fotboll Direkt. 19 March 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  45. ↑ "Ludwig Augustinsson - FC Köpenhamns "24/7"" (in Swedish). Viasat Sport. 18 October 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  46. ↑ "Jag får gåshud bara jag tänker på det" (in Swedish). Expressen. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  47. ↑ "Jonathan Augustinsson klar för Djurgården" (in Swedish). Djurgårdens IF. 15 February 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  48. ↑ "Sveriges nya fotbollscentrum" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. 13 September 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
  49. ↑ "Rektorsbrev juni 2016" (in Swedish). Aspuddens Skola. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  50. ↑ "Fotbollsprofilen" (in Swedish). Nybohovsskolan. 16 November 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  51. ↑ "Ludwig Augustinsson: "Det är en ära att få spela för svenska landslaget"" (in Swedish). Metro Mode. 2 December 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  52. ↑ "Ludwig Augustinsson". Soccerway. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
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