“I feel like I’m making an immediate difference”

© Adam Ihse / TT
Magdalena Erickson.

Magdalena Erickson continues to make her voice heard.

And the star of the national team feels that she is doing something very important.

She says it really feels like I am making a direct difference in people’s lives.

Magdalena Erickson has long been a strong voice for human rights. The Swedish midfielder, every day at Chelsea, wrote a column on the site last Friday the athlete. Ericsson responded to the fact that UEFA did not allow the Allianz Arena in Munich to be lit up in rainbow colors during the European Championship match between Germany and Hungary.

I felt important when a big topic came up that I’m excited about during the tournament, says Erikson

The text had a huge impact and the response was great.

– Now I haven’t actively sought out and read every comment because you know he could have a bit of it with him and so-and-so. But what I got was very positive about how important it is to have the discussion. She says it was so much fun.

“inspire me”

Ericsson also uses its platform in a number of ways.

She’s in a relationship with fellow cast member Pernille Harder and on Valentine’s Day, they invited their followers to talk about what it means to be a LGBTQ person. Erickson and Harder also donate one percent of their income to an organization that trains leaders on LGBT issues and how to engage with young people to create a safe environment.

– I feel like I’ve created a good platform. There are many who follow me, look at me and write to me. Girls and boys all over the world have heard about how strong they are or how much it means to them that I am open with who I am with and stand up for human rights, she says.

She completes:

– It drops to the individual level. This is what inspires me and makes me want to talk about certain issues. It is a very important feeling.

Ericsson in a TV box?

At Chelsea FC, Ericsson was highly praised by his coach Emma Hayes for her way of leading, communicating and showing empathy. Hayes, in turn, was widely praised in the UK for his efforts as a television pundit during the European Football Championship.

– Usually the thing is that women have to put up with a lot of criticism when they are in men’s football and think and think. It’s a great feeling that a woman, in a footballing country as big as England, can step in as an expert and actually listen to what she’s saying, accept it, praise her for what she says and not criticize anything else, says Erikson.

Trinidad and Tobago: Is this role right for you?

– I do not know. I haven’t tested it yet. I’ve had inquiries many times but my vacation is often poor. If I ever wanted to do something like that, I have to be totally familiar – I’m a hard-core control freak. But she says it’s clearly a potential after-career opportunity.