A Swedish politician has bizarrely likened his country’s economy to Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur in a jaw-dropping speech delivered to parliament.
Mikael Damberg said Sweden have ‘squandered opportunities’ for their economy to prosper, despite having the perfect conditions to deliver success – much like Spurs, in the politician’s view.
The north Londoners find themselves deep in a relegation battle this season, despite boasting a stunning new stadium and arguably the best training facilities in world football.
‘I naturally think of Tottenham Hotspur, also known as Spurs, it is one of England’s most distinguished and rich clubs with an enormous stadium, dedicated and large supporter base – everything to be considered a ‘top team” he told the Swedish chamber.
‘Despite this, Tottenham find themselves in crisis. They are fighting at the bottom of the table, just a few points above the relegation zone. Not because they lack resources or benefits, but because they have squandered opportunities.
‘Due to making wrong decisions, general jerkiness and thinking in the short-term, they have lost their direction and stability.’
A Swedish politician has likened his country’s economy to ‘Spursy’ Tottenham
Mikael Damberg said, like Spurs, his nation has squandered opportunities for economic prosperity
‘The club have been given the name ‘Spursy’, [which is] when you have opportunities but get no results. Madame Speaker that is precisely how the Minister of Finance is handling the Swedish economy.
‘Sweden has the power, ability and resources. We have the companies, workforce and innovation capabilities. Conditions exist for the Swedish economy to prosper.’
He added: ‘The government risks making Sweden ‘Spursy’. That won’t do. Sweden cannot perform like Tottenham.’
Many Spurs fans would agree with Damberg’s assessment of the club’s predicament. The north Londoners are just five points clear of the drop zone after an alarming slump in results, seeing head coach Thomas Frank dismissed.
Former Juventus boss Igor Tudor has taken the reins until the end of the season, and faces a difficult opening game in charge – with Spurs hosting north London rivals and Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday.
Tudor said: ‘The situation is not easy, because, as you know better than me, we have a lot of injured players, so we need first to find the best system, the suit for the players that are available in this moment.
‘So, a very particular moment, maybe this can sound strange, but I believe that the thing that we need to be focused on is the training. So, the training from today, that’s the key, because, as I always like to say, Sunday and the game is a consequence of the training.’
