Published 16.33
When Hasse Backe, 74, lived in New York, he had an unexpected supporter.
An American border guard made sure the trainer’s profile got creamed through passport control.
– I remember that this was damn embarrassing, he says.
Hasse Backe is back in the TV box after a three-year hiatus.
The 74-year-old coaching profile and soccer fan makes his first studio effort on behalf of TV4 in the championship on Thursday and will be broadcast from Stockholm throughout.
Backe has, as usual, loaded up with extensive preparations.
– It has become a lot. It’s hard to put an exact number on it, but I always want to be as well prepared as possible. I’ve been focusing on the teams and matches we’ll be covering in the studio, and also on my first commentary match, Canada vs. Switzerland. It’s a very interesting match. The work is about going through the character of the teams, how they act in the lead and at a disadvantage, how the national team captains think and what football philosophy they have. That takes time, he says.
Not the first time
Hasse Backe will play that match together with his son Peter Backe.
– It will be really fun to, he says.
Father and son have worked together before. But that was several years ago.
– We talked about it a few weeks ago. Peter reminded me that we did a World Cup qualifying match together before. I thought it was a La Liga match, but apparently it was a qualifying match. None of us could really remember exactly which match it was, but it was many years ago.
How much football do you talk about on a daily basis?
– Quite a lot. He is extremely interested, not only in football but in sports in general. In addition, he is extremely well prepared and knowledgeable in many different sports. So we talk a lot about both football and other things.
What do you think are his strengths as a commentator?
– He is ready and clear. He sticks to the facts and doesn’t float away. Above all, I think it shows that he is very well prepared.
Does he have access to the same prep binders as you?
– Yes, that’s pretty much it. He is well-mannered.
Missing New York
The USA and Mexico are two countries close to Backe’s heart after his years as a coach in the New York Red Bulls and his time in the Mexican national team.
On the other hand, he does not feel any major missing after being there during the WC.
– I miss New York something really horrible. I really do. And I have many fond memories of Mexico City as well. But the championship life itself? No, I have made those trips. There are flights, hotels, transport and very little sleep. I’m not jealous of those running around there now, he says.
At the same time, the years in the United States have left their mark.
When the conversation turns to strange memories from the time over there, a story that Lasse Granqvist recently told in the podcast is mentioned The sports house. According to Granqvist, Hasse Backe was almost given a free ride through the American passport control on one occasion.
Got free rent
Backe laughs when the mentioned episode comes up and remembers back to when he landed at Newark airport and was greeted by an almost absurd experience at passport control.
– Yes, it is completely sick. It happened on two occasions when I was coaching the New York Red Bulls. For some reason, it was one of the guards in the ward there who would constantly buzz football. And at some point then, there was such an incredible queue. I thought: No, no, now you should have tried to get a green card so you can sneak through. Then one of the guards left his control room, looked over at the queue and started shouting: “Boss! Boss!” I remember this damn thing being embarrassing. “Should I go through all hell?”
– But he continued to shout and waved me forward. So I passed the entire choir. No one is arguing against an American border guard. When I arrived, he took the passport, sat in the chair and started buzzing football with me. We sat there for four or five minutes while the queue behind just kept growing. You could almost feel the irritation behind you. But he didn’t care, they are freezing cold. Finally he stamped the passport, handed it back and said, “Welcome home, boss.” It was pretty special.
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