Pure class

There are different defintions and ways of showing sportsmanship, empathy and fairness.

Swedish star Emil Forsberg beat Swiss goalkeeper in the 2018 World Cup taling Sweden to the quarterfinals.

However, he received some help from Swiss defender Manuel Akanji that deflected the shot into his own goal. The goal became the eighth-finals only and when the Swedes cheered after the end signal, Akanji dropped into tears in his own half.

Several Swedish players arrived quickly to comfort him.

“It was well done by them,” said Akanji to Sportbladet after the match.

Now the Swedish players’ sporting gestures have been highlighted in foreign media.

“Respect”, writes Fox Sports on Twitter along with a video clip where Albin Ekdal, Mikael Lustig and Gustav Svensson are consoling the Swiss.

“Sportability”, writes Fox football account FoxSoccer on twitter.

It is not the first time in the tournament that Sweden is celebrated for its sportiness. After the premiership in the World Cup, several South Koreans were comforted by Swedish players.

“Pure class of the Swedish players,” wrote the British BBC.