Sweden legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic sent a message from encouragement to Smilla Holmberg after the 18-year-old had missed the decisive spot kick in Thursday's defeat by England.
Holmberg skied over the bar of 12 meters to hand over the victory of the lion ribbons in what was called the 'worst penalty shootout ever' by several fans.
With the quarterfinals of the ladies' euros that ended in a 2-2 draw after extra time, England won 3-2 after each team had taken seven stairs.
Alessia Russo, Julia Zigiotti Olme, Nathalie Bjorn, Chloe Kelly and Lucy Bronze were the only players who successfully converted from the place in a chaotic shootout with nine misses – including one of Sweden goalkeeper Jennifer Falk, who had three penalts Schoot.
Holmberg's Miss turned out to be decisive and the teenager remained in tears, but the next morning she received an unexpected boost in the form of a personal message from the greatest male football player in Sweden.
“It was a sad daughter that I held in my arms about an hour after the game,” said Holmberg's father, Ola Persson, on Swedish radio. 'She is strong and she has received a lot of support from the team, supporters, friends and family members. She even received an SMS from Zlatan this morning. '
Ibrahimovic, who is co-owner of Holmberg's Club Hammarby and scored 62 goals in 122 caps for the men's team of Sweden, encouraged the young defender to take the next penalty, and the next then he encouraged her to believe in herself and grow from the experience.
“The most important thing is that nobody defines a career of those mistakes,” Persson added. “It is even the opposite – you have to grow in those situations.”
Holmberg was performed after misses by teammate Filippa Angeldahl and England Trio Lauren James, Beth Mead and Alex Greenwood, among other things. She had to score to force an eighth round of penalties, but her effort sailed over the bar.
The goalkeeper of England, Hannah Hampton, who saved two Spotkicks and ended the game with a bloody face after a collision earlier in the quarterfinals, admitted that the shooting was 'stressful' for all involved.
“Every time I saved one, I thought:” Please just put it, so we have a bit of a pillow, “she told the BBC. “Then their keeper saved the next and I thought,” Oh God, here we go. “
England looked dead and buried after 2-0 behind the first half of Kosovare Asllani and Stina Blackstenius, but brought a dramatic late comeback with goals in the 79th and 81st minutes of bronze and teenage recipient Michelle Agyemang.
The victory sent the side of Sarina Wiegman to a fourth semi-final in five tournaments and made them the first ruling champions since Germany in 2009 to reach the last four of the next euros. England will be confronted in Geneva in Geneva on Tuesday.