Johnny Ekström facts for kids

Johnny Douglas Ekström (born on March 5, 1965) is a Swedish former professional footballer. He was known for playing as a striker or a winger. Johnny played for teams in Italy, Germany, France, and Spain. But he is best remembered for his time with IFK Göteborg in Sweden. With them, he was the top scorer in the 1986 Allsvenskan league. He also helped his team win three Swedish Championships. From 1986 to 1995, he played 47 games for the Swedish national team. He also played for his country in the 1990 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1992.

Johnny's Club Career

Playing for IFK Göteborg

Johnny Ekström started his football journey in the youth academy of IFK Göteborg. He joined the main team in 1983. His first game in the Allsvenskan league was in 1984. People quickly gave him nicknames like "Kallebäcks-Expressen" (the express train from Kallebäck) and "Johnny Bråttom" (Johnny-in-a-hurry). These names showed how fast he was on the field!

His best season with Göteborg was in 1986. He scored the most goals in the 1986 Allsvenskan league that year. He also helped his club reach the semi-finals of the 1985–86 European Cup. They were stopped by FC Barcelona. Johnny also played in the first part of the 1986–87 UEFA Cup. IFK Göteborg later won this cup after he had left the team.

Moving to Empoli

In 1986, Johnny Ekström became the most expensive Swedish player ever when he joined Empoli in Italy. He quickly became a favorite player there. Fans called him 'Il Ciclone' (the cyclone). This nickname came from his amazing speed when he ran with the ball.

Playing for Bayern Munich

In 1988, Johnny signed with the German club FC Bayern Munich. He helped them win the 1988–89 Bundesliga title. They also reached the semi-finals of the 1988–89 UEFA Cup. They were beaten by Napoli.

Time with Cannes

In 1989, he moved to AS Cannes in France. He even played alongside a young Zinedine Zidane, who later became a famous football star. Johnny left Cannes in 1991.

Back to IFK Göteborg

Johnny Ekström returned to his home club, IFK Göteborg, in 1991. He helped them win the Swedish Championships in 1991 and 1993. They also won the 1991 Svenska Cupen (Swedish Cup). He played in the 1992–93 UEFA Champions League too. Göteborg finished third in their group.

Playing for Reggiana

In 1993, Johnny went back to Italy to play for Reggiana. He played in 9 games for them in the 1993–94 Serie A season. He then spent the rest of that season playing in Spain.

Loan to Real Betis

In the spring of 1994, Johnny played for Real Betis in Spain. He was on loan from Reggiana. He was only the second Swedish player to play for this club. He played in seven games and scored two goals.

With Dynamo Dresden

In the summer of 1994, Johnny returned to Germany. He signed a two-year contract with Dynamo Dresden. He played one season for them, scoring seven goals in 30 games.

Joining Eintracht Frankfurt

Johnny Ekström signed with Eintracht Frankfurt in 1995. He scored two goals in 16 games. The club was moved down to a lower league in 1996. He stayed with them but could not help them get back to the top German league.

Final Return to IFK Göteborg and Retirement

He came back to IFK Göteborg for a second time in 1997. He played for them in the 1997 and 1998 Allsvenskan seasons. He then stopped playing professional football in late 1998. In total, Johnny played over 200 games for IFK Göteborg during his three times with the club.

Johnny's International Career

Playing for Sweden's Youth Team

Johnny Ekström played 12 games for the Sweden U21 team. He was part of the team that reached the quarterfinals of the 1986 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. They were knocked out by Italy.

Playing for the Senior National Team

Johnny played his first game for the senior Swedish national team on May 1, 1986. It was a friendly game against Greece. He scored his first goal for Sweden on August 6, 1986, in a friendly win against Finland.

UEFA Euro 1988 Qualifiers

On September 24, 1986, Johnny made his first important international game for Sweden. It was a UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying game against Switzerland. Sweden won 2–0, and Johnny scored both goals! He scored four more goals in the same qualifying games. This made him one of the top goal scorers in the qualifiers. But even with his goals, Sweden did not make it to Euro 1988.

1990 FIFA World Cup

Johnny scored two goals during the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying games. These goals helped Sweden get to their first World Cup since 1978. At the 1990 World Cup, he played in the second group game against Scotland. He also started the third group game against Costa Rica. He scored the first goal in that game. Sweden lost all three games and was out of the tournament.

UEFA Euro 1992

Johnny was part of the Swedish team at UEFA Euro 1992. This tournament was held in Sweden! He came on as a substitute in all four games. Sweden reached the semi-finals but was beaten by Germany.

Later Years and Retirement

Johnny played in four 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifying games. He then said he would stop playing for the national team in October 1993. But he made a short comeback on March 8, 1995. In a friendly game against Cyprus, which ended in a 3–3 draw, Johnny scored one of the goals. In total, he played 47 games for the Swedish national team and scored 13 goals.

Career Highlights

IFK Göteborg

• Allsvenskan (Swedish League): 1984, 1991, 1993
• Svenska Cupen (Swedish Cup): 1991
• UEFA cup: 1986–87

Bayern München

• Bundesliga (German League): 1988–89

Individual Awards

• Allsvenskan top scorer: 1986
• Stor Grabb (Big Guy - a Swedish football award): 1988
• Årets ärkeängel (Archangel of the Year - IFK Göteborg fan award): 1992

See also

In Spanish: Johnny Ekström para niños