Sweden’s Women’s National Team coach Peter Gerhardsson was looking to get out of dodge.
The Swedish coach had just completed his press conference with reporters for the afternoon, ahead of his team’s semifinal matchup in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. So, you could say that Gerhardsoon’s mine was elsewhere, perhaps on the team’s matchup against Spain, when he attempted to leave Monday’s press conference in Auckland, New Zealand.
Gerhardsson left the stage, aimlessly looking for the exit. Having avoided another gaffe—more on that in a moment—the 63-year-old manager saw a door that to him looked like an exit. I mean, it looked like an exit to us too. And to Gerhardsson’s surprise, it was not in fact an exit. Instead, he found a janitorial closet. What that means for Tuesday’s game is anyone’s guess. It could have an omen of some sort. Will he have to clean up any messes his team creates during Tuesday’s match? Who’s to say?
Here’s a gem from todays press conference – Peter Gerhardsson enters a cleaning scrub instead of leaving 😂
— Amanda Zaza (@amandaezaza) August 14, 2023
It was quite funny to watch as a camera operator, seemingly confused by Gerhardsson entering a side door, watched him mistakenly enter the closest, before pointing him in the right direction. Gerhardsson had himself a laugh, as he smirked at reporters, who were chuckling themselves, and gave them a sarcastic wave off.
It’s even better when you realize that Gerhardsson left reporters with a philosophical chestnut, according to The Athletic’s Steph Yang, before he promptly tried to leave through the wrong door.
“If you as a human being know everything it’s not exciting, and that’s why football is so exciting.”
In presser, Peter Gerhardsson hits us with this philosophical chestnut: "If you as a human being know everything it's not exciting, and that's why football is so exciting." Then he promptly tried to leave through a utility closet before realizing it was the wrong door. #FIFAWWC
— Steph Yang | Horrible Soccer Goose (@thrace) August 14, 2023
Well clearly Gerhardsson didn’t know what door to exit through.
This isn’t the first time that Gerhardsson has provided us with comedy during this year’s Women’s World Cup. He started buzzing like a bumblebee in the postgame press conference following Swedesn’s quarterfinal win over Japan, as he tried to describe the Swedish game plan.
Gerhardsson is a fantastic coach with a great sense of humor. If Sweden advances past Spain in the semifinal, it’ll be interesting to see if he can top any of his previous moments in the match’s postgame presser.
[Amanda Zaza, Steph Yang on Twitter]
