Swedish footballer Jacob Ondrejka broke his leg during a training match for Parma in the summer and is now speaking out for the first time about the tough days following the injury. The 23-year-old felt immediately that his career might be over, but his rehab has progressed well and he is set to return soon. Ondrejka hopes to contribute with goals and assists upon his comeback.
The incident occurred in the 37th minute of Parma's first training match of the season against Werder Bremen in the summer. Jacob Ondrejka, formerly with Elfsborg, tried to reach the ball but got caught under an opposing defender. “I thought I would reach the ball, but their defender comes in first and I get stuck under him and get his full weight on me. I felt right away that ‘now it's over’. It was really tough. Especially after last season, when I thought this would be my season,” he tells SVT Sport.
Ondrejka was carried off on a stretcher and taken away in an ambulance. The club later confirmed a fracture in his left fibula, requiring surgery. “The thing was that it didn't hurt much, but I felt that something was wrong. I knew something was broken. I told Parma right away that I wanted to do the surgery as soon as possible to come back as quickly as possible,” he says.
Being sidelined has been tough, especially as the team has not performed as expected. “It has been very tough. Especially when you see that the team is not really going as we thought. Then it's extra tough and I think I could have contributed a lot to this team,” the 23-year-old states. He describes the period as the toughest in his career so far.
Ondrejka signed with Parma in Serie A in January 2025 and scored five goals in twelve matches during the spring. He was selected for Jon Dahl Tomasson's first national team squad in March last year but has not played for the senior team since. His rehab has gone well, and in two weeks he will train fully. After the international break, he is ready for matches. “It will be really nice to come back because I feel that I will contribute a lot with both goals and assists.”