ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Sweden was tired of waiting and wondering by April. The public had long since made its feelings on the matter clear in a survey: Two-thirds of the country thought it was a bad idea. Sweden’s coach, Janne Andersson, claimed he was not considering it, anyway.

And, finally, the players themselves — the prospective teammates — ran out of patience. They thought the debate was all for show, a chance to “build business,” as the captain, Andreas Granqvist, put it.

It fell to Lars Richt, Sweden’s general manager, to make the call to Los Angeles, where Zlatan Ibrahimovic now plays in Major League Soccer. Richt did so, at last, on April 24. It was not a request or a plea, not an attempt to persuade or cajole a player he had known for more than a decade and counted as a close friend. He merely asked a question, and reported back when he had an answer.

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“I spoke with Zlatan on Tuesday,” he said then. “He announced that he has not changed his mind with regards to playing for the national team. It’s a no.”