The inaugural Europa Cup final, a new competition below the Women's Champions League, features two Swedish sides: Hammarby and Häcken. The final is a two-legged tie, with the first leg at Hammarby's home ground on Saturday and the return leg on Hisingen next Friday. Both teams eliminated notable opponents en route to the final, including Inter, Ajax, and Sporting, according to reports.
Two teenage talents are expected to shine in the final: Häcken's Felicia Schröder, 19, and Hammarby's Fanny Peterson, 16. According to multiple reports, Schröder won the Damallsvenskan scoring title last year and has continued in the same vein this year. She was also named the world's third best teenage player by football site Goal. Peterson has broken through this spring with dream goals in both the Swedish Cup and Europa Cup, as well as her first Damallsvenskan goal.
A lot has happened. A lot has happened.
According to Dagens Nyheter, Peterson described her rapid rise as having a lot happen quickly. She added that she told her family beforehand that she had experienced similar situations in F19 matches, but that it just happened to be a Europa Cup semi-final or the Damallsvenskan premiere. Schröder, speaking to Dagens Nyheter, noted that many players have left for Europe, which shows that Damallsvenskan has done well, and that it is sad to lose players but fun that others get to show what they can do. She also praised Peterson, saying she is doing very, very well.
According to Dagens Nyheter, Matilda Vinberg, a Tottenham player and former Hammarby player, described Peterson as having incredible talent. Vinberg said she knew nothing about Peterson before her first dream strike a few weeks ago, but since then she has continued to show that it was not just luck, and that she has the ability. Vinberg added that she hopes Peterson scores a dream goal in the final too. Regarding the final outcome, Vinberg said both teams look strong but she hopes for Hammarby. Julia Zigiotti Olme, a Manchester United midfielder with a background in both clubs, told Dagens Nyheter that Häcken feels like a notch stronger.
But I told the family beforehand that this is something I've done before, in F19 matches. But then it just happens to be a Europa Cup semi-final or the Damallsvenskan premiere.
Sweden national team coach Tony Gustavsson praised Schröder, saying she will be an important player for Sweden for a long time to come.
Both sportchefs agree that a single-match final would be preferable, but neither club has contacted UEFA about changing the format. According to Fotbollskanalen, Häcken's sportchef Christian Lundström said that most people want and strive for a single match, like the Champions League final, but acknowledged that UEFA has fought to get this cup going and that it went fast. He suggested it might be an economic issue but believes UEFA will strive for a single match in the future. Hammarby's sportchef Arnor Smárason told Fotbollskanalen that he thinks exactly the same, but that they should not focus too much on this now and instead be happy that there will be two crowd parties. Lundström added that it is too late to change the format now, as they would never agree on a neutral ground, and that in the future they might co-arrange it with the Champions League. Smárason said that in a perfect world a final is always preferable, but now they have chosen to do it this way, and they get a home match in the final in Europe.
Many players have left for Europe and that shows somewhere that it has gone well in Damallsvenskan. It's sad to lose players of course, but then it's fun that others get to show what they can do and take on bigger roles in the teams.
It remains unclear which team is favored to win the final, and whether UEFA will change the format to a single match in the future. The exact date and time of the first leg have not been confirmed, nor the number of teenagers in each squad.
I have seen a lot of Fanny Peterson, she is doing very, very well.
She has incredible talent.
I knew nothing about her before she made her first dream strike a few weeks ago at Kanalplan. But since then she has just continued to show that it wasn't just luck, but that she has the ability. It's incredibly cool to see such a young player take charge and really have good self-confidence. So I hope she scores a dream goal in the final too.
Both look strong. But I hope of course for Hammarby.
It feels maybe like Häcken is a notch stronger.
It is something that most people want and strive for.
It's probably that of course you would like to see it be a single match like the Champions League final. At the same time, we know that UEFA has fought to get this cup going, it went fast and I don't know what their plan looks like for the future.
It might be an economic issue. However, I think that you could invest in it in the future. And in the future it will probably be that, it is something that most people want and strive for. I believe that even UEFA will strive for it in the future. Right now we are happy to play at home.
I think exactly the same. That's how it is. We shouldn't focus too much on this now but rather be happy that there will be two crowd parties.
No, it's so far along now that we have just accepted it. I think it's too big a process to start. We can't put the match at one of the teams' home grounds, we would never agree on that, which means you need to play on neutral ground. In the future maybe you can co-arrange it with the Champions League or similar.
It's nothing that we have done so close to the final. In a perfect world, a final is always preferable, but now they have chosen to do it this way. Now you have to see it as we get a home match in the final in Europe and Häcken too. After that, we'll think about how it should look going forward.